When the live-action version of the popular Disney animated classic “101 Dalmatians” opens in movie houses Nov. 27, audiences will cringe at demented Cruella de Vil’s efforts to kidnap enough of the spotted dogs to make a fur coat, but animal lovers fear that the real destruction will come later on.
“We’re concerned that we are going to see a rash of dalmatians come into (our shelter) after this movie is released,” says Jane Stern, executive director of the Anti-Cruelty Society. “Dalmatians are beautiful animals. They’re adorable puppies. They have beautiful spots, but the temperament of dalmatians can be iffy”.
“People will adopt or even buy these dogs and then bring them into the shelter because they won’t know what to do with them.”
Julie Lux, public relations officer of the Dalmatian Club of America, says the same scenario played out before when the 1961 animated version of “101 Dalmatians” was re-released in 1985 and 1991.
“We happen to have a very photogenic breed,” Lux says. “Many people see a puppy or the kids say `We want a dalmatian! We want a dalmatian!’ and they go out and buy a puppy without realizing a lot of things about dalmatians.
“The cute little puppy that maybe weighs 10 or 12 pounds by the time it’s 6 weeks old could weigh as much as 60 pounds or more (when grown). They are incredibly energetic dogs that require a lot of exercise. They shed 365 days a year.
“And of course you get into the more serious problems such as deafness and kidney stones. Currently about 1 in 12 dalmatians is born deaf. Dalmatians tend to have kidney and bladder problems requiring many of them to be on special diets. That can become an expensive proposition for people. Dalmatians also have a tendency toward allergy. My oldest dalmatian, who just died in July at 9 1/2 years old, was on allergy medication for his entire life.”
Movies and television shows have a tendency to spur the popularity of certain breeds of dogs. “It goes back to `Lassie’ and collies and `Rin Tin Tin’ and German shepherds,” says Joyce Briggs, a spokeswoman for the American Humane Association. “There was less of it with St. Bernards than was feared when the movie `Beethoven’ came out, but we’re certainly seeing it with Jack Russell terriers, the dogs in `Frasier,’ `The Mask’ and `Ace Ventura.’ Like dalmatians, they’re also not a dog for everyone.”
Too much breeding
Some of the problems with dalmatians can be laid at the feet of careless or unscrupulous breeders who breed the polka-dotted pooches to capitalize on their popularity without taking health issues into consideration. Heartache is often the result.
“Dalmatians are so popular that people are breeding and breeding them, and this one temperamental gene comes out in some of the dogs,” says Stern of the Anti-Cruelty Society. “We don’t think it’s the owners’ fault. The owners don’t know what they’re getting into when they adopt these dogs.
“When these dogs are brought to the shelter, we do some testing on the dogs with our animal behavior specialist to see if they can be put up for adoption. But if a dog is going to bite somebody or is nipping somebody, we’re not going to put it up for adoption.” And after seven days the troublesome dogs are euthanized.
“I recently had a call from a dalmatian breeder in Florida who returned home one day to find a dalmatian tied to her mailbox with a note that said, `We can’t keep this dog anymore,’ ” Lux says.
“I’m a member of our local all-breed kennel club and a couple of years ago I got a call from a woman who was driving home at night and saw a car in front of her stop, put something out and drive away. She got out to check and found a box with two dalmatian puppies in it.”
Deaf dalmatians are often the ones that are turned out of homes, according to Meg Hennessey, president of the Chicagoland Dalmatian Club. “People think they can give this dear little deaf puppy a home, but they’re not dealing with a human being who can be logical,” Hennessey says. “The deaf dalmatians I’ve seen through rescue efforts are fear biters. They’re afraid and their first response is to protect themselves, so they bite.
“Like everybody else, I have heard stories about all these wonderful deaf dogs that are trained to respond to hand signals, but I have never seen one in real life.”
Let the promotions begin
The release of “101 Dalmatians” will be accompanied by an extensive merchandising campaign that will unleash dozens of “Dalmatians”-related products into the marketplace. The goods run the gamut from spotted Hush Puppies (available exclusively at Bloomingdale’s) and pricey marcasite and silver jewelry by designer Judith Jack to a Glenn Close-as-Cruella de Vil collector doll by Mattel, children’s apparel and pet products like dog collars, sweaters, beds and bowls.
