Peta is at it again

[IrisLove]

This may be unpopular as well....but I agree to a point that breeding animals adds to the overpopulation.Maybe if there werent soo many breeders people would be more apt to seek pets at shelters. There are millions and millions of animals in shelters and breeders are just adding more and more and more.. I guess if you want a "showdog" you may want a purebred "high quality breed".

And I understand if you want a sheltie ... you probably arent going to find one at a shelter... i saw a sheltie at our local shelter and wanted to go see her.... 2 days later she was gone.. (adopted). Of course i was happy she found a home.
Why is it that most of the dogs at the shelters (well at least the one near me) has mostly pits..rotties.. and bulldogs?? Or weird mixed breeds like a collie/bulldog. Not to sound mean... but they are not attractive animals (imo).


I understand breeding to "better the breed". But IMO there are more breeders than people wanting pets. And with sooooo many animals being killed everyday ....adding more dogs to the list just doesnt seem right.

Breeders please dont attack me ... like i said i understand why you do it and that some people "need" purebred dogs for shows and such. I just hate to see all the animals in the shelters.... every time i go to the shelter i must resist taking one home with me.

I totally agree, especially that there are so many breeders who dont take it seriously (back yard breeders that breed for profit, ect..) A lot of people (myself included unfortunately) do go to breeders when the option of adoption is very much a good one. Youre right, shelties usually arent found in shelters because theyre such amazing dogs hhaha

In response to your other inquiry as per why its those types of dogs(in my opinion), a lot of the time they are strong-tempered breeds and people get them just "because" and dont know how to handle them. Pitties for example, not just anybody can really handle them properly and yet you see soooo many with owners who just want to look tough, same goes with Rotties and Bullies I think... Its really sad. They have such potential to be such good dogs. So they start by not training them properly as pups and they grow big and strong and a 20 pound puppy that pulls or jumps doesnt seem like a big deal to these people so they dont bother teaching proper leash manners and then they become 50, 60 or 70 pounds and they are getting dragged around and knocked over.

 

[SheltieGuy]

. So they start by not training them properly as pups and they grow big and strong and a 20 pound puppy that pulls or jumps doesnt seem like a big deal to these people so they dont bother teaching proper leash manners and then they become 50, 60 or 70 pounds and they are getting dragged around and knocked over.

that does make a lot of sense...its the owners responsibility to train their pets..... you just dont give them up because they dont behave the way you want when they are all grown up and 70 lbs ... since it is your fault in the first place!!

 

[Lynne]

Well, first of all, animals have different biological configuration I guess you could say, so its not fair that medicines for us get tested on them. Yes, they should 100 % be tested on people. Animals arent here just for us to use for our own gain. I use natural remedies and never go to the doctor ... How can you justify all the animals that are getting mistreated though ? How else are they gonna be saved other than drastic measures? Sure, its good that we get vaccinations for the animals, if theres no harm done to the animals then fine. Does that mean that students testing on animals should be getting amusement out of a brain damaged orangatang (sorry dont know how to spell that haha) ... that doesnt sound like productive testing to me. I am glad to hear the animals that you tested on were well cared for. It was for the betterment of animal health. I dont think we shoudl test on animals for the betterment of our health.

Surprisingly we are very similar to animals in many ways. When I took my classes they had pigs there that were used for cardiac research. We weren't involved in the research but it was the first (and only) time I have seen pigs running on a treadmill. I DO NOT justify mistreatment of research animals but letting them go can expose people and animals to dangerous situations. Imagine if you or your pets were bitten by an animal that was being used to research, say, rabies? (made that one up for an example) What we need for that is more oversight on animal researchers, just as we need more oversight on breeders. Don't get me wrong, i have nothing against responsible breeders but the AKC should be able to shut down puppy mills and backyard breeders. Take away the right to register these poor animals and the profit margin for those breeders goes away.

As for purebreds in shelters, rescue groups get most of them as soon as they come in. The sheltie rescue group in my area wouldn't even consider me for a dog because I don't have a fenced in yard. I live in a rural apartment complex that has plenty of room to run dogs outside but I still don't qualify. We run them around the field on a 20 foot lead

Sorry if I have stepped on any toes. this is an area i am concerned about as i am alive due to cardiac research.

 

[SheltieGuy]

As for purebreds in shelters, rescue groups get most of them as soon as they come in. The sheltie rescue group in my area wouldn't even consider me for a dog because I don't have a fenced in yard. I live in a rural apartment complex that has plenty of room to run dogs outside but I still don't qualify. We run them around the field on a 20 foot lead

I wouldnt be able to get a sheltie or a lot of other dogs from a shelter either because i dont have a fenced in yard!! I have a huge yard..and my pup can have a 50 foot lead... i think the shelters need to rethink their rules or at least go on a case by case basis. Come look at my yard and you will see it is ok for a dog and much better than keeping him/her in a shelter.

 

[Silaria]

Sorry if I have stepped on any toes. this is an area i am concerned about as i am alive due to cardiac research.

