I have been an animal lover forever. Years ago I was a more active animal activist and a vegan. In the last 8 years I have been an animal rescue volunteer for various rescue organizations and shelters. As a result of my lifestyle choices I have learned and have seen many of the ins and outs of animal exploitation, abuse and neglect. Many of those who have suffered at the mercy of irresponsible breeding have ended up in rescue and at my door. Those, are the lucky ones. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I am able to speak fairly knowledgeably on the subject (though there is always room to learn). Most people do not want or rather don't have the ability to learn about these harsh realities which require a certain degree of tolerance or "stomach" if you will. I've always spared others the forceful methods that some activists - good-intentioned as they may be - sometimes utilize. My goal was to educate where knowledge was sought and not burn any bridges.
That being said, should you find this subject too intense to swallow feel free to stop here. Those of you who wish to increase your knowledge on the subject and widen the pool of awareness read on about a subject you may have the opportunity to share and help animals in need. Though I could go into much detail, I have opted to provide the basics on the subject.
How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?
That adorable puppy you see in the pet store has a story behind it that pet store owners don't want you to know and that pet store staff are usually misinformed about. A sign in a local pet store here says "We don't buy from puppy mills, our puppies come from local breeders". Perhaps they even believe that by buying from local breeders they are doing something right. Don't let them fool you.
The price you pay for a pet store puppy or any other pet store pet for that matter is the life of another animal in several aspects. But let's talk about where pet store animals come from first.
First, there are three ways a pet store obtains it's animals.
1. from a puppy mill where animals are abused, neglected, over-bred and not genetically tested
2. from a local breeder who doesn't care who gets their puppies and very likely did not perform genetic testing on their animals in order to improve the breed or weed out genetic disorders
3. by breeding animals themselves in a very irresponsible, unhealthy and possibly cruel way.
Puppy Mills
The harsh reality of puppy mills is that animals are used over and over for breeding throughout their lives in terribly neglectful and abusive environments. A picture is worth a thousand words so to see what puppy mills actually look like click here. The animals are about money. Breed as many dogs as possible as many times a year as possible, sell the puppies to the highest bidder and repeat until the bitch can no longer produce at which point she will be killed or tossed, very often, in an inhumane way. The puppy that ends up in the pet store is, indeed, cute but the manner in which he or she came to be and arrived in that pet store is nothing short of heinous and should be a crime.
Backyard Breeders & Irresponsible Breeders
These can be either ignorant people who believe that breeding their dog is a good idea because they can make money, because the miracle of life would be a great experience for their kids, because puppies are fun, because their dog is so cute and they want one just like him/her
OR
people who breed in their home to sell to brokers and pet stores to turn a quick buck. The difference isn't much when it comes to the quality/health of the puppies they are breeding, the effect that their actions have on the animals they are breeding, the homeless pet population and where the puppies end up.
