President-elect Barack Obama to Adopt Dog?

U.S. president-elect Barack Obama promised his daughters a dog following the conclusion of the election. Now, with Obama headed to the White House, that promise has become national news. Animal welfare advocates across the country are scrambling for the new First Dog to be a shelter animal. The Best Friends Network has even created a website dedicated to convincing the Obamas to adopt.

However, Obama's daughter, Malia, has allergies, and Obama's concerned he might not be able to find a shelter animal that fits his family's needs. “There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic, but on the other hand our preference is to get a shelter dog, but obviously, a lot of the shelter dogs are mutts like me,” Obama said. “So, whether we are going to be able to balance those two things I think is a pressing issue on the Obama household.”

Malia, after researching dog breeds, said she'd like a goldendoodle (golden retriever and poodle cross). The uproar that caused in the rescue community is absolutely absurd. Lobbyists got their feathers ruffled and started to campaign against a purebred animal. "The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals," reports the New York Times, "wrote to the Obamas saying that a purebred would be 'elitist.'"

Picture me rolling my eyes here. Elitist? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I understand their concern. But there are plenty of purebred pets looking for homes.

The Best Friends Network issued a press release on November 7th urging the Obamas to search for hypoallergenic shelter dogs, stating "that shelters include both purebred, mixed breed dogs." They went on to say "while it is true that the majority of dogs in shelters are mixed breeds, a surprising 1 out of every 4 shelter dogs are purebreds."

Interesting, somewhat related, link: "Like Home, Pets Rule the White House and Not Just for Obama."