(DOG)SPIRED » Breeders

Purebred dogs: A moral minefield

Sophie Harris — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:00:37 +0000

Why do people buy dogs instead of adopting them? A quick check on Petfinder.com, an online database of animals available for adoption, found more than 300 dogs looking for homes in Metro Vancouver. For the cost of an adoption fee of around $250 to $350, one of these shelter dogs could be out of a kennel and into a family home.

Yet, classified advertising websites continue to attract buyers for dogs costing well over $500, with some reaching $3,000. People are apparently willing to pay much more for a privately sold dog because they “can get exactly the dog they want.” That is, they can get a particular breed at a particular age (i.e., a puppy). What these buyers don’t realize is that they are not only running financial risks, but they are also entering a moral minefield.

Despite warnings from animal welfare groups and media investigations exposing scams by online animal sellers, consumers continue to flock to these sites to find their perfect dog.

The result is a sadly familiar story that goes something like this: A family responds to an online ad for a puppy; a meeting is arranged with the seller, who delivers the dog, along with some paperwork about the dog’s health. The family soon discovers the dog is seriously ill, the paperwork is phoney, and the seller is nowhere to be found. The dog was from a puppy mill and the family is left with huge veterinary bills or a puppy that has to be euthanized.

Many animal welfare organizations offer advice on how this scenario can be avoided, including tips on how to identify “reputable breeders” and what questions to ask before making a purchase.

While this might help avoid the worst scam artists and puppy mills, yet more risks face the consumer.

For one thing, there is no independent regulatory system to determine who qualifies as a reputable breeder. Breeders registered with the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) only agree to a voluntary code of ethics and a code of practice that is not enforced with an inspection regime.

More importantly, if you think buying from a CKC registered breeder guarantees a healthy dog, think again. More than 500 genetic defects exist among today’s purebred dogs, with some individual breeds genetically predisposed to more than 90 diseases. This is directly attributable to the “closed studbook” system used by CKC-registered pedigree dog breeders, in which only descendants from a small “founding” group of animals can be bred. The resulting small gene pool increases the risk of inherited disorders.

Equally disturbing is the fact that the CKC’s “breed standards” require pedigree dogs to be bred for specific esthetic characteristics that can be detrimental to their welfare.

Perhaps the saddest example of pedigree dog breeding is the English bulldog. The CKC breed standard requires bulldogs to have a “massive short-faced head” which makes breathing difficult, thus risking overheating and limiting exercise. (One American veterinary surgeon has said that the human equivalent to breathing the way some bulldogs do “would be if we walked around with our mouth or nose closed and breathed through a straw.”)

Bulldog puppies must be delivered by caesarean section because their “massive” heads won’t fit through the mother’s birth canal. Bulldogs are also predisposed to hip dysplasia, heart defects and skin infections. For bulldog owners, it can mean endless and expensive trips to the vet. For the dog, it means endless discomfort and suffering.

This is where the moral question arises alongside the consumer protection issue. Does it make economic or ethical sense to buy an expensive purebred dog (with a significant risk of genetic disease) while hundreds of cheaper homeless mutts languish in shelters?

For those who insist on acquiring a particular dog breed, a Petfinder search will turn up local specific-breed rescue groups and identify purebreds available in nearby shelters. While choice may be somewhat limited, with a little patience the “right” dog can usually be found.

The public is becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of purchasing animals from pet stores and online advertising. People are starting to understand the problem of puppy mills. But they also need to know that this is just one part of a wider problem concerning the breeding and selling of dogs.

Buying into the world of pedigree dogs is buying into an unfolding genetic disaster that is causing millions of dogs needless pain and suffering. Adopting from a shelter or rescue group is an act of compassion. For once, the smart choice is also the kind-hearted one.

~ Originally published in the Vancouver Sun

New Dog Breeding Laws in Washington State

Kelli Perez — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:01:28 +0000

It’s a new year and new laws are being established! The state of Washington has passed tougher dog breeding laws to combat its puppy mill problems. Oregon has also followed suit. Washington will not allow breeders to have 50 or more dogs at a time that can breed. If the breeders have over 10 breeding canines, they will be required to provide adequate time and space for each dog to exercise. The new law also dictates the size of the cages, the cleanliness of the dogs’ living areas, and the temperature.

This new law will hopefully keep breeding dogs in a more comfortable setting. But remember, there are many, many pups at the animal shelters waiting for forever homes!

Dogs Need Your Help!

Ricky Paredes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:03:14 +0000

Dogs in your community need your help! Every day, dogs are left behind in the cold, abused and abandoned. The United States Humane Society estimates that of the 6 to 8 million dogs and cats entering shelters each year, 3 to 4 million of them get euthanized. Yet, there are several hundred thousand puppies that are being bred in puppy mills.

Puppy mills are mass breeding operations that are established strictly for profit. They are often in shockingly poor and inhumane conditions. The dogs are put in cages with hundreds of other dogs that are waiting to be sold for top dollar across the nation. Dogs raised in puppy mills typically leave with any number of health issues.

These unfortunate dogs prey on unwitting customers who are enamored by the resulting cute puppies in pet stores and on fancy websites. If a website has a constant availability of puppies of various breeds, the dogs are probably bred in a puppy mill.

How can you help?

Support your local shelter and rescue groups. If you come across any suspicious breeders or websites, report them to the ASPCA or the National Humane Society. If you do decide to purchase a dog from a breeder or pet store, do as much research as possible beforehand, and make sure they are reputable dog lovers!

