Burt and his wife Tracy have taken on a new crusade. These days, the Boy Wonder's life has, well, gone to the dogs.
Animal Planet did A Pet Story special on these folks and the Great Dane Rescue that they run out of their California home. I must say I greatly admire all that they have accomplished with this. Theirs is reportedly the largest Rescue operation in the US.
Many people do not know about rescue operations. When thinking about getting a family dog, the first thought is either a Pet Store (very bad idea, but that is for another post) or the newspaper (also a bad idea and for another post). Don't get me wrong, there is a chance you can get a wonderful pet from these two sources. It is the supply process behind it that gets me all worked up and causes me to climb up on my soap box to rally against Puppy Mills.
Another option for family pets, is a Breed or Pet Rescue organization. These organizations focus on the welfare of the dog, and work to ensure that each dog is placed in the home that is best matched to type and personality. My local Dane Rescue hosts one major fund raising activity a year to help with the costs needed to run it.
Because a particular breed is more popular than another, does not necessarily mean that it is the right dog for you. There are many ways to determine what is right for you. You could go to the AKC website (or the registration club for your country) and browse through the information there. You could read books on the breeds that interest you. There is even an online breed search that has questions to narrow down the breeds that best suite your personal preferences. None of these are perfect, but they are wonderful places to start.