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Why Are We Still Breeding and Buying Pets?

October 07, 2008, 4:33PM MT

By Denise A LeBeau

575: A number to remember

575: A number to remember

The cruelty in puppy mills is no secret. Cruel conditions are exposed to the public more often than ever before; people are protesting pet stores; Oprah’s on board. Well, I’d like to take a step back from looking at the obvious cruelty known to take place in puppy mills, and look at the issue from a slightly different angle.

Consider the 575 Project. It’s an art exhibit by Best Friends resident artist Cyrus Mejia. Here is Cyrus’ statement about the 575 Project:

Last year between four and five million unwanted pets were put to death in U.S. shelters. Five million would be 13,800 every day, 575 dogs and cats killed every hour. The 575 Project is a memorial to these unwanted pets.

Powerful, isn’t it? Cyrus took this staggering number and turned it into art pieces that make it more than just a number; he made it something real, something to look at and touch. 575 collars from shelter dogs are wrapped around a dog house. 75 Ceramic ravens fly upward, each with a canceled shelter rabies tag on its back. They spiral around 500 more canceled tags. A piece called the “Screen of Defense” at first appears to be a line drawing of a dog and cat, but upon closer inspection, one can see that the entire drawing is made up of 575 actual reasons, collected from shelters, that people gave up their pets. Click the photo for detail views

My question is this: While we, as a nation are killing 575 pets every hour, how can anyone in good conscious breed more?

Breeding or allowing “just a few” litters of puppies or kittens adds to the problem. But then there are the thousands of people around the country who breed, raise and sell hundreds, if not thousands of pets every year. Why don’t they care about the 575 killed every hour?

Labs for sale on the Internet:

Labs on puppyfind: 1,198

Labs on Nextdaypets: 346

Labs on Breedersclub.net: (no total given)

There are over 19,000 Labrador Retrievers and mixes listed on Petfinder.com, right now, looking for homes. Why would anyone buy when dogs like this one are looking for homes? (Click the photo to learn more about him, available for adoption from Midwest Labrador Retriever Rescue)

I know the answer(s) to the question I asked above. People who breed their pets:

a.) Don’t realize that millions of pets are killed because no one wants them

b.) Don’t care; they’re in it for the money

c.) Don’t believe that the puppies they raise would ever end up in a shelter.

Approximately five million pets are bred in commercial facilities each year. Approximately five million pets die in shelters. This is not difficult math.

I wish every person who bred animals would take a minute to learn about the 575 Project. Go to the website, go to the exhibit, buy the book, and think about what they’re doing. I wish every person about to buy a pet instead of adopting one would do the same.

It's time that we, as intelligent, socially responsible people decide to stop breeding and buying pets until we aren't killing nearly 14,000, a day or 575 every hour.

What You Can Do

Order the book: stores.lulu.com/575

Visit the website: www.cyrusmejia.com/575project

Go to the exhibit: Dixie State College

November 12 – January 16

Reception: Nov 14, 7-9 PM, Art Talk by Cyrus Mejia

Download"Nine things you can do to help stop puppy mills"

Photo: Empty Nest, 575 butterflies cut from shelter cage ID cards and attached to plexiglass rods. The butterflies are displayed flying from a stainless steel cage like those used in animal shelters. Shown here as it was displayed in the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building, in Washington DC, May, 2004. (Main photo is a detail of a cage card butterfly

Story by Kelli Ohrtman

Comments

Posted January 28, 2009, 8:3AM by ruthy92

The "reputable" breeders in the AKC support puppy mills and oppose puppy mill regulation. Puppy mill registration money is the primary income of the AKC, and without that money there would be no more dog shows, breed clubs, and everything else the "small" or "reputable" breeder enjoys

Reputable breeders lobby with the AKVCagainst any kind of regulation or law

Here is one of them http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Patti_Strand Patti Strand of NAIA is a "reputable" breeder on the board of the AKC who works with puppy mills and brokers to get more mill business!

and many many breed clubs of "reputable" breeders gives NAIA money to lobby against rules or laws for puppy mills

Yes, "reputable" breeders ARE a part of the problem! They only care about their "fancy" and keeping breeders free from rules, and keeping their AKC solvent through puppy mill money!

"Reputable" breeders are LOBBYING FOR THE MILLS, though they will never admit that publicly.

And "reputable" breeders sell unaltered dogs to increase profits, and no altering contract is legally upheld. They are not legally valid. Empty words, worthless paper. What do you think happens with many of those sold unaltered breeder dogs?

There is more on the AKC puppy mill biz here http://www.bogartsdaddy.com/Bouvier/Bouv_Pages/article-inquire-puppymills-AKC.htm

It is "reputable" breeders and breed clubs lobbying to keep this going and protect the millers!

Posted October 10, 2008, 7:8PM by bordercolliemom

the numbers are staggering both how many are killed each day and how many labs for saoleOMG!

Posted October 23, 2008, 9:22PM by tlweiss

This hurts, when so many of us try so hard to stop this craziness but it continues on. I am in awe of the art work.

Posted February 02, 2009, 12:48AM by elledino

There many wonderful pets (in addition to Labs) available for adoption and people should be encouraged to adopt them instead of buying pure-bred or designer combo ones. Problem: some believe it is chancy to adopt, esp. if they have young children, some desire the prestige of a glamour dog or cat breed. So what are the plans for changing this trend?

Posted January 16, 2009, 4:42PM by sconset

I think most people who breed animals or buy a pet just don't care. We live in a push button, materialized society. People do not look at the big picture here. And there is no such thing as a "responsible or good" breeder! They too are contributing to the pet overpopulation. I firmly believe breeders no matter how well they care for their animals are in it strictly for the $$$.

Posted January 23, 2009, 1:46AM by ssMarilyn

Not all breeders are bad breeders. Puppy Mills are bad, but private breeders that have just one or two dogs IN their home are usually not bad breeders. There is nothing wrong with wanting a pure-bred dog and if more people would buy purebreds from responsible breeders, there wouldn't be so many unwanted mixed-breed dogs in the pounds and shelters, plus the pet shops would be put out of the puppy-selling business. Don't condemn all breeders because of the irresponsible actions of a few...that's not fair and it's not right and a responsible small breeder is NOT in it for the money. I do everything I can to try to get puppy mills shut down, and to try and get pet shops to stop buying those puppies. I in no way support irresponsible breeding. I have discovered that alot of people still aren't aware of puppy mills and where pet shops get their puppies....and that is why we must continue to educate them on the reality of the puppy mills and their being responsible when buying or adopting. I have had numerous people contact me via our website and state they had no idea about what was going on with the mills and pet shops. Stop condemning innocent people and start educating!

Posted May 01, 2009, 7:52PM by megreen1961

I don't know about other states but I know about Massachusetts. Why are there still puppy mills? Who do you think breeds the puppies for the shelters? The puppies are taken from the mills and resold through the shelter at up to $450.00 a piece. Now that's good business. Some require a home visit to be certain your home is good enough for the dog. The same dog they've been keeping in cage, too understaffed to actually give the animal proper exercise or attention. If shelters really cared about animals they would make it easier and more affordable for people to obtain a pet. maybe then dogs wouldn't be put down. $250.00 for an adult dog with. most likely, problems which is why they were abandoned in the first place. Some "breeders" are selling purebred puppies for as little as $200.00 why go the to shelter?