Quote:
Originally Posted by East Coast Okie
I have purebred dogs and snobbery has nothing to do with it. ..... A lot of "snobs" also take in fosters to eventually be placed with suitable homes.
|
East Coast Okie, I said "those overeducated image-conscious snobs who must get a purebred dog from a breeder instead of from a shelter". I never said "all people who buy from breeders are overeducated image-conscious snobs". FritterGirl said it well (BTW thanks FritterGirl!):
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by FritterGirl
East Coast, I feel who OKCCrime was largely talking about are those people who jump on the newest "designer pet" bandwagon, and/or those that have a "we're better than a shelter dog" mentality.
"Hey labradoodles are trendy, let's get one of those. How about a schnoodle, or a puggle, or a (name your newest designer dog here)?" This sudden demand for new "designer breeds" creates a market filled with inexperienced, uneducated breeders, and creates too large a supply of pets - many with genetic defects because of poor breeding standards.
For those who are into breeding animals to participate in sport, agility trials, search and rescue training, handicapped assistance training, and even show rings, that is a fair and equitable "market" to breed. These people are usually well educated, and look out not just for the dogs they happen to own and train, but for the breed as well.
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by East Coast Okie
Some people aren't happy unless they are trashing other people.
|
When it comes to the health and well-being of innocent animals, some people really need to be trashed. Sometimes one needs to put a fine and cutting edge on a point so that it creates outrage. If the discussion was all tulips and roses, no one would ever listen let alone change.
Quote:
Originally Posted by East Coast Okie
Certainly, there are a lot of "purebred dog breeders" out there who aren't that good.
|
There are way more bad breeders (profit minded 'reputable" breeders, back yard breeders, puppy mills, families that want their bitch to have had the experience of just one litter) out there than good breeders. The good breeders of who you speak account for a very small minority of all the dogs purchased in the US. Note that my usage of the term breeder includes anyone who allows their animal to reproduce, including puppy mills and pet owners.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by FritterGirl
She researched several breeders. One refused to sell to her when she found out mom wanted to spay and neuter the animals.
|
That is disappointing. Spaying an neutering even purebred dogs is important.
It would be really interesting to see statistics on how many of the thousands of unadopted dogs killed at the OKC animal shelter were products of adopted dogs as compared to being products of purchased dogs. I'll bet my house that all but a very small minority were products of unaltered animals purchased from breeders. Especially considering that our shelter doesn't adopt out dogs that aren't altered. Thus, the overpopulation problem is directly attributable to owners who purchase their dogs from breeders and allow their dogs to reproduce.
Discourage, regulate, or eliminate breeding and we can stop the so-called pet overpopulation problem.
The problem with the large majority of people who purchase from breeders is that they are doing it with
their own ends in mind and not the animals. "Labradoodles are cute", "Wegman Weimaraners are refined", "Dobermans are trainable", "Only a sheepdog is competitive in flyball", "I've got allergies, so it has to be....", "I hate dog hair on the floor...." even the well intentioned "I want a healthy long-lived dog". There are animals at the shelter NOW who need good homes. Yes, some of them have been neglected and will have health problems and won't live as long as a purebred, and might not fit exactly into your lifestyle or personal image, but can you really compare the life of one dog to another? No.
When you buy from a breeder instead of adopting from a shelter you are indirectly contributing to and responsible for the mass killing that goes on in animal shelters.
I'll say it again, discourage, regulate, or eliminate breeding and we can stop the killing.