Callous Breeders

To build on the topic in the last blog post, I will discuss the attitudes and motives of breeders and those alike who aid in the suffering of animals and unnecessary overpopulation. Author Joshua Frank addresses the problem head on saying, “Pet store suppliers, commercial breeders, and private owners intentionally produce millions of animals every year to meet public demand”(108). When deciding to purchase from these outlets only later to abandon that animal because it is inconvenient or the owner gets “tired” of them, do we realize that they never get tired of us? To make matters even worse, millions more decide not to spay or neuter. By these issues alone, it is human action and inaction that perpetuate dog overpopulation.

“Dog overpopulation is a human problem, with human costs and deriving from human sources..it is also a problem that can only be addressed through human solutions”(Frank,128).

As a source for reference I found, “Dog Overpopulation and Puppy Mills” sponsored by the international society for animal rights, to be extremely helpful and insightful on breeders and their stories. One story took place in the spring of 2006 in North Carolina where a man was convicted of abusing 100 dogs at his makeshift puppy mill. Water bowls were green with algae, parasites crawled all around, and cages were covered with feces four inches high. The dogs recovered had body sores, crippling skin problems, and emaciation from lack of proper care and nutrition. Reading through the article,  it is apparent that puppy mills treat their dogs as commodities and crops. For example, during an interview discussing the large number of sick and dying animals at the puppy mills, one breeder casually commented, “When you have livestock, you have deadstock”. These uncaring attitudes furthers my mission statement by showing how rescue animals need your love and puppy mills need to stop.