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Puppy Mills, Pet Shops and Breeders Add to Pet Surplus

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Puppy Mills, Pet Shops and Breeders Add to Pet Surplus WellBeing International WBI Studies Repository 12-1973 (No. 26) -- Puppy Mills, Pet Shops and Breeders Add to Pet Surplus Humane Information Services, Inc. Follow this and additional works at: https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/rephum Recommended Citation Humane Information Services, Inc., "(No. 26) -- Puppy Mills, Pet Shops and Breeders Add to Pet Surplus" (1973). Report to Humanitarians. 18. https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/rephum/18 This material is brought to you for free and open access by WellBeing International. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the WBI Studies Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The cormnercial pet trade, consisting of breeders, puppy mills and pet shops, is an important source of surplus puppies and kit­ tens. REPORT TO HUMANITARIANS published quortedy Many humanitarians seem to think that eliminating the surplus of dogs and cats is No, 26 - DECEMBER, 1973 b"fi,._,.udnt �':;�"c£etvim merely a matter of educating the owners of EDITORS: f. ordinary household pets to not allow their A NON-PROFIT NATIONAL HUMANE SOCIETY' FOR THE PR EVEN T.1 ON OF ANIMAL SU.FF ER ING female animals to breed, either on purpose Dr. Frederick L. Thomsen _ _ to provide amusement and biological "educa­ Miss Emily F. Gleockler 4521 - 4th Street South, St. Pe�t::i:'sburg, Florida 33705 tion" for the children, or by "accident". Certainly such efforts are an essential part purebred females, with rosy expectations of cussed. By analysis· of data for Pinellas of a complete program for control of the making a nice annual return on their invest- County, Florida, our director of humane edu- surplus. ment plus enjoying the ownership of an at- cation, Arthur B. Brainerd, showed rather But even if these ordinary pet owners tractive pet which might be exhibited at the clearly that the outflow of unspayed females would pay attention and act voluntarily, dog or cat show, followed through on these from shelters and pounds could be stopped which most will not do for reasons noted in intentions on a professiqnal basis, they without significantly decreasing shelter fi- a previous Repoll:t, the production of surplus would breed carefully, limit the number of nancial revenues, adoptions, and receipts of pet animals would, continue. This is because litters to what could be sold on the local unwante� ariimals, and without increasing the of the expanding production of puppies and market, and take the required precautions to abandonment of pets. The problem largely is kittens by the commercial pet trade, includ- see that all of the progeny sold were in one of overcoming outmoded and erroneous · ing "backyard" breeders, who hope to combine good health and females spayed unless going conc.epts still found among some members, di- the pleasures of pet ownership with profits to another legitimate breeder. All too of- rectors and officers of local humane socie- from the sale of puppies and kittens. ten, however, the would-be breeder discove-rs ties and public officials. We are pained to Letters re- ------�-------------------------------------------------receive quite a ;�;��1!0�= of-mouth reports y· Pupp· Mills, Pet Shops and Breeders telling��.;:;��::= why they indicate that a are afraid to rapidly-increas- stop putting out ing proportion U unspayed fe- . of total re- ·Add t o p.' e t s r.p I us males. ceipts of dogs Similarly, and cats at shel :.., t.·s and pounds are "pure­ that vet bills and other expenses greatly many owners of purebred dogs and cats, in­ breds". These are the pitiful end products exceed income, and that the amount of work cluding breeders and non-breeders, harbor of the system described later in this Re.­ and expertise involved far exceeds his or fixed ideas on this subject which cause them poll:t. her expectations or capabilities. to oppose enlightened measures designed to Nobody knows the exact total annual out­ So, these people may soon forget their reduce the contribution of the commercial put of puppies and kittens which can be intentions to become serious breeders. But pet trade to the pet population explosion. traced to the commercial pet trade. But it they have a purebred female dog or cat. It It is almost impossible to even discuss runs into the hundreds of thousands, and "seems a shame" to spay it and forever estop this subject without evoking bitter denunci­ probably into the millions. Certainly the using it for breeding purposes. So, the ations and furious differences of opinion. number is sufficient to