JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM....
Over the last few years, there has been a deliberate effort by the Animal Rights Movement to make people actually feel guilty about buying a dog from a breeder.
We are constantly reminded that shelters across America are overflowing with perfectly wonderful, adoptable dogs, many of them purebred, who simply lack homes, and that the problem is growing worse all the time.
In fact, PETA would have us believe that every time we buy from a breeder, we are personally causing the death of a shelter dog, which is enough to make anyone feel guilty.
We are told if we truly love dogs but really want a purebred, it's better to check shelters or rescue before buying from a responsible breeder, which only should be considered as a last resort.
AS IT HAPPENS, NONE OF THIS IS TRUE.
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According to information posted on the website of HSUS itself, after the widespread acceptance of spaying and neutering in the 1970s (around 70% of dogs in the US are now estimated to be spayed or neutered) "the number of dogs handled annually by shelters entered a period of rapid decline."
According to their own estimates, the number of dogs and cats in US households has more than doubled in the past four decades, while the rate of euthanasia of dogs and cats in shelters is now only about 10% of what it was in 1970.
How a 90% drop in euthanasia rates over the last 40 years can logically constitute
a crisis in anyone's mind is simply baffling.
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Where Do Shelter Dogs Come From?
Remember when newspaper classifieds used to be full of ads that read "Free puppies- mother German Shepherd, father from nice neighborhood" ? As spaying and neutering of dogs not intended for breeding has become more widespread (and affordable) they've become a lot more rare.
But what most people don't realize is that the "accidental" litters that still do occur are now more likely to end up surrendered to shelters, because the bitch's owner can now simply pass the responsibility on to someone else. In addition, shelters also function as euthanasia facilities for owners who are emotionally unwilling or simply financially unable to pay a vet to humanely put down a chronically ill, extremely old, or temperamentally unsound dog who they fear may bite the children, and these "surrendered" dogs account for a significant percentage of dogs euthanized at shelters across the country.
Most people understand that buying from a pet shop perpetuates the problem of substandard and irreponsible dog breeding,
but are never told that adopting purebred shelter or rescue dogs
also perpetuates the problem.
Here's why: Responsible breeders' dogs are rarely if ever surrendered to shelters or rescue, because the owner knows the breeder will always take the dog back. (Barring a natural disaster, the main reason a dog produced by a responsible breeder ends up in either place is generally because it's lost, and that's why the microchipping most responsible breeders insist upon is critical.)
But irresponsible and substandard breeders now know all too well that they don't have to assume responsibility for the dogs they produce, or take them back if the owners can't keep them, because shelters and breed rescue will. This is why they don't bother to screen buyers the way responsible breeders do. And because these same breeders generally do not evaluate conformation or temperament nor do any health-screening prior to breeding, these purebreds are far less likely to be healthy and sound examples of their breed, and often have expensive health and/or temperament issues, which is often why they need to be rehomed.
In short, the purebred dogs who end up in shelters or rescue are usually produced
under the same conditions,
and often by the very same breeders,
as the puppies in pet shops.
So why on earth do PETA, HSUS and the ASPCA
all advise the public not to buy puppies from pet shops,
but encourage the adoption of purebred shelter animals and rescue dogs
over dogs produced by responsible breeders?
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The Hidden Agenda
What many people fail to realize is that the goal of the Animal Rights Movement is the extinction of ALL domestic animals, including dogs and cats kept as pets. (PETA's president, Ingrid Newkirk, is very upfront about this goal; unfortunately, some of the other major groups with an Animal Rights agenda but passing themselves off as Animal Welfare organizations are less forthcoming.)
When that is taken into consideration, the campaign to guilt the pet-loving public to adopt shelter or rescue animals rather than purchasing from breeders makes brilliant sense. In fact, it's so brilliant it's absolutely frightening.
Without good pet homes for their well-bred and healthy pups, responsible breeders will be the first to quit breeding. As they breed dogs primarily as a hobby and make little profit anyway, they will probably just take up golf or curling or something.
Next to go will be the commercial and substandard breeders, who are in it mostly for the money and so are frankly unlikely to continue for any length of time to produce puppies for which there is simply no market.
All rescue and shelter animals are by definition spayed and neutered. So are an estimated 70% of the rest of the dogs in the country.
So once the supply of responsibly produced, and then irresponsibly produced, dogs dries up and there are no more shelter and rescue animals, exactly where are you going to go to get a dog for your family?
"One generation and out.
We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals.
They are creations of human selective breeding"
- Wayne Pacelle, president,
Humane Society of the United States
Exactly.
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So Here's the Bottom Line....
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| If your favorite breed is the "All Americn Mutt", good for you - there are some spectacular examples thriving in great homes all over the country. (We ourselves are a nation of mutts, after all. )
As long as you understand you will know little or nothing about the size, health and temperament of the dog's ancestors and are willing and able to take your chances.
And if you are an experienced dog person with the appropriate family situation, financial resources and desire to take on the extra health and behavior challenges that often come with a purebred rescue dog, the kindhearted rescue folk will love you for it.
(Many rescue volunteers are in fact responsible breeders who put untold hours into finding good second homes for dogs produced by their irresponsible brethren because they believe every dog deserves a good home.)
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Rescue dogs, it should be noted, are often a good choice as a second dog for those who have room in their hearts and homes for an another dog. Owners who've had experience with a particular breed often are in the best position to understand the special needs that invariably are part of the "rescue package", and these are often breed-specific in terms of behavior and health.
On the other hand, they may not be the best choice for the first-time owner, and no one should be deterred from buying a pup from a responsible breeder out of guilt based on what is clearly misinformation spread by the Animal Rights Movement to furthur their own frightening agenda.
If you have conscientiously researched several breeds and decided that a particular breed would be the best "fit" for your family, but do not feel, for whatever reason, you are in a position to take on the extra challenges of a rescue or shelter dog and would rather buy a well-bred pup (or even retired show dog if an older dog is a better choice for you) from a responsible breeder, do not let anyone make you feel guilty about that decision.
In fact, by purchasing a dog from a responsible breeder,
you will be doing your part to ensure the very existence of dogs in the future, rather than unwittingly contributing to their extinction.
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