http://www.helpinganimals.com/It can be hard to resist the cute puppies and kittens for sale in “pet” store windows, but a closer look into how these stores obtain animals reveals a system in which the high price that consumers pay for “that doggie in the window” pales in comparison to the cost paid by animals who are sold in pet stores.
That adorable little scamp in the store probably came from a “puppy mill,” a breeding kennel that raises dogs in cramped, crude, filthy conditions. Kennels can be found throughout the country, and some dealers even import puppies from other countries.
Constant confinement and a lack of adequate veterinary care and socialization often result in animals who are unhealthy and difficult to socialize. As a result, many are abandoned within weeks or months of their adoption by frustrated buyers—further exacerbating the tragic companion animal overpopulation crisis.
Some people impulsively obtain purebred dogs, even though they may not be educated about the breed or ready for the commitment that animal companions require.
Movies such as 101 Dalmatians and Beethoven, TV shows like Frasier, and commercials such as those for Taco Bell have caused a jump in the popularity of certain breeds, and yet, very few potential dog caretakers take the time to investigate the traits and needs of the breed that they are considering.
“Every time Hollywood makes a dog movie, the breed goes to hell,” says one caretaker of Bouvier des Flandres dogs. A Dalmatian fancier concludes that “… the unscrupulous breeders will see there’s a profit margin there.”
When there is a surge in demand for a particular breed, puppy mills try to meet that demand, but when Jack Russell Terriers don’t turn out to be just like Frasier’s Eddie or St. Bernards don’t act just like “Beethoven,” rescue groups and shelters become flooded with these breeds.
The AKC, which opposes mandatory spay/neuter programs for purebred dogs, receives millions of dollars from breeders who pay AKC registration fees.
The AKC registered more than 421,000 puppies in 2005, some of whom will join the millions of animals who end up in shelters every year.
Buyers may be swayed by talk of “papers” and “AKC registration,” but these papers cannot ensure good temperament or good health. Says one veterinarian, “The best use of pedigree papers is for housebreaking your dog. They don’t mean a damn thing."
The AKC has minimum care standards for “high-volume breeding” facilities, but with 14 inspectors and an operating budget that is directed toward registration and dog shows, they can only manage to inspect their registered kennels once every two years.
By their own admission, some of the more problematic kennels have simply sought registration services (such as Dog Registry of America, Sporting Dog Registry, American Hunting Dog Registry, All American Dog Registry, to name a few) that don’t perform inspections.
At puppy mills, dogs are bred for quantity, not quality, so unmonitored genetic defects and personality disorders that are passed on from generation to generation are common. This situation results in high veterinary bills for people who buy these dogs and the possibility that unsociable or maladjusted dogs will be disposed of by their unprepared “owners.”
“There is virtually no consideration of temperament,” says one dog trainer. “I wish legislators could sit in my office and watch ... people sobbing in extreme emotional pain over having to decide whether to euthanize their dog because of some serious behavioral problem.”
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