keep the surplus an nice dog or cat, which the owner still takes Even the announcement, in Repoll:t No. 25, ongoing feature of the pet population explo­ much pride in discussing with other animal that our December issue would 9ontain a dis­ sion even if many more ordinary pet owners owners ("Oh, yes, we have her papers"), be­ cussion by Edward Newman, Los Angeles human­ with no interest in breeding could be induc­ come·s just another unspayed female household itarian, of ·the part played by "backyard" ed to spay and neuter. pet. And pretty soon, in just the ordinary breeders in adding to the dog and cat sur­ Were it not for this trade in ."purebred" course of events, the pretty purebred gets plus has brought a strong protest from an pet animals, stopping the output of unspayed' loose one day while in heat, and mates with organization reflecting the viewpoint of females from shelters and pounds and provid­ some neighborhood male. Now1the whole pain­ some breeders. ing better spay.and neuter facilities and ful business of getting rid of the progeny This letter, from the California Coali­ . " '·': ,,, . ·,. , ...... ,·•··"€tiUC,J'C'1:0rl.½:l'°� p gffa.rnss·c\'lotl•f.tl'cpOS'S nraJce,c ib:le, starts, .just as if the female were not.a !�"t" tion of Animal.. OWne.rs, p:r:otesting pµblica­ _.,_,.,_,,,. -•""<substarit3::arTnroads into· the 'surplus. The purebred. Btit 'the 'that it is purebred tion of an article which had not even °been commercial pet trade, however, is not inter­ keeps the owner from getting it spayed, be­ read, purely on the. basis of personal ani­ ested irt, and would hotly oppose, any re­ cause he might want t.J change his mind.la­ mosities, will not deter us from going ahead ·qu1rement that the animals they sell should ter.· "I think if we have the time and money with our plans to explore,this important be spayed or neutered. For a chief sales next.year we may buy a mate for her," the phase of the surplus problem. We do not pitch of the "purebred" trade is ,the entic­ owner says. agree with everything in Mr. Newman's arti­ ing prospect of making money while enjoying In this way a large proportion of the cle, but commend him for havihg the courage the ownership of a pet. Otherwise, why pay purebreds purchased on impulse when they are to say what he thinks. We have followed the $100-or more for a pet of uncertain health cute little fluffy puppies in the pet shop humane activities of Mr. Newman in Califor­ when or.e just as attractive and with health window eventually become just a part--but an nia with great interest. We believe that inspection, shots, etc., can be obtained at important part--of the surplus-producing Mr. Newman is a sincere, vigorous and effec­ the SPCA shelter for a fraction of the cost? pets in the hands of the general public. tive humanitarian. It is the breedability of the purebred which And their progeny go out to others and con­ However, we do not think that Mr. makes it so attractive to the prospective tinue to expand the pet population. Newman's article differentiates sufficiently buyer. The latter does not want to avoid among different types of bre.eders. We have future litters, but to encourage them. That OPPOSITION FROM BREEDERS requested our new director of field ser­ is the way he hopes to. have a pet and, so to In Re.po/Lt No. 25 the contribution to the vices, Dalton B. Byerly, who has had exten­ speak, eat it, too·, by selling the progeny. output of female breeding animals by humane sive experience in this field, to write an If those backyard breeders purchasing the society shelters and public pounds was dis- introduction to.Mr. Newman's article, bring­ ing the puppy mills and pet shops into the picture along with the backyard breeders. THE COMMERCIAL PET TRADE Th,is appears to the left of this column. by Va./'tcn B. Bye.Jtly, V Utec.tatr. o 6 Ffr .f d Sc!tv<c.C-6 ,;i r,,.Lfl 1973 I- . 7 . Although the various elements in the commercial trade in dogs and cats for pets might be t,, Q) M t,, divided into different categories, the ones most significant from the standpoint of the pet 0 r1l 0,""° Lfl ,µ M population explosion are: ,µ ti) ::s • ) •rt 0 0.0 0 (1) Serious professional breeders and exhibitors of.dogs and cats who make careful ge­ 11,,j p.. -ti) z ... 0 <C 1-l netic studies seeking to improve the breed in which they are interested, or to introduce 1-l •0.Q).IJ U) ,µ •ri some new breed carrying desirable characteristics not found in the breeds of origin. These December, breeders are the mainstay of dog and cat shows, and their careful operations involve rela­ on-P 0 � eQ) z • P, tively infrequent litters and small inventories of breeding animals. They do not contrib­ ,µ ute substantially to the surplus.
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