After spending an afternoon euthanizing abandoned animals for absolutely no reason other than a lack of room in the Shelter for people’s irresponsibility, I am compelled to write the following article:
People often ask, “does it really make a difference where you get a puppy, provided you find the breed you want?” Yes, absolutely! It is vitally important, and the fact that people ignore this concern is the real problem regarding overpopulation. We can spay and neuter our pets all day long, but as long as irresponsible breeding continues, euthanasia will not go away!
Responsible breeders make their breeding choices based on producing puppies with the intention of giving them good health and good temperament. A responsible breeder will place each pup personally, not through a newspaper ad or at a flea market, and will be available later if problems arise. Responsible breeders have homes lined up for their puppies in advance. They have acquired reputable credentials for the parent dogs before breeding in the form of testing for genetic problems common in their breeds, as well as verification that the dogs are good examples of their breed. As a result, their puppies are in high demand. The puppy mill breeder or backyard breeder is not interested in any problems beyond cashing your check! Puppy mill is a label that every reputable breeder will deny is applicable to them. Other names for this type of breeding operation might be 'Puppy Farm' or a 'Commercial Breeder.' Commerical breeding is rarely done humanely and responsibly. The profit comes when commercial operations provide only the minimum facilities required to keep a dog alive and able to breed. Breeding Dogs who have lived normal lives will have been observed around children, men, other dogs, cats, strangers, and other things that some dogs cannot handle. If the temperament of either parent isn't safe around humans, a responsible breeder will not use that dog for breeding. Dogs at puppy mills do not live normal lives, so the breeders do not know whether the dogs they use for breeding have reliable temperaments for family life. Decisions about which male to use with which female are based on profitability alone.
Another type of breeder is the Backyard Breeder. Occasionally, someone of this sort will make a tidy profit from turning out puppies. It is, usually, just a result of carelessness on the part of the breeder. These are the ones I see most often turning in litters of puppies at the Shelter!
The backyard-bred puppy may make a good companion dog if the parents were good companion dogs. It is a complete gamble as to how things will turn out with a puppy you acquire from a Backyard Breeder. These puppies are usually the cheapest to purchase, but you rarely get what you pay for. The unprepared, uninformed person who decides to give breeding a try often finds that there is no demand for carelessly bred puppies, especially at high prices. These puppies are then taken to the nearest shelter or Humane Society!
When you see one of these adorable puppies, you don't see the suffering. It is easy to think that the suffering that happens in commercial breeding has nothing to do with you. Sadly, every time a person purchases a puppy from a commercial breeder, they are involved in the inhumanity. That purchase makes it profitable to breed the parent dogs again, and the cycle of suffering continues. If you want to breed your dog, or are considering purchasing a puppy from a Puppy Mill or a Backyard Breeder, I urge you to walk through the shelter and look into the eyes of every dog that is alone and afraid. If you can be absolutely certain -- so help you God -- that no dog you ever bring into this world will ever be among them, then you go for it. With the alarming number of both purebred and mixed-breed dogs being euthanized every year because they have no homes, we must stop thinking that we must have that cute little purebred dog for no apparent reason other than saying that we have one!
Backyard Breeders and Puppy Millers are similar because they are both unethical, irresponsible groups of people who have no business breeding their dogs. Seriously, people...the breeding part is bad enough, but encouraging this type of behavior by buying these puppies is even worse! Who is at fault? Anyone who has a litter for fun, for profit or by “accident,” as well as those who buy puppies from these breeders.
Thousands of dogs are suffering in shelters because of Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeders. When people stop buying puppies from these places, they go out of business and the suffering will end. The State and Federal Governments do not enforce laws to protect these dogs. The only person who is going to make a difference for the dogs suffering is you!
The Humane Society is brimming with adoptable pets. Some are purebred and some are not, but all have the singular desire to be in a loving home. Please come see us at 4360 Old Iowa Park Road or view these pets on our website, www.hswichitacounty.org.