Is It Bad To Breed Dogs?

Cindy Wolff, the Pet Reporter for the Memphis Commercial Appeal, brought up in her blog “Pets on My Mind” that age-old question that seems to get even the nicest dog lover up out of their chair and hitting the blog keys — should people be breeding dogs (even responsibly) while there is such an overabundance of great dogs waiting to be and needing to be adopted?

So I’ll throw this out to Dogsters. What do you think? Bark in!

Wedding Day Controversy

There’s some snapping and snarling among the animal community about a fund-raiser for the Memphis-Shelby County Humane Society last April where two giant schnauzers were wed in a lavish celebration.

The nuptials didn’t raise the hackles as much as the union’s production of nine puppies. Some people in the rescue community question how a group charged with taking care of unwanted and abused animals would do anything that in any way promoted breeding since so many animals are killed every year simply because they are homeless.

Good point. I wonder where the rest of you stand on this, especially in this age of limited resources and limited fund-raising dollars.

Most people know how I stand on the subject of breeding. I get so riled when I hear about someone who has never owned a pet in their life, buys a puppy at a flea market or pet store (read puppy mill) and they go from never owning a pet in their life to suddenly deciding they are informed enough to be a breeder. It makes my head spin and the foul language come out.

It’s that ridiculous, absurd mindset that has put America in the pickle that it’s in regarding the pet overpopulation. Animals die every day in a shelter. These litters of puppies grow up and they produce. More more more.

That being said, I can’t think of any Giant Schnauzers in shelters or rescue groups. And I think the owners of the dogs have spent some time checking genetic defects and temperament and are breeding responsibly. There are others who say there is no such thing.

Where do you stand?