Responsible breeders breed for very different reasons than these other two groups. So many other groups have put together such a wonderful reference on the difference between responsible vs. irresponsible breeders I feel it best to refer to them to explain. Below is the best collaboration of the differences taken from pbrc.net:
Responsible Breeder | Backyard Breeder |
| "Into" Dogs (shows, training, clubs, etc.) | Not "into" dogs (has "pets" around the house) |
| Belongs to dog clubs and organizations | Is not involved in the "dog world" |
| Proves quality of dogs and suitability for breeding by competing for titles and certificates in conformation, obedience, agility, field trialing, Schutzhund, herding, tracking, earthdog trials, etc. | Quality of dogs is almost always substandard, however, he does not test his dogs in shows or trials (Dogs are just pets or "breeding machines") |
| Pups' pedigrees are filled with dogs who have obtained show titles/working certificates; never breeds dogs without "papers" | Pedigrees mostly a list of pets bred by backyard breeders; pups may not even have "papers"; may be mongrels (Cockapoos, etc.) |
| Supports rescue groups; knows his actions inevitably play some part in pet overpopulation and euthanasia (one of every four dogs in shelters is purebred). Even with all his efforts to stem over- population, he knows "cracks" will lead to canine deaths | Honestly believes that because he places/sells all his pups, he does not contribute in any way to the needless slaughter of millions of dogs per year in shelters (Does not see his role in his pups making pups and them making more pups and so on) |
| Knowledgeable in every facet of breed, including that of health issues/defects; researches genetics when choosing mates | Not particularly educated about breed, often not aware of his own breed's genetic defects; does not consider mate's genetics |
| Knowledgeable about house breaking, training, socializing, breeding, health; constantly reads dog-related materials | Has own ideas which may not coincide with professionals' opinions; won't bother to read any of the hundreds of dog books available |
| Can and will help and educate puppy buyers re these issues | Says "Goodbye" and "Good luck" |
| Willing to give you his references | Has no references |
| Knows his puppies' ancestry | Knows nothing about the other dogs on puppies' pedigrees |
| Follows up on puppies' well-being; collects health information affecting his dogs | Does not concern himself with the puppies' well-being or how puppies' health affects his breeding "plan" |
| Breeds to improve his own dogs, his bloodlines and the breed | Breeds just to breed or make money or see his "great dog" procreate |
| Rarely breeds as he does not use dog breeding as a business and strives for quality, not quantity | Breeds regularly if for money or if puppy mill; if for ego, breeds once in awhile, or "just once" before neutering or spaying |
| Rarely repeats a breeding | Often repeats breedings, mainly those that are cheap and convenient. |
| Breeds only dogs which meet breed standard | Dogs used for breeding rarely meet breed standard |
| Breeds only dogs with stable temperaments | Breeds shy/aggressive dogs with poor temperaments |
| Breeds only dogs over 2 years old, and a limited number of times | Breeds dogs at almost any age, and any number of times |
| Mate choice could be anywhere in the country (almost never breeds his own males to his own females) | Mate choice is that which is convenient, cheap, local (very often owns both sire and dam) |
| Does all genetic testing and will provide proof; does not breed animals with genetic defects or which are carriers of defects | Does no genetic testing; ignorantly breeds defective animals or those which are carriers, thus, perpetuating disease in breed |
| Puppies are sold from waiting list created before breeding even takes place | Puppies are sold after birth in the local newspaper, first-come, first-served |
| Pet-quality pups generally cost $500-600+ (show-quality costs more) | All pups are pet-quality and are relatively cheap, usually $200-$400 |
| Puppies are sold with health guarantees | Puppies are sold with no guarantee |
| Puppies are sold with contracts | No contracts; does not care what you do with puppies |
| Requires pups back if new homes don't work out | Says "Find them good homes" |
| Dogs on property are friendly, socialized, trained | Dogs on property may be aggressive or shy, and untrained |
| Does not own more dogs than he has room, time or money for; Dogs are groomed, exercised, healthy, happy | Puppy mills are overloaded, "warehoused" dogs are not groomed or exercised, don't look healthy or happy |
| Will show you pups' parents if available, or if not, will have pictures | Might have to "lock up" pups' aggressive or shy parents (dogs that should never have been bred) |
| Raises puppies indoors | Raises puppies outdoors |
| Stays home to care for puppies | Dam and pups are alone for long hours |
| Feeds only premium dog food | Feeds cheap, grocery store dog food (containing 4D meat/chemicals) |
| Visitors remove shoes and wash hands to prevent spread of parvovirus | Has no understanding and takes no precautions to prevent puppy-killer disease |
