31/01/2024
This is sad but true.
ADOPT DON’T SHOP???! Or ... why your current dog could be your last dog.
In a time when animal rights (AR) extremists are everywhere and Adopt Don’t Shop is being shoved down everyone’s throat, let’s take a second to look at what’s actually going on here.
You have greyhound racing banned in Florida, and the average pet owner cheers that those poor dogs aren’t being forced to run anymore.
You have timed dog sports like agility and lure coursing banned and the average pet owner cheers because those poor dogs don’t have to perform for peoples’ entertainment anymore.
You have states banning hunting and field trials and the average pet owner cheers that those poor dogs aren’t being forced to work with cruel hunters anymore.
You have a province trying to ban certain training tools and training styles and the average pet owner cheers because they would never use those cruel methods on their pet.
You have places trying to impose mandatory spay and neuter by six months old (in spite of the peer reviewed research showing that puppies sterilized early will not develop properly and can develop a myriad of health issues) and the average pet owner cheers because breeding shouldn’t be happening and adopt don’t shop.
You have shelters and humane societies importing dogs from other countries to “sell” to the adopt don’t shop market because there is actually a SHORTAGE of dogs to adopt. Bet you thought the reverse was true? That there was a surplus of dogs in your area and that you were saving them? In fact you have created a new market you like to call rescue to make you feel good but in many cases these dog’s are being produced cheaply in foreign countries and imported for the market your bleeding heart created. Shelters have expenses and overhead that doesn’t get paid if the shelter is empty. And then they go out of business.
You have PETA showing up at dog shows putting dogs in danger, releasing them to possibly be run over on highways - or lost, terrified, starved but the average pet owner cheers because those poor dogs shouldn’t be forced to participate in beauty pageants and have no life.
The average pet owner isn’t going to care when the AR extremists push for dog sports to be banned because we’re making dogs compete for our entertainment. They won’t care when dog sledding is banned because those poor dogs have to pull that sled so far in the snow. They won’t care when service dogs are banned because those dogs are forced to work all day. They won’t care when it’s next to impossible for a responsible and accountable breeder to produce a litter because of regulation, because people should be adopting instead of shopping.
BUT ...
They might start to notice when all that’s left are poor representations of the breeds, the ones being produced from the backyard breeders who don’t care about the regulations and restrictions that pushed ethical breeders away. When these puppies grow up to be sickly dogs riddled with the health issues the ethical breeders would have tested for, or lack the correct temperament that the ethical breeders worked so hard for by working and showing their dogs.
They might start to notice when their only option for adding a dog to their family is a shelter dog created for them in a foreign country without breeding standards with more baggage than they are prepared to handle.
By the time the AR extremists start pushing to end pet ownership (which is absolutely PETA’s goal) altogether and the average pet owner takes notice and is shocked and appalled because they love their dog so much, there will be nobody left to fight for them. All of the breeders, hunters, dog sport competitors, mushers, service dog handlers, breed preservationists, etc are already gone because the average pet owner turned their back on them.
With regulation/legislation it’s never just about one issue. Maybe the average pet owner needs to look down at the labrador, golden retriever or German Shepherd at their feet and think about what went into developing the breed they love and why. About how their dogs are “wired” to love to do what they were purposefully bred for whether that was herding reindeer, comforting a child, detecting cancer or just laying on a lap. About how wolves joined our campfires willingly and were domesticated to help mankind be where we are today and our gratitude and love for that is eternal and ongoing. The herding and hunting and working that AR extremists want to end. It all ties together and is a slippery slope and it’s going to end with you, average pet owner. Please share if you understand.
A photo of my purposely bred dog whom I can’t imagine my life without.
Please copy and paste, but use your own pictures.
Original article by Kayla Baxter
