03/29/12 Purebred Dogs are Victims of Abandoning, too
Animal Friends warns about the big problem of mass breeding of dogs
- Selective breeding of dogs causes suffering and results in excessive number of animals
In Croatia, as well as the world, there are many legal and illegal breeders of certain breeds of dogs, who profit from mass breeding of so-called purebred dogs. Dogs with overly emphasized physical characteristics are bred, to satisfy judges at shows. Veterinarians warn that those characteristics may cause serious discomfort and stress.
Some veterinarians and experts on animals have compared the mass production of dogs with pedigree to the eugenic principles of Adolf Hitler, considering the common practice of inbreeding, as well as breeding to standards. The common practice among breeders is to breed animals who are related, in order to transfer award winning characteristics from generation to generation, so e.g. grandfather is bred with his granddaughter, and breeding of directly related dogs also occurrs. While on one hand dogs are mass bred, on the other there are many abandoned dogs in shelters and in the streets, among them "purebred" dogs.
Mass breeding of dogs and abandoning of "purebred" dogs are the theme of the action "Adopting is cool," which is joined by Animal Friends, inviting citizens to adopt abandoned animals. The action is organized by Zagreb City Office for Agriculture and Forestry and Zagreb City Shelter for Abandoned Animals, and it will be held on Saturday, March 31, 2012, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., at Trg bana Josipa Jelacica in Zagreb.
Citizens will be able to meet abandoned "purebred" dogs who are at the Shelter and looking for a home, because dogs who were bred are abandoned just like other unwanted dogs. At the info stalls useful information concerning the adoption of abandoned animals and the problem of breeding will be available, and the message will be sent to all citizens of Croatia that dogs should not be "custom made" and sold, that they are living beings who need our acceptance and responsibility.
Breeding closely related animals leads to health problems and genetically hereditary diseases. Because of cruel and insane breeding standards, many breeds, such as bulldogs, have excessive physical characteristics which make everyday functioning more difficult, they cannot breed on their own, but they are artificially inseminated, and puppies are born by ceasarean section because their heads are too big.
A big for dogs with predigree are hereditary diseases. For example, purebred flat-coated retriever has a high rate of cancer. In breeding, puppies are taken away from their mother very early, and people who are interested in them often buy them for their characteristic appearance. When they get tired of the dogs after a while, they often abandon them.
Animal Friends invites citizens who bought "purebred" dogs to adopt the next dog who will be a part of their family, independent of the breed, instead of buying.
A provocative short film "Animal Birth Control (Wrong Meeting?)," translated into Croatian for this occasion, can be seen at our YouTube channel.
The text of this campaign and posters with a pointed gun and a message "You bought an animal? You killed one animal's chances," which invites to adopting instead of buying animals can be seen here, while the film with the same title can be viewed on our YouTube channel.
The reaction "Buying animals supports killing abandoned dogs" can be read here.