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Most people know to avoid puppy farms and "backyard" breeders. But many kind individuals fall prey to the picket-fence appeal of so-called "responsible" breeders and fail to recognize that no matter how kindly a breeder treats his or her animals, as long as dogs are dying in animal rescues and pounds because of a lack of homes, no breeding can be considered "responsible."
All breeders fuel the companion animal overpopulation crisis, and every time someone purchases a puppy instead of adopting from an animal rescue, homeless dogs lose their chance of finding a home. Many breeders don't require every puppy to be neutered prior to purchase, nor do they check up to ensure it's been done, so the animals they sell can soon have litters of their own, creating even more animals to fill homes that could have gone to rescue dogs. Simply put, for every puppy who is deliberately produced by any breeder, a homeless dog's life is put at risk. Producing animals for sale is a greedy and callous business in a world where there is a critical and chronic shortage of good homes for dogs, cats, and other animals, and the only "responsible breeders" are ones who, upon learning about their contribution to the overpopulation crisis, neuter their animals, and get out of the business altogether.
Producing more dogs—either to make money or to obtain a certain "look" or characteristic—is also harmful to the dogs who are produced by inbreeding. Dogs don't care whether their physical appearance conforms to a judge's standards, yet they are the ones who suffer the consequences of humans' manipulation. Inbreeding and line-breeding causes painful and life-threatening genetic defects in "purebred" dogs, including crippling hip dysplasia, blindness, deafness, heart defects, skin problems, and epilepsy. Distorting dogs for specific extreme physical features also causes severe health problems. The short, pushed-up noses of bulldogs and pugs, for example, can make exercise and even normal breathing difficult for these animals. Dachshunds and Basset Hounds' long spinal columns often cause back problems, including disk disease.
There is no excuse for breeding or for supporting breeders when homeless dogs lose their lives. If you love animals and are ready to care for a dog for the rest of the animal's life, please adopt from your local rescue, where there are dogs galore—tails wagging and hearts filled with hope, looking out through the cage bars, just waiting to find someone to love. All shapes sizes and breeds, with temperament & health professionally assessed. Rescues receive new animals every day, so if you don't find the perfect companion to match your lifestyle on your first visit, keep checking back. When you find your new best friend, you'll be glad that you chose to save a life—and made a new best friend as well
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