| Keeps pups with mom and litter a minimum of 49 days to ensure sibling socialization and important lessons from pups' mother | Doesn't know leaving litter earlier can cause lifelong temperament problems or staying too long can hurt bonding with humans |
| Socializes pups by systematically handling them and exposing them to various noises, children and other animals before sending them to new homes | Does not understand or want to be troubled with any kind of training; just tries to keep puppies quiet and contained until sold |
| Tests pups to match their temperaments and drives with buyers' personalities and lifestyles | Knows nothing about puppy-testing or matching puppies with buyers; allows buyers to pick the "cutest" one |
| Can honestly evaluate pups' quality | Says all pups are high quality |
| Never sells to "impulse" buyers | Is not concerned about buyers being prepared for pups |
| Never sells two pups at the same time to a novice | Would consider this killing two birds with one sale |
| Interviews prospective buyers, checks home and references, refuses to sell to substandard homes | Sells first-come, first-served to whomever has the cash; does not find out which homes are substandard |
| Wants to meet whole family; won't sell if children are abusive | Does not consider anything past obtaining the funds |
| Sells only to buyers with disposable income (AKC reports it costs $1327 per year to properly care for a dog) | Is not concerned whether or not buyers can afford to properly care for pups |
| Waits for buyers who offer lifelong homes (Knows that only 30 percent of all dogs stay in one home throughout their lives) | Does not reject high-risk buyers: (renters, young people, those with poor track records, low income, other pets, dogs kept outdoors) |
| Understands dogs are "pack" animals; sells pets only to buyers wanting to make pup an indoor dog and part of the family | Doesn't care if pups live as outdoor dogs or chained dogs, being unhappy or anxious being isolated and separated from "packs" |
| Sells only to buyers who make pup's safety a priority | Does not consider pups' best interests |
| Encourages or requires buyers to spay/neuter pet-quality pups | Encourages buyers to breed, regardless of quality |
| Encourages buyers to train pups; refers to good trainer | Shows no concern for pups after sale; knows no trainers |
| Makes sure buyers understand pup's considerable need for time, attention, exercise and training | Does not provide even his own dogs with enough time, attention, exercise or training |
Responsible Breeders Improve the Breed | Backyard Breeders Damage the Breed |
The problem with puppy mills & irresponsible breeders is not only that they are using animals as machines and abusing them, but also the effects their selfish and uncaring actions have. The effects on the puppies who may be born with defects, congenital disorders or conditions and some that don't show up for a few years and when informed about these disorders these breeders take no responsibility or concern for the sick puppy or any of it's litter mates who may also be affected. The effects on homeless animals who could have gone home with someone who instead bought from a breeder leaving homeless animals to be euthanized or to languish in a shelter. The effects on the already staggering problem of pet overpopulation.
What You Can Do
- Contact your congressman and ask them to support stricter rules on breeders and puppy mills.
- Spread the word about what you know with someone who doesn't or who may be considering buying a pet.
- Promote www.petfinder.com where animals of every kind can be found for adoption including fish, small animals, dogs & cats, farm animals and reptiles.
- Have your pet spayed or neutered and avoid unwanted litters and an un-altered pet's desire to wander for a mate. (It has many health benefits too!)
- Educate, share and inspire.
Take with you these statistics from ASPCA:
- Approximately 5 million to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized (60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats). Shelter intakes are about evenly divided between those animals relinquished by owners and those picked up by animal control. These are national estimates; the percentage of euthanasia may vary from state to state.
- According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP), less than 2 percent of cats and only 15 to 20 percent of dogs are returned to their owners. Most of these were identified with tags, tattoos or microchips.
- Twenty-five percent of dogs who enter local shelters are purebred. (Source: NCPPSP)
- Only 10 percent of the animals received by shelters have been spayed or neutered. About 75 percent of owned pets are neutered.
- The majority of pets are obtained from acquaintances and family members. About 15 to 20 percent of dogs are purchased from breeders, and 10 to 20 percent of cats and dogs are adopted from shelters and rescues. (Source: Ralston Purina and NCPPSP)
- More than 20 percent of people who leave dogs in shelters adopted them from a shelter. (Source: NCPPSP)
- Five out of ten dogs in shelters and seven out of ten cats in shelters are destroyed simply because there is no one to adopt them.
Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight
~Albert Schweitzer
