Getting a Pet Part 1: Breeders
Pets are the gift that keeps on giving, but deciding to take that leap and get a pet comes with a lot of pressure and a lot of questions. The question I'm focusing on in this entry is where to get one's pet. Saying that adoption is the only acceptable way to ethically get a pet is very restrictive, prejudiced and misses the bigger picture. Not to be crude but it's like sex education in America, where shouting about abstinence being the most effective form of pregnancy prevention leads to some of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in the first world. It doesn't work. The contrasting argument to adopting a dog or cat is that breeds are special and should be kept alive using breeders.
I want to give you a more researched perspective that addresses everything you need to know about breeders and in part 2 I will tell you everything you need to know about adoption. In my opinion, buying from a breeder is only wrong if you buy from bad ones, so I will be teaching you how to avoid supporting bad breeders and puppy mills.
This is a picture of a puppy mill. This is probably the least shocking picture I could find, because I'm not trying to upset you. The truth is very unpleasant though and I will be talking about it. This is your disclaimer.
I am basing this information on getting a dog but everything I'm about to say also applies to cats. Both cats and dogs are euthanised in their hundreds and thousands on a weekly basis in shelters, specifically 3.7 million euthanised animals per year according to the American Humane Association, because of problems with overpopulation; both puppy and kitten mills exist and both cats and dogs are sought out by future owners for their breeds.
Why are puppy mills a massive problem?
First of all, a puppy mill refers to an operation that mass-breeds pure-bred or mixed-bred dogs for financial gain. They put profit over animal welfare, which causes horrible working conditions. This is how ModernDog Magazine put it: "Picture, if you will, a warehouse. Imagine, within this warehouse, row after row and shelf after shelf of inventory stuffed into cramped, makeshift cages. The "inventory" in each box is half a dozen or more puppies, frequently hungry, sickly, and covered in the faeces of the "inventory" shelved above them. And above them." I highly recommend you read the article, it is thorough and very shocking. https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/puppy-hell-horrors-puppy-mills/269
But sadly these conditions are a luxury for the puppies, that is if they aren't deformed and can't be sold. At which point they will be killed. The hardest part is for the dogs that are constantly bred-in and bred-out. The workhorses of the puppy mill are called the "breeding stock" and they are given terrible quality food (if any at all); no protection from freezing weather; cramped and unsanitary living conditions; and minimal vet care. The mothers live in these conditions, giving birth to hundreds of thousands of puppies a year until they are no longer able to.
There was a horrible case in Quebec that I read about on ModernDog, where a puppy mill was littered with starved and half-eaten dogs. They were hanging from rafters, in cages and the mothers were so hungry they were eating their own puppies. Another shoved five boxer puppies in a birdcage in their back garden and left them there with minimal care until the dogs grew too big for the cage and could no longer be taken out. They were euthanised through the bars.
People turn a blind eye to puppy mills because nobody imagines that it can be so bad. And denial is much easier than coming face to face with the knowledge that your own pet could have come from a mill that you have single-handedly kept in business. Puppy mills sell as many as 160 puppies a week! That is a lot of demand to supply. I know a family who have a 5 year-old golden retriever. He was expensive and came from a breeder, but he's proven more expensive than they ever thought possible. The dog has had multiple surgeries for his crippling arthritis; his hip joints are badly formed and cause him extreme pain; he is not allowed to run because if he does he will likely injure himself. The family's response is to blame the breeder and take all responsibility away from themselves. The truth is, they have an unhappy dog and it's their fault, although they would never admit that.
Another common thought is that it isn't the buyer's responsibility to take down puppy mills. It's the government or the RSPCA. But sadly their hands are very tied. Although in a home, the abuse that goes on in puppy mills would have heavy sanctions, these mills are often labelled as "agriculture" and perpetrators rarely come to justice. That is if they're caught. Most have secret operations and fly straight under the radar anyway. So yes, they should do more but, like most things, if you take away the demand (us as future pet owners) the supply dries up (them as unethical breeders).