Disney also has established promotional tie-ins with McDonald’s, Dr Pepper, Nestle, Alpo and Frito-Lay. Nestle is selling a spotted candy bar (white chocolate with dark chocolate spots) whose wrapper features a picture of Cruella de Vil chasing dalmatian puppies.
Marshall Field’s Christmas catalog offered 101 dalmatians–100 plush toys in assorted sizes and one real, live dalmatian–for $1,700 until protests caused the company to reconsider. It is now offering 101 plush dalmatians, including some that bark and kiss, for $1,200.
“Everybody got onto them about (selling a live dalmatian) from across the country, and that helped a lot,” Hennessey says. “Word got out over the Internet.”
Hennessey’s group and other dalmatian clubs across the country are gearing up to help prevent people from impulsively purchasing dalmatian puppies.
“We’re having 1,000 packets of dog information printed and also posters that say: `Dalmatians are wonderful, but they’re not for everyone.’
“We’re not trying to prevent anybody who is prepared for a dalmatian from getting one, but we’d like to stop Mom and Dad and the kids from coming out of the theater and saying, `Oh, let’s get a dalmatian’ and then walking over to the pet store to buy one.
“You should never buy a dog from a pet store, because you can’t trace anything about it. You have no idea if the parents were healthy or not healthy.
“And someone working in a pet store may not tell you that dalmatians need lots of exercise, and if you don’t exercise them they’re going to dig halfway to China in your back yard. That cute little 5-pound puppy is going to turn into a good-sized adult at 6 months of age who, if you don’t train it, can do things like turn your back-yard picnic table into toothpicks. They’re incredibly strong for their particular size.
“I personally would not own anything but a dalmatian, but all that a lot of people should do is admire them.”
They can be a handful
Dalmatians, named after Europe’s Adriatic coastal region where they may have originated, were bred as “coach dogs” for hundreds of years in England; they functioned as escorts or guards for horse-drawn carriages. In America they once served a similar function when fire-fighting vehicles were horse-drawn and for a time remained associated with fire stations as mascots.
In recent years dalmatians’ classic black-and-white coloring has made them a staple in magazine fashion layouts, further contributing to their popularity. “I hate to say this,” Stern of the Anti-Cruelty Society says, “but some people buy a dalmatian just because they want to look good with their dog.”
The reality of owning a dalmatian involves a great deal more effort than does maintaining one’s fashion image.
Hennessey, a resident of Boone County, owns nine dalmatians ranging in age from 3 months to 6 years. “I play ball with my dogs,” she says. “I toss the ball and they run after it and bring it back. They bounce around the back yard.
“I also bike with my dogs when I think they’re not getting enough exercise. You can tell when they’re not getting enough exercise because the energy level in the house gets higher.
“We have a friend who lives in a Chicago high-rise and she jogs with her dalmatian twice a day. The woman is incredibly fit.”
Hennessey says that older dalmatians, those age 4 and beyond, need less exercise than younger ones do, “so a lot of people who think dalmatians are gorgeous really should consider getting an older dog instead of a puppy.”
But getting a dog of any breed, she cautions, is “a commitment, and they shouldn’t be treated like last year’s clothing.”
AMERICA’S FAVORITE DOGS
According to the American Kennel Club, the 15 most popular breeds of dogs last year were:
1. Labrador retrievers
2. Rottweilers
3. German shepherds
4. Golden retrievers
5. Beagles
6. Poodles
7. Cocker spaniels
8. Dachshunds
9. Pomeranians
10. Yorkshire terriers
11. Dalmatians
12. Shih Tzus
13. Shetland sheepdogs
14. Chihuahuas
15. Boxers
To obtain a free AKC Dog buyers’ education packet or referrals to reputable breeders, write to the AKC, 5580 Centerview Drive, Raleigh, N.C., 27606, or call 919-233-9767.
To contact the Chicagoland Dalmatian Club call 888-FYI-DALS.
