Where do they come up with this stuff?  “Dog show plays big role in puppy mill cruelty”

The march against puppy mills and commercial breeding crossed the line to include responsible breeders like you and me quite awhile back. Breeders like us, who are dedicated to promotion and preservation of our breed by planned breeding, genetic health testing and competition at events that showcase our success are equally in the path of the march against commercial breeding. Events like dog shows, hunt tests, obedience trials, field trials, and agility trials have been targeted in the past and we generally brushed those efforts away. As we look at the continual decline in the purebred dog population are we fully understanding that we can and must take action to respond responsibly to propaganda like what is written in the article “Dog show plays big role in puppy mill cruelty”  by Kim Kavin published in the Times Union?

It’s going to take a whole wave of concerted effort to turn the tide on the purebred dog population, but if everyone takes on a small part, turn it will. Keeping our eye on legislation is vital, as is campaigning to stop harmful laws. Promoting your breed, telling your story, sharing why you own purebreds – that’s wonderful advertising – keep that up and do even more of it. Inviting puppy buyers to dog events to share the fun, and creating a fun atmosphere at those events is a must. Encouraging breeding through mentoring rather than running frantically in the opposite direction when someone new says “I want to breed her”. There is an endless list of things we can do. You can help build this conversation by adding your own thoughts in the comment section. Help build the momentum we need to stop harmful messages from doing further damage to our breed and our sport.

Sally Gift, Mesa AZ

Photo courtesy of Silvia Timmermann

Click the blue title of the article to read in it’s entirety, I’ve only included a couple of excerpts below.

…The Mamaroneck law affects a single pet store. New York state lawmakers could set a significant national example by instead targeting one of the biggest marketing assets that puppy mill owners have: the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show…

…A main goal of televised events like Westminster is to drive demand at commercial breeding farms, which then turn out millions of puppies eligible for AKC registration at a fee. This is the very business that Mamaroneck’s law is meant to stem. If the goal is to shutter the worst farms, then banning one of their biggest marketing assets would send a far stronger message….

Kim Kavin is author of “The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores, and Rescuers,” to be published Monday by Pegasus Books.