What is the argument against breeders?
One strong argument against breeders in general, is that they aren't helping solve the overpopulation problem. There are thousands of dogs being put down in shelters because there are too many of them; thousands of dogs being abandoned by breeders because their breed is no longer as trendy; and thousands of dogs still being bred but not spayed or neutered. The crux of this argument is, why are we creating more of a problem?
The argument that resonates with me the most is that these dogs that are bred over and over
again, mostly incestuously, are causing huge genetic health problems for breeds. For example, golden retrievers are known for developing arthritis and hip dysplasia after a couple of years, which can cripple them and make their lives miserable after five or six years old. Pugs often have breathing problems and english bulldogs can sometimes be born with inverted eyelids (or entropion), which causes their eyelashes to scratch their eyeballs. This, in turn, causes irreparable damage to their retinas and can render them blind.
The more unethical breeding goes on, the harder it becomes to find suitable healthy parents. It means there is a high chance that you will end up with a dog that is doomed to be sick or live a life in some form of pain. It seems a shame when there are so many healthy dogs in adoption centres that are on the euthanasia list because they have been there too long.
Another argument is that people who look for a specific breed are thinking more about a living creature as a fashion accessory, rather than an actual animal. It's either about aesthetics, rarity or even trendiness. For example, after Game of Thrones became popular, huskies that resembled those in the TV shows were on high demand.
But this seems a bit unfair to me, there are many legitimate reasons why owners would prefer a particular breed over an adopted dog. They may be expecting or have young children that they want a calmer dog for; they might have allergies that require a hypoallergenic dog; they might live in more urban areas and lead lives which aren't suitable for a dog that needs a lot of exercise; or they may not trust themselves to know how to provide for a dog that might need extra support.
Furthermore, it would be a shame to see the breeds we love die out because they do all have their special characteristics. In my view, breeding needs to be closely monitored and people need to come to terms with the reality of breeding, so that everyone can make decisions they won't regret.
How to tell if a breeder is a "bad breeder"?
There are many strong believers, like PETA, that any person abusing a species' ability to reproduce for money would fall into the category of "bad breeder". However, some are worse than others. Let's look at a less radical world where there are good and bad breeders and where it isn't possible to simply tell people never to support a breeder ever again.
The worst forms of breeders are puppy mills but "backyard breeders" are not really much better. They refer to people who decide to breed their dog with another but go about it carelessly. Many do it "just the once" or "just for fun" but they don't spend the money to test for genetic weaknesses in the dogs they breed. Even if they don't intend to sell the litter, this means they could find themselves with many dogs who develop known health issues later on in their life. Backyard breeders who underestimate the risk may end up breeding those unhealthy dogs, or giving them up to a shelter when the costs become too high, or both. The best thing to do is to spay or neuter your pets, so that you can avoid overpopulation.
The easiest ways to avoid supporting a puppy mill or a bad breeder are:
don't buy from a pet shop, the animals may be cute but they are most likely from a mill and have gone from one small cage to another
don't go to a shady site, ethical breeders will not be on craigslist
don't pick up a puppy from a location that isn't the breeder's site, because they likely have something to hide if they're meeting you on a street corner or a park
don't let a breeder come to you, this seems like a favour but it could also be a cover-up so that you don't visit them
don't discard the lack of credentials or word of mouth
be mindful of the price they are charging, many bad breeders will charge more than they should but will look like a good deal next to an ethical breeder who has paid money to perform extensive health checks on dogs they intend to breed
12 warning signs of a bad breeder:
dogs do not appear healthy or happy
the breeder does not let you see the animals
the breeder does not agree to you seeing the puppy's parents
more than two official breeds are being bred, it indicates mass breeding
unofficial breeds are being bred like cockapoos, goldendoodles, (I don't know any others).
they always have puppies for sale, indicating they have several litters at once
they breed dogs before they reach two years old
the breeder advertises qualities like "rare", "king-sized", "tiny" etc...
puppies are allowed to go into homes before the age of 8 weeks of age
spaying or neutering the puppies is not a mandatory requirement from the breeder
the breeder doesn't check to make sure you will be a good owner by asking you questions about your home and work life.
the dogs that are being bred have no titles (work, show, farm, sports, hunting etc...). This generally means that they are not trying to better the breed but instead breeding for "pet quality", indicating a desire for financial gain.
