Meet Laura Clouden, the Lipstick Troll

As many of you seasoned Inner Circle pack members know by now, every so often, a nasty troll wanders into our territory.

And I am ever so very delighted when one does!

It literally makes me giggle with glee.

Because I get to have another opportunity to make them squirm.

MWAHAHAHA!!!

Here’s our latest sighting…

A certain @lauraclouden7362.

Laura arrived under our Dire Wolf Project™ Movie Monday YouTube video wearing what I can only imagine are fake Prada shoes, Walmart foundation three shades too dark, and a set of eyelashes so heavy they probably cast their own shadow at high noon.

One hand clutched a “Rescue Mom” mug, while the other poised for her righteous kill-shot on YouTube.

Here’s what she fired off under this week’s Dire Wolf Project™ Movie Monday YouTube video about what goes into our Puppy Go Home Bags:

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“Sorry but we don't need more dogs, of any kind. Please go visit your local shelter where there are so many wonderful dogs & cats waiting day after day for their forever loving home which they all deserve.”

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Bless her ever-loving heart.

She’s probably the kind of person who calls herself “open-minded” while repeating the tired, old “Adopt, Don’t Shop” rallying cry!

Chanted with the conviction of someone who’s never actually sniffed out where many shelter dogs come from.

Before I go on, let me say this loud and clear:

I love shelter dogs.
I want all of them to find good homes.

But here’s where we leave the Disney soundtrack behind…

Because the truth about many of those shelter dogs is not cute.

It’s grotesque.

Somewhere in a back alley in a third-world city, a scrawny street dog noses through a pile of trash.

It’s not being “rescued” out of love.

It’s being targeted and marked like livestock.

A hand snatches it by the scruff.

It’s shoved into a well-used airline crate already stacked three high in the heat.

No bedding.

No kindness.

Just the stench of urine, fear, and hopelessness thick enough to choke you.

Dozens more are gathered this way.

They’re loaded into airline cargo holds, where the air is thin, the dark absolute, and the barking dies down to whimpers, then silence.

Hours (sometimes days) later, they arrive in the U.S.

They are first funneled into “shelters” and “rescues” near international airports that scrub the grime off, snap a few tragic photos, and invent a backstory designed to wring every possible dollar out of your heart.

There, they are further transported around the country going from shelter to shelter until they end up at yours.

• They don’t tell you about the “rescues” who didn’t survive the trip.
• They don’t tell you about the diseases that slip through because of the relaxed laws for “rescued” imports.
• And they certainly don’t tell you that an empty shelter is bad for business.

And don’t be fooled, business is exactly what it is.

• According to IBISWorld, the animal shelter industry in the U.S. has a donation market size of $3.5 billion per year.
• Government-funded animal shelters and local pounds receive $2 billion/year on average in taxpayer dollars.
• “Adoption fees” can range from $116 - $2,305 per animal.
• With an average 2.4% yearly profit. (FYI: more yearly profit than I make.)

Laura doesn’t know any of this, though.

She just types her righteous comment like a clumsy dire wolf cub growling at a snowdrift.

Apparently, she thinks she knows my world.

That I’m just another “greeder” (greedy breeder) making the problem worse.

But here’s where her little narrative falls apart like a flea-ridden chew toy…

Henry is an American Dirus™ dog Lois bred six years ago.

Through no fault of his own, he ended up in a home that could no longer keep him.

His family didn’t dump him at a shelter and hope for the best.

They didn’t list him on Craigslist next to a rusty lawnmower.

They called me because of the painstaking effort I make each and every day to keep up with every owner throughout their dog’s entire lifetime.

And when I found out Henry was in need, I didn’t wash my hands of him.

I got in my vehicle and drove.

And drove.

And drove.

Through miles of interstate, bad weather, and more truck-stop junk food than any human should consume.

No one paid for my gas or my time.

Because that’s what a responsible breeder does.

We take care of our own.

Always.

When I finally reached Henry, I found a dog carrying invisible wounds.

He needed quiet, patience, and leadership, not another upheaval.

He would have died a thousand deaths in a chaotic shelter environment.

So today, he’s here with me, in my den, slowly remembering what it means to belong to a pack who loves him.

So no, Laura.

You’re wrong.

We do need more dogs.

Good people with loving hearts need the kind of dogs who never end up on a cargo ship from a trash heap halfway across the world.

Families need dogs bred by people who will cross the country to bring them home again if life throws their owners a curveball.

And while you keep polishing your halo with empty words, I’ll keep doing what I love and bringing great dogs to great families.

And remember…

The Alpha always wins.

And the pack is always watching.

Luckily, the NAIA Shelter Project aims to raise public awareness to the horrific dog trafficking going on in our country right under our very noses.

Unfortunately, there is no mandatory public reporting for all animal shelters and city pounds across the country.

But, the NAIA diligently collects as much of the information that is available in one convenient place.

So you can find out just how many “out of town” dogs have found their way to your local shelter:

https://shelterproject.naiaonline.org/shelters/data

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P.S. I highly support the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) and their incredible non-profit work countering extremist animal rights groups.

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P.P.S. We have many older dogs in need of homes right here at Dire Wolf Project headquarters. We are our own shelter. We house adult dogs and older puppies looking for homes - feeding and caring for them with individual love and attention so they never, ever end up in a shelter. We believe this is what every breeder should do… take responsibility for each dog they bring into this world until they can find the perfect home. So, while the Dire Wolf Project™ may be a “for profit” business, we rarely make a profit, and when we do, it’s a meager amount. We don’t receive a salary, either. Our entire life is devoted to our dogs and our loyal, loving Inner Circle members. We are proud to live this life with our amazing furry, tail-wagging friends. If you have a desire to “rescue” an American Dirus™ dog, there are several looking for the perfect family right now.

Click the link to find out more about them:

https://direwolfdogs.com/dogs-for-sale/adults/

Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.