I've been reading the discussion with interest. Honestly, so far this has been a good discussion on a rather hot topic ESPECIALLY in a text format where you loose many of the natural communication cues such as tone of voice and body language. It is VERY easy to read something the wrong way because you inflict your own opinion of the 'tone' of the poster.

As long as people remain respectful to each others opinions, discussing the hot topics is a good thing. Providing a different, respectful, point of view isn't stepping on toes, its discussion. They key is to understand that not everyone is going to agree and to, at the very least, have respect for that person's opinion whether you agree or not. Thankfully this is something many of the people on this forum understand and are willing to agree to disagree.

(Yes, I've used the word "respect" a lot in this post because that's what its all about.)

As for purebreds in shelters, rescue groups get most of them as soon as they come in. The sheltie rescue group in my area wouldn't even consider me for a dog because I don't have a fenced in yard. I live in a rural apartment complex that has plenty of room to run dogs outside but I still don't qualify. We run them around the field on a 20 foot lead

I'd had the same issue with a Sheltie rescue. I did look into a rescue dog and a dog from a breeder simultaneously. Maybe I'd have better luck with a rescue now that I've owned a Sheltie and have the proof of my care and dedication via my agility titles. Maybe we'll find out sometime in the future.

 

[Lynne]

Silaria, i looked at my first post on this issue after a good nights sleep and I thought it was disrespectful. So i own up to my behavior. You are right about the need to be respectful in a forum, it's the only way to keep away from fighting each other. I have seen the side of animal research that doesn't make it's way into the press. I just wish that all animals in research facilities were so well taken care of.

But that takes money, which, IMHO, the bigwigs in corporate america and sports stars get.

p.s. would it surprise anyone to find out that i like to play "devil's advocate"

 

[tofu pup]

I've been reading the discussion with interest. Honestly, so far this has been a good discussion on a rather hot topic ESPECIALLY in a text format where you loose many of the natural communication cues such as tone of voice and body language. It is VERY easy to read something the wrong way because you inflict your own opinion of the 'tone' of the poster.

As long as people remain respectful to each others opinions, discussing the hot topics is a good thing. Providing a different, respectful, point of view isn't stepping on toes, its discussion. They key is to understand that not everyone is going to agree and to, at the very least, have respect for that person's opinion whether you agree or not. Thankfully this is something many of the people on this forum understand and are willing to agree to disagree.

(Yes, I've used the word "respect" a lot in this post because that's what its all about.)

I wholeheartedly agree. As a mod, I'm very sensitive to the possibility of discussions getting out of hand, and as someone who thinks about these issues a great deal (and cares very deeply about them), I'm glad that the discussion is taking place in such a constructive and reasonable way.

All of us come from very different backgrounds, and each of us has his/her own unique set of views on the issues. It's wonderful that we can talk about them in a polite, respectful manner. We aren't going to "solve the problems of the world" here, but just being able to share our ideas with each other is a beautiful thing.

 

[Toffee's Mom]

One time my ex sis in law couldn't even get a cat from the SPCA, because she and her husband were *gasp* working full time... so the kitten would be alone some time of the day.
That amuses me, since we all know the cats think they own our house already and feel we are intruding on their much deserved 8 hour naps! Beside the fact that cats aren't the social pack type animals either
I would have had a tough time adopting as well, because I work full time and am by myself AND don't have fenced in yard AND live in a flat... SPCA wouldn't have given me the time of day, without looking at the whole picture like that I was hiring dog-sitters and walkers for Toffee for when he was a baby etc...
Just as an example, that it seems my SPCA thinks a dog in the kennel with little human interaction is better off than being in my care ( I still volunteer there, don't get me wrong, lol) Just a complex issue, is all

 

[ClantyreSheltie]

I think if people want to look into lowering euthanasia rates, then you need to look to the people bringing the dogs to the shelters. It matters not where that dog came from.

There are some big reasons that people give dogs up:
1. I'm moving, and my new landlord doesn't allow pets.
2. My kid is allergic. (2 out of 3 times I think this is a convenient excuse)
3. I can't handle the dog.
4. It barks too much.
5. I can't afford it.
5. It's old, and I can't care for it any more.

So lets address these issues, rather than bring down all breeders. How about tax incentives for landlords to allow pets? How about low-cost behavior and training classes? We have arbitrary limit laws that stop people from adopting another animal, even when they can afford it and want to adopt. We have overly stringent adoption requirements that stop otherwise good people from adopting (that it sounds like some here have run into).

So I don't think this is a production issue, I think this is a business model issue. Good shelters don't have dogs, good rescues don't have dogs. They adopt them out, they have a waiting list just like breeders do. Those are organizations that have done all the right things to get the dogs placed. They have people that come back for dog after dog for 25 years. Those are the models we need to look at.

 

[JessicaR]

I love the I bought a mastiff and he grew to big or the I just got this puppy and my lanlord says I cant keep him