Thank you, Laurie! I agree with many of your points. I do think there needs to be more research involved. I would have hoped that the shelters in the rural area that I live in would have been more aware of the lifestyle and culture of our area. We are not near any large cities and it truly is a farming community, so the fact that these assumptions have reached this far is what concerns me. You are right, there is a huge difference between a dog just tethered in the backyard without a job or human interaction, or otherwise, and a farm dog (for example) who is free to run, play, explore and have a healthy life with plenty of love and human attention. The answer is probably more home visits but like you said, the people working at the shelters are underpaid or volunteers.