Commercial Breeders vs Backyard Breeders vs Irresponsible Breeders
Americans love their kritters!! We spend a lot of hard earned money on toys, treats, outfits and much, much more! They sleep with us, travel with us, eat with us! Its estimated that there are 70,000,000 of them!! Missouri does not set a standard to be proud of, I am afraid! Number one producer and fourth in ownership with only half of Missourians actually taking ownership of dogs. Missouri has thousands of these commercial breeding areas. Approximately, 168,000 breeding dogs contributing TWO MILLION new puppies every year for the pet market nationwide. Over population doesn't stop there! Over a third of pet owners wont allow them to be altered. Of the 8 million strays nearly one half of them will be killed. The statistics are undeniably grim. Homelessness is the #1 cause of death amongst companion animals.
Commercial facilities are large and can accommodate 1000’s of breeding dogs, suspended in layers with wire floors or on the dirt ground. The birthing areas are floor to ceiling tiny, cramped slots for mamas to give birth in, containing no comfort like climate control or blankets. These birthing areas are so stressful there is a very high occurrence of eating their newborns. While the government oversight, licensing and inspection system is very broken and nearly useless there are rules on transporting agriculture (such as puppies). The Broker Truck that comes and pays cash to eager puppy producers has a few rules! They have a pre established street corner or parking lot to do the deal. Ages of puppies are fudged, pedigrees falsified, outright fraud to misrepresent the commodity for greater rewards. Half of the babies will never see a pet store, they die in transit or they die in distribution centers awaiting a ride to the pet store. Breeders are docked on the next round of puppies. The meager financial consideration being the upset, not the news that the baby forced into existence has perished. The breeding dogs are in tight confines 24/7 from birth to death. They see a life of limited medical attention and no training or nurturing. Often the methods of thinning out the adults that aren't earning their keep is more brutal and cruel then the death of disease and neglect in the distribution center. The babies have numbers, not names and are not viewed as individuals but as a production group. Puppies are sold by weight and age, like meat. The mental and emotional damage they sustain is often too large to over come even if they are lucky enough to be rescued. Backyard Breeders seem to be a lesser evil just judging by sheer numbers but not necessarily. These are people with a handful of dogs in a residential setting. City limits issues etc. These “house dogs” are relentlessly bred for mad money. At some point, these dogs guardians have found it morally comfortable to subject their entire family to the act of stealing the free will of one they hold dear and prostituting them for profit. Guardianship is supposed to be about love and protection. In Addition, by the very fact that they have limited variety in genetic input. Like one daddy dog and two mama dogs. Eventually these will have to be replaced or there will be no way to avoid incestual breeding. Show Breeders focus on creating a specimen of perfection as is outlined by the breed standard. These dogs have maybe four litters their entire life, compete in skill games etc. These litters may have one puppy that might be an even finer example of the standard if bred properly. The pups equal to the parents that go into a small niche of well bred pets. These dogs are very expensive and for people who enjoy to have quality things, not just expensive but quality. The Canine Chronicle is a great source to get started learning about the differences in Line Breeding, Type Breeding, Outcrossing and other genetic enlightenment. Irresponsible Breeding occurs when the failing guardian does not assure the little girl is safe from unwanted litters. These failing guardians tie them out where they cannot avoid any dog that comes to breed her, can't even run. What if on her most Breed-able day, three guys plant seeds…….in what way is that acceptable?? There is just no logic. Humans should know better, particularly women. Irresponsible Breeding is a snippet into the negative changes in our era. Narcissist takers with a weakened Moral Code eating away at our Communal Fabric. On the low end a female dog will create 500 babies in a lifetime. Only 10% of sheltered dogs leave altered. The cost of creating, rounding up, impounding, feeding and ultimately mostly destroying the results in roughly TWO BILLION TAX DOLLARS!!
Resources ASPCA Cat Pee Diaries American Humane Association Puppy Pipe Line Puppy Mill Project