Inside a Puppy Mill

Danielle Rosenau — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:00:21 +0000

Puppy mills are nothing new. These mass dog-breeding operations have been around for decades. They continue to thrive because they prey on unwitting consumers who are smitten by too-cute-for-words puppies in pet store windows and on fancy websites.

But behind the friendly facade of the local pet shop, the pastoral scenes on a “breeder’s” website, or the neighborhood newspaper ad, there often lies a puppy mill. These canine breeding facilities house dogs in shockingly poor conditions.

Life is particularly bad for “breeding stock,” dogs who live their entire lives in cages and are continually bred for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever becoming part of a family. These dogs receive little or no veterinary care and never see a bed, a treat or a toy. After their fertility wanes, breeding animals are commonly killed, abandoned or sold to another mill. The annual result of all this breeding is hundreds of thousands of puppies, many with behavior and/or health problems.

Several hundred thousand puppies are shipped cross-country to be sold in pet shops, but many are sold via newspaper classifieds or Internet sites and are often accompanied by false claims such as, “We’d never sell puppies from a puppy mill” or promises that the puppies are “home raised,” farm raised,” or “raised with kids/grandkids.” The ploys of the puppy mill are designed to dupe a well-intentioned family into buying a puppy and keeping the engine of cruelty working overtime.

Laws and Order

Because a puppy mill is a business, the facility is designed purely for profit, not for the well-being of dogs. Laws are on the books to provide minimum-care standards for puppy-mill animals, but enforcement has historically been spotty at best. The U.S. Department of Agriculture licenses and inspects “commercial breeding facilities for violations of the Animal Welfare Act; likewise, a handful of states have laws that provide oversight of some breeding operations as well. But puppy mills can successfully navigate around these laws, either by selling directly to consumers (thereby avoiding USDA licensing requirements) or by simply avoiding the reach of law enforcement (with so few USDA inspectors and minor fines, it’s easy to stay in business).

We Need Your Help

The Humane Society of the United States has been investigating puppy mills for decades, exposing the cruel realities of the commercial dog-breeding industry. But our work is far from over. There are still thousands of puppy mills that need to be shut down for good. We need your help to do exactly that: Stop puppy mills. Spread the word about puppy mills, make a donation to the Humane Society’s Puppy Mill Education Fund or tell a friend about the Stop Puppy Mills website.

~StopPuppyMills.org

Animal Planet Special: Puppy Mills Exposed

Regina Fiorentini — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:58:13 +0000

Puppy Mill dogs in cramped quarters

Those who know me best know that I love watching the Animal Planet show Animal Cops. The show follows animal control officers in several major US Cities including Detroit, Houston, Miami and Philadelphia.

Animals Cops Philadelphia: Puppy Mills Exposed focuses on disgraceful “breeders” in rural Pennsylvania, many of which are completely legal despite the appalling conditions. In Pennsylvania, dog breeders are supervised only by the lenient Department of Dog Law, a division of the State Department of Agriculture. Agents of the Department of Dog Law are little more than building inspectors, and notes on previous inspections indicated agents clearly saw sick dogs in need of medical attention. This lax system of breeder inspection makes Pennsylvania a popular destination for puppy mill owners.

Avoid Buying from a Puppy Mill:

* The number 1 way to make sure you’re getting a dog that’s not from a puppy mill is to get a mixed breed dog. In years past, specialized dog breeds like Bloodhounds or Labradors were bred to fulfill specific jobs like fishing or hunting. If you’re looking for a general family dog, you’ll likely find that mutts can be wonderful, healthy and smart lifelong companions.
* Never purchase a puppy from a pet store. Breed rescue groups, shelters and reputable breeders have just as wide a selection of dogs. Although it can be tempting to “rescue” pet store puppies from their seemingly depressing situation, purchasing puppies from pet stores only perpetuates the cycle of profit that puppy mill operators rely on.
* Avoid “designer” hybrid breeds like Puggles, Labradoodles or Goldendoodles. Puppies from these breeds are generally extremely expensive and can cost as much as $1500, making them ideal breeds for Puppy Mill owners.
* Rescue a dog from a local shelter- or if you insist on a purebred dog, from a breed rescue. Avoid buying puppies form flea markets, newspaper ads, Craig List ads (unless it’s posted by a shelter) or the internet.
* If you choose to purchase from a breeder, ask to visit the property and inspect the conditions yourself. Be hesitant to purchase from any breeder who does not allow you to inspect their facility.
* Avoid breeders who offer to ship dogs across the country. Long travel can be extremely traumatic to young puppies, and often times dogs are shipped in cramped, hot quarters that are uncomfortable. A breeder who offers to ship a puppy should set off a red flag that he has little concern for the welfare of the dogs he’s selling. With millions of homeless dogs in America, there are most always other options.
* The internet is quickly becoming the favored media of Puppy Mill breeders. Puppy mill owners who sell over the internet are only subject to the laws of the State they reside in, so many will reside in states with lenient dog breeding laws and sell over the internet. Sites offering to ship puppies next day should be an immediate red flag that such sites are looking to sell in large quantities quickly rather than ensuring their dogs get quality homes. These sites also cater to impulse buys, who are more likely to abandon dogs at a shelter.
* Avoid over-popular breeds like Springer Spaniels, Pugs, Boston Terriers, Yorkies and even Labradors. These breeds can cost up to $1300 or more for a puppy, and as Puppy Mills are a money-based business they tend to sell breeds that can get the highest asking price.