I urge everyone who wants to adopt a dog or cat, to please adopt for an animial shelter.
Sometimes people set their hearts on a specific breed. Sometimes because of the breeds temperment or because they had a campanion of that specific breed while they were growing up. My advice to anyone who absolutely feels they need a specific breed is to adopt from a rescue center that takes in that specific breed. You can find a rescue center for just about every breed out there. (Type in a search with the words rescue and the breed) You will be helping a dog or cat of your favorite breed who has been neglected or abused. Most of these rescue centers have very strict guidelines about who they adopt to (which is a good thing). They usually follow up with home visits after the adoption to make sure it was a good match.

Posted by: Janet Fitzgerald | May 8, 2007 03:47 PM

I was formerly connected to the "responsible" breeding world.

It's a load of crap.

These "responsible" breeders are concerned with MONEY. Many claim they are "hobbyists" and don't make money.

Well, they DO!!

(And a common topic on breeder boards is how to hide dogs, dog numbers, businesses, profits from the authorities.)

And they don't pay taxes on that money, and they want to keep it that way.

Which is why they fight against breeder licensing and mandatory spay/neuter.

(They also DON'T want to decrease profits by having to alter puppies and kittens before sale. They do the
"spay neuter" contract which is legally WORTHLESS)

Yes, the dogs from "responsible" breeders end up dumped at shelters, or used in backyard breeding mill operations, or even commercial breeding mills. No matter what these "responsible" breeders tell you.

Not to mention, many of these breeders are connected to the AKC. AKC makes most of its income these days from registering puppy mill puppies. So the AKC gets the so-called "responsible" breeders to lobby for the puppy mill interests.

After all, that puppy mill blood money pays for dog shows, dog club activities, and more!

These so-called "responsible" breeeders also lobby AGAINST anti-cruelty laws. Profit is King.

They will say ANYTHING- any lie, any rumor, ANYTHING- to convince the public to let them keep running their untaxed, underground businesses.

And leave the puppy mills alone.

These breeders sit for hours every day at the computer sending insane, threatening emails, fighting fighting fighting to keep their illegal businesses.

It is time for these breeders to stop breaking the law and lobbying for animal cruelty and death.

Here's a suggestion. Flush them out of the holes they hide in. Expose their businesses to local, state, and federal tax authorities. Point out to local authorities that they are breaking dog limit laws, not obtaining proper licenses, etc etc

It's time for some honesty on the part of the breeder lobby.

Look to breed clubs, federations of dog clubs, dog laws group and forums, any pet group that has "owner" in the name (this is breeder code for animals are property and they can do what they want- including abuse- that property.)

These are the anti-dog, anti-cat, FOR-PROFIT lobbies. And the cruelty and suffering that these "responsible" breeders advocate would chill you to the bone.

Posted by: kelly | May 8, 2007 03:53 PM

I love the Breeders!!! The band, anyway--not animal breeders.

Breeding + Buying = shelter puppies dying.

Posted by: Kylie | May 8, 2007 04:09 PM

I adopted my little guy Mr. JR from a shelter and he is the my best buddy in the world!

Posted by: Lis | May 8, 2007 04:14 PM

My fear is that it IS too easy to hide unneutered animals. There is better legislation that should be passed and more importantly a new, modern mindset for vets and shelters.

One vet I worked for had trouble with a breeder who brought us injured puppies all the time. The first time I met her she brought in a puppy with a broken leg and wanted the vet to destroy him. When the vet asked her why she wouldn't allow him to treat it, she said, "It's too expensive for me to treat this puppy. I can always make more of them." We wound up treating the puppy for close to nothing so she wouldn't go out and have him killed.

Obviously veterinarians' hands are tied. But if people boycott breeders, that will be better than well-meaning laws.

And I'm sorry to belabor the point, but shelters need to revert to the old "strays only" rule they had in the early 1900's. The situation is a thousand times more dire now than it was then.

Posted by: Maya | May 8, 2007 04:45 PM

to maya: hello maya - yesterday i answered your e-mail; i hope you got it! greetings

Posted by: animalfriend | May 9, 2007 01:03 PM

I just want to say that I hope everyone will adopt from their local animal shelter and not from breeders. I have adopted all of my cats from animal shelters and they make the best pets! They are so thankful! Please adopt and support your local animal shelter!

Posted by: Kathy | May 9, 2007 06:58 PM

"PETA's position on 'responsible' breeding is that there just ain't no such thing, because every animal that a breeder sells means an animal in a shelter who won’t find a home."

You know, one of the things that really bothers me about this statement is the implication that PETA thinks dogs are interchangeable. They're not. Dogs are the most variable species known - in size, activity levels, grooming requirements, behavior, care requirements, etc. I really love some dogs. Others get on my nerves. I could no more get along with just any dog than I could get along with just any man as a spouse. The person who would be best matched with a quiet, 15 lb, fluffy dog is not going to go out and adopt a 60 lb adolescent, pit-bull mix, and it wouldn't be a good idea for her to do so.

Purchased puppies and shelter dogs are not one on one equivalents.

California is already proving it. Puppies that are dumped at shelters are snatched up quickly. The number of puppies produced in California does not satisfy the demand. But that doesn't mean people go to a shelter to adopt an adult dog. No - there are thousands of puppies being imported into California now. Some are imported from hobby breeders in other states. 10,000 were smuggled in from Mexico through San Diego alone last year. Thousands were trucked in from the Midwest to be sold in pet shops (BTW, AB1634 does nothing to limit this traffic. In fact, commercial breeders are given an exemption). Crateloads are flown in from other countries (especially former Soviet Union countries) daily. Many are purchased over the Internet. Other than the ones from good hobby breeders, most of these sources are problematical as to the quality, health, and socialization of the puppies, and many end up in shelters.

PETA's position may make a good sound bite, but like so many simplistic statements, it's wrong.

Posted by: Linda H | May 10, 2007 11:17 PM

Janet Fitzgerald. The attitude you have taken toward dog breeders is exceptionally close minded. To label ALL dog breeders as evil, conniving, profit seeking entrepreneurs is absolutely one hundred percent wrong. I have grown up in a community of dog breeders, we check up on our animals every couple of years and not one has ever ended up in a puppy mill. One such pup was in a neglectful situation and was immediately taken home with us and is currently residing at the foot of my chair as I write this.

Your gross over generalization of an enormous group of people reflects your ignorance on the situation. Lobbying against anti-cruelty laws? I can honestly say I do not know a single legitimate breeder who is anything but for animal rights. You seem to have generalized everybody involved as Cruella Devilles without actually examining the evidence, a sure sign of extremism.

Yes, it is a tragedy the number of dogs that end up without homes. But they are not the dogs of responsible breeders (such a thing does exist) like ourselves. The pups we place have good homes and they are spayed or neutered.

Frankly, I would imagine that the dogs we breed do take up spots for dogs in animal shelters, however, we do not live in a communist society and it is up to the buyer where he wants to get his animal. Sorry lady, freedom of choice.

I can't tell you about potential corrupt lobbying practices of the AKC, and frankly, I don't care. The puppies we raise are happy, find good homes and are extraordinary dogs. I am as against puppy mills and animal abuse as you are.

Your spreading of bigoted and downright moronic over-generalizations about something that brings joy to thousands is despicable.

Posted by: Dave | May 12, 2007 01:05 PM