Comment

Comment by Sarah C. on February 1, 2009 at 9:19pm

I'm afraid we differ on an ideological point, which can't be argued further. I believe in personal responsibility and the place of organizations in education and it's own enforcement of it's ethics, and I believe that I cannot give up any of my rights to make the world better. You believe that the state and federal government is more effective and practical in the cases where I think that there are other ways. It is just a different way of thinking, and I don't think that either is wrong. At the base, we want the same thing to happen, we just have different ideas about the nature of people, and how those things should get done.

Comment by Kristen on February 1, 2009 at 9:16pm

There is no reputable breeder that houses 200 or more breeding dogs. or 70 dogs... or 50 dogs. It is not a city issue it is a state and federal issue. You need legislation for funding. You need legislation for penalties for pet shops that buy from puppy mills . Most of all you need education... for buyers and breeders. I don't mean to be argumenative Sarah, but it is not illegal in many areas to run puppy mills... enforcement and funding are necessary. Saying that cruelty is illegal does not mean that running a puppy production business with 200 + dogs is. Even if the cages are clean and the dogs have adequate food and water...does that make it right? Who defines cruety? I accept the burden of greater accountability if it leads to fewer and fewer puppy mills. People are always going to break the law and it is the responsibility of others to help to enforce laws against them.

Comment by Sarah C. on February 1, 2009 at 9:01pm

But you don't need more laws for more enforcement. You just need more enforcement. Call your city council, light a fire under it.
Stricter regulation just puts more pressure on people who are law abiding. People who don't abide the law will CONTINUE not to. They're operating under the radar, no laws or inspectors are going to touch them, while reporting by neighbors, buyers, and quick action by officers WILL. But if the city thinks no one cares, then they will not put many people on it, will they?
The AKC fights against the legislature because it's basically a fine applied to law abiding citizens to pay for the ills of others. There's no reason to punish people who are doing the right thing with fees, registrations, inspections by overzealous officers, and imposed regulations on people who know their dogs come from good, healthy lines. It's not fair.
That's my 2cents anyway.

Comment by Kristen on February 1, 2009 at 8:57pm

Legislation is needed. Puppy mill dogs are treated with less respect than animals raised for slaughter. I have both rescue and breeder dogs. Most states that legislate still allow breeding numbers of over 200. That is significantly different than a reputable breeder who cares for their dogs and is concerned about genetic problems. In Nebraska there are no good laws in effect to regulate against puppy mills. It is worse in Missouri. Ironically AKC fights against such limiting legislation. Interesting...each puppy equals a registration fee whether good breeding tactics are used or not. Not everyone should be a pet owner, not everyone can handle the special needs of many rescue dogs. I agree rescue should be a first option, but will not always be the best option. for everyone. Most states do not fund the inspection process for breeding facilities which makes enforcement ineffective. The law isn't wrong...the lack of enforcement is. I for one would welcome stricter regulation as a future breeder. I should be held to a higher standard. Puppy mills breed for volume and money. Reputable breeders breed to develop the best traits and healthy offspring. I think most breeders should only offer limited registration on their puppies and require a spay neuter contract with potential buyers. Mochi, you are right there are many dogs and cats out there looking for homes, rescue and adoption is a great option and should always be considered. So many people don't know where their puppy came from when they buy from a pet shop. We need to continue to spread the word. I commend reputable conciencous breeders, but I truly honor those who are able chose to adopt.

Comment by Sarah C. on February 1, 2009 at 8:29pm

Legislation isn't needed, cruelty is already illegal.
When arbitrary laws are made, people don't follow them. All dogs are supposed to be registered with the city here. How many are? Less than half, I've never met anyone who had.
What's needed is public education, reporting of incidents and enforcement of present laws. It is already illegal to treat animals cruelly. You can't make it any MORE illegal. It is already illegal. More laws isn't the answer, more enforcement is.

Comment by Alice on December 28, 2008 at 6:35pm

Breeders really do not make a profit off the puppies they sell. For the most part, the money they sell the puppies for will cover the cost of healthcare for the mother and the litter as well as other expenses such as food, toys, microchip etc. If one breeding goes very well and there are no complications they may make a bit more of a profit but that is usually eaten up by the next litter that has complications. Anyone who has done their research knows how to tell the difference between a responsible breeder that strives for the betterment of the breed and one who is overcharging and under caring and is down there at the level of puppy mills.

Comment by Sarah C. on December 28, 2008 at 6:33pm

To break even.

Comment by Nicola Porter on December 28, 2008 at 5:51pm

I do have a question though, if breeders breed to establish and continue healthy lines why charge?

Comment by Sarah C. on December 28, 2008 at 3:32pm

My father has alzheimer's. We tried twice to adopt a rescue dog. One would not bond with him because it had bonding issues and was, as they say, a "one person dog". The dog's rejections were hard on my dad and I couldn't explain so that he could remember that the dog was going to need time and space. In the end, the strain on my dad was too much, so I gave the dog back to the shelter. The other dog was perfect, except it was too strong. With my dad's fragile bones and again, the inability to explain so that he would remember not to walk the dog until I'd leash trained it, we were also unable to keep the dog.
So, we bought a dog from a breeder where we had a good idea of what we were getting, and it worked out perfectly. Sure, we could have strung ourselves a long a few more shelter dogs, uprooting them and displacing them, stressing my dad out, and getting more discouraged each time... until probably we decided that a dog wasn't for us.
Would that have been better?

Comment by Alice on December 28, 2008 at 2:55pm

Amen, Debbie!

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