For a more in-depth look at avoiding bad breeders and the questions you should ask a breeder before buying, go to this site: https://www.thesprucepets.com/signs-of-a-bad-breeder-1117328
How to find an ethical breeder?
If you really love your pets and love dogs, the worst thing you could do is purchase one from a bad breeder or a pet shop. Similarly, ethical breeders don't breed dogs for the love of the money, they do it for the love of the breed and because they also love dogs. In fact, breeding doesn't usually make them a profit but enables them to break even, because the rigorous testing needed to ensure dogs are healthy and are not products of incest is expensive, as are the supplies needed to care for the dogs properly.
The first thing you should do when looking for a healthy pure-breed dog, is check for registration and parentage. It seems crazy to look for pedigree and to pay for that if you aren't considering it for competition, but ethical breeders should have the documentation available, even if it isn't completely pedigree.
If this doesn't matter to you as much then do consider adoption, there are breed-specific adoption centres that you can look into. If you do want a pure-breed dog and you are tight on money, adopting could mean vet bills. Sadly, they could have been abandoned because of poor health, either from a breeder or an irresponsible owner.
Look at the dog breed's history and check with the breeder for a guarantee. Many breeds who have been bred incestuously and carelessly have developed a known history for certain problems. A good breeder will have a guarantee, so if your pet does develop heritable problems you can ask for compensation. This shows they are confident that the pet they are selling you has been tested is healthy and far less likely to develop health problems linked to its genetics. This test is called Pennhip Testing and is performed by the OFA.
A good breeder should also provide you with medical records, including vaccinations and worming. They will usually require you to spay or neuter your puppy, they will give you recommendations on diet and exercise, and general tips on how to look after the dog you have bought.
To find an ethical breeder you should talk to people, ask a lot of questions about other people's experiences with certain breeders. It's all about checking references and credentials. Check that they are affiliated with national kennel clubs (NKC or AKC), local and national breed clubs (these are affiliated with an NKC). Most importantly, insist on finding out about the parents by meeting them, seeing test results that show their health status and visiting the facility the puppy was bred in.
Finally, if your breeder gives you a thorough grilling, it's a solid sign that they care about the animal and wants to give it a great life. Think of it as a similar process to adopting a child, sadly it needs to be rigorous because of the world we live in.
If you see any of the warning signs of a bad breeder, or feel that something feels a little off with them, it's best to wait. Do more research, talk to people, ask a lot of questions and if they seem a little hasty then alarm bells should ring. This decision is huge, not only for your dog and for other dogs in the world, but for you. Getting a dog from a bad breeder is ethically wrong and could make you feel very guilty if you found something out after the contract was signed. It could also cost you very dearly: your dog could die early; it could cost you more in medical bills than you can afford and you might have to give it away; your dog could be in constant pain that no amount of vet visits can fix and sadly you would be to blame.
So Be Careful.
This is a lot of information but it was necessary for me to be so thorough. Getting a pet on a whim and ignoring where that pet comes from is a terrible idea, so I urge you to do it right. Personally, I would always choose adoption, because there are so many options within it, including adopting breeds. Adopting is so much kinder than buying will ever be; and I strongly believe that nobody could walk into a shelter, read the euthanasia list, see the lovely animals that are waiting to be loved and still walk out and purchase a pet.
This is why I have made a part 2 all about adoption, so hopefully by the end of this "Getting a Pet" series, you will know everything you need to know to make the best decision for you and for your future furry friend.
To read part 2, click here: https://www.cooler-climate.com/post/getting-a-pet-part-2-adoption
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