Hi humans,
A fellow "dog lover" whom I folllow on twitter sent this out the other day. It's taken me a while to process, but I do have some comments. Check out the link below.
Guide to Dog Breeding Business ebook: http://bit.ly/csP3YG
started their own breeding program as a result of this ebook? Even if
they successfully bred one litter per year , that is a couple of hundred
additional dogs added to an already flooded market.
Enough is enough.
year there are millions of dogs that are euthanized simply because
there is not enough shelter space. And for all the big hearts out there who adopt and foster dogs, there simply aren't enough homes for
many wonderful animals. To actively breed an animal with the intent of
turning a profit is a selfish practice that needs to be addressed. This is not to imply that everyone doesn't have the right to make a living. But engaging in breeding for profit vigorously requires calling into account the manner of making that living.
And so should you. By
successfully breeding and selling more dogs for profit, breeders are
effectively reducing the chances of dogs already living in shelters and rescues
from getting adopted. Their lives will come to an end simply because of space considerations.
example of what's wrong with our country in regards to homeless animals.
Live your life, make a buck, but not at the expense of other
lives. It's too high a price--and our dog friends pay.
It's safe to say I'm no longer following those folks.
Chris
Filed under: A better life for dogs
Tags: @potd, dog breeding for profit, dogs, euthanasia, twitter
Leave a comment...Chris - check this out
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/steve-dale-pet-world/2010/08/the-value-of-a-dogs-life-not-what-you-think.html
I'm a little confused. Are you arguing that no more dogs should be intentionally bred, leaving it to least responsible among us (at least arguably, if not actually) to determine the future profile of the domestic dog in America? Or are you okay with breeding so long as breeders don't make any profit?
Clearly, there's a lot wrong with many breeding practices, including our obsession with purebreds, the tendency to breed for looks over temperament or working ability, and an ever-narrowing gene pool due to closed stud books and the movement to spay/neuter anything that isn't a pedigreed.
But to point to breeders' greed as the reason behind so many dogs being put to death is a gross and unfair oversimplification of a very complicated and highly-politicized issue, and totally ignores the responsibilities of dog owners, dog trainers, local shelters, and other rescue organizations, all of whom have enormous impact on the fates of dogs.
Hey See Spot Run,
Thanks for the comments. Read the post again...I pointed to greed as one of the reasons contributing to over population and not the reason. Responsible breeding and people who engage in breeding for profit are two separate issues. I was focusing on the latter. To answer your question as to whether or not I'm okay with breeding so long as breeders don't make any profit...It seemed a little like a loaded question to me but here are my thoughts. When it comes to responsible breeding is it truly responsible for people to continue to supply the market with animals, regardless of their skill level or intent, when there are already too many animals waiting for adoption? My thoughts are that a life is more important than the integrity of any breed. Separate, longer conversation.
Back to the post. Can we agree that there are some people in this country who will engage in breeding practices with the sole intent of making a profit? I know there are many other reasons for this problem. I know that many people have certain responsibilities (owners, trainers, shelters etc.) I also know that those are longer, separate conversations that need to happen but that wasn't the focus of this post. I do appreciate your passionate comments and I will try to do a better job of clarifying my thoughts to prevent any further confusion. Thanks.
You're correct that I misstated your argument. You pointed to greed as the "ugliest" of several factors, not the only one. My apologies for not reading more carefully.
Still, you seem to more-or-less equate doing something for profit with being greedy, unethical, and unskilled. At minimum, I think you're conflating several issues. But yes, I can agree that anyone doing anything "regardless of their skill level" is a potentially serious problem, and also that doing anything "with the sole intent of making a profit" rarely leads to good results.
But good intentions can have pretty ugly fallout as well, whether we're talking about breeding, rescuing, training, or adopting.
I don't personally buy into the importance of maintaining pure breeds, but I absolutely believe in maintaining good working abilities and good temperaments. And that requires deliberate breeding, whether or not pedigrees are involved, and whether or not there is a profit to be made.