As bad as puppy mills: PETA’s ‘Rumor’ mill regarding breeders
Rumor has it that dog breeders and puppy mills are preparing to churn out German shepherd puppies and cash in on a breed
craze created by the results of the recent Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
At least, that’s what PETA says.
After a German shepherd named Rumor won Best in Show last week at Westminster, the animal rights group published a news release to its website about the anticipated influx of puppies. A writer by the name of Michelle Kretzer warns of breeders who will “even force mothers to mate with sons and daughters with fathers, in order to ensure that a particular trait remains in a dog’s bloodline.” She urges dire consequences from such breedings. “Incest,” she writes, increases the likelihood of “debilitating defects” like hip dysplasia.
Fortunately, she writes, her own part-German shepherd has lived a healthy life. Because she’s a mix. Because she’s a rescue. “I’ve been lucky,” she writes.
That last part, I can agree with.
Dogs, like any other animal, are affected by various health conditions. Hip dysplasia is one risk factor that affects nearly all dog breeds but is more problematic in large and giant breeds, according to the American Kennel Club. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals identifies hip dysplasia as a genetic disease causing various degrees of arthritis, leading to pain and debilitation.
Google the foundation sometime and read the details of the disease — it sounds truly terrible.
Who will fix it, you ask?
Breeders.
While Ms. Kretzer carries on about the horrible world of dog breeding, she fails to mention one thing — the AKC’s sole purpose, which is to promote pure breeding for type and function, as stated on its website. In a listing of core values, the club highlights its intention to protect the health and well-being of all dogs.
One way the AKC does this is through its “Bred with H.E.A.R.T.” program. The website states that the program encourages and recognizes breeders who participate in continuing education and whose dogs meet health testing standards. To be included, breeders who raise German shepherds must have their dogs evaluated for hip and elbow health. In fact, the AKC’s website includes an extensive list of dog breeds and the testing they require. It’s pretty impressive.
Dogs also must conform to their official breed standard, recommended by the AKC. Breed standards are about more than making a good-looking dog. The German shepherd is to be strong, agile, well-muscled. The standard outlines temperament — direct and fearless, but not hostile. Willing to serve as companion, watch dog, blind leader, herding dog or guardian.
According to its standard, the breed’s structure has been developed to meet the requirements of its work. At a trot, German shepherds cover “a great deal of ground” with long striding steps. A correct gait requires good muscular development and ligamentation.
In other words, poor conformation doesn’t make the cut. A crippled dog doesn’t win Westminster, nor does the recognition of high quality dogs promote destructive breeding practices.
The AKC’s website urges “good dogs come from good breeders.”
Good breeders raised German shepherds long before Rumor gained international attention. Good breeders are not sitting ready to “cash in on the coming breed craze,” as Ms. Kretzer so delicately put it. In fact, those individuals will likely become even more attentive in the wake of Rumor’s win. The German shepherd is in the public eye now more than before, and if anyone is tasked with preserving the integrity of the breed amid sudden popularity, it’s the breeder.
The AKC’s website has pages of educational material to help prospective pet owners decide whether their home is ready for a dog and, if so, which breed may be the best fit. Concern is on the animal itself and making sure the individual is set up to live a good life — a process that begins before a litter is conceived. And though the AKC’s focus is on purebred dogs and the benefits of those breeding programs, the club also recognizes that not every dog originates from an ideal situation. There are registries and resources available through the AKC for mixed breed dogs too.
I wish I could ask Ms. Kretzer about her dog’s “rescue.” Did she run into a burning building to save the pup from an upstairs apartment? Did she jump into a raging river to pull the canine to shore? Did she discover the animal buried in a snow bank and provide life-saving emergency care to ensure its survival?
Or maybe she simply walked into an adoption facility, signed off on paperwork and took her new pet home.
You’re right, Ms. Kretzer. You’ve been lucky. You happened upon a dog who, even with an unknown past, has been a happy, healthy companion. Some of us share the same story and are reading this with a warm body snuggled up to our feet.
These dogs are just as deserving of a warm bed as any other dog. That’s why we have organizations dedicated to caring for and rehoming animals who were brought into poor conditions, whether through an unplanned litter, unprepared owner or uneducated “producer” (not worthy of the term “breeder” in my eyes).
We can’t go back and change the past for those individuals, so we do what we can when our paths finally cross theirs.
But the need to care for those dogs shouldn’t overshadow the fact that we can change the future for many others. Health risks can be significantly lessened or even eradicated through selective breeding. If we have the opportunity to do that for our faithful companions, why wouldn’t we?
At the very least, don’t prevent others from taking action.
¯¯¯
Julianne Cahill is the education reporter and religion editor at The Sentinel. She can be reached at jcahill@lewistowsentinel.com or by phone at 248-6741,
ext. 117.
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