The “adopt don’t shop” movement can be traced back a long while, but really came to the forefront in the mid 1980’s when animal rights activists in San Mateo, CA put together a campaign centered on the number of animals euthanized in humane societies around the country. Through an emotional campaign that included graphic photos and inflammatory rhetoric, they got a law passed that required all dogs and cats over the age of 6 months to be spayed or neutered. Period. No exceptions.
This solution was overly simplistic and caused all sorts of other problems including the selective enforcement and persecution of purebred fanciers, the virtual elimination of the sport of purebreds in that area, and an actual INCREASE in the number of dogs and cats being turned over to shelters. (people couldn’t afford/didn’t want to pay to have their animals neutered) It is also helped “all dogs and cats should be spayed by 6 months” become a commonly accepted belief, even though evidence today is showing early spaying/neutering is detrimental to our pets’ health.
The sad thing was, back then, they weren’t totally wrong. The US did have a high population of dogs and cats in shelters at the time and, yes, as much as 30% of the dogs were purebreds. However, essentially none of those dogs were from show kennels. They were the result of backyard breeders, commercial breeders, and people who were not educated about dogs or the breed they had purchased. Because of this, the dog show world was not concerned about them. If one of their dogs or friend’s dogs was in the shelter they would certainly immediately go get them. But they didn’t believe they should be responsible for dogs someone else had bred.
However, the information about the number of “purebreds” in shelters and the resulting public outcry changed everyone’s minds. The purebred dog clubs decided they needed to step up and so responded by putting together rescue programs as well as educational programs.
Today virtually all AKC recognized breed clubs (and most FCI as well) have associated rescue groups that have done an amazing job pulling their respective breeds out of humane societies regardless of who bred them. These dogs are now fostered, evaluated, and then re-homed into more suitable, screened and educated homes.
The result is today the number of purebreds in humane societies is down to less than 3% (NAIA) Today the majority of dogs in shelters are “pit bull crosses” or “chihuahua crosses.”(Embark, 2020)
This is amazing, heroic work the purebred groups are doing. The number of people in these clubs is tiny compared to the number who are “just owners” of the various breeds. That means a very few people are now successfully cleaning up after the huge number of people who are casual breeders as well as all the commercial breeders.
In fact, the number of dogs in humane societies is dropping so much that many humane societies in bigger population areas do not have enough adoptable dogs to meet the demand. They are now importing dogs from shelters with more dogs. This can be shelters in other cities, other states and in some cases even other countries. Next time you see a video depicting the rescue of a dog in terrible, heart breaking condition, check where it’s actually from and the date. Many of the videos used by animal rights groups and charities are actually from countries which do not have the awareness and laws for animal welfare that we have here or are videos and pictures from several years ago. They reuse these videos, stories and pictures for publicity and fund raising.
So this is all really great news, right? Overall population in humane societies is down. Adoptions are up. Number of purebreds in shelters is WAY down. Now we can all get the puppy we want, purebred or rescue, right?
Not so much.
Today, the animal rights organizations are continuing to press on the “Adopt don’t shop” mantra. To understand why they continue this, you must understand that the heart of the animal rights philosophy is that belief that NO pets should exist. None. In fact, they believe no animals should be domesticated at all. None.
For proof you only have to look at all the quotes from Ingrid Newkirk, founder and president of PETA. She has repeatedly said, “In the end, I think it would be lovely if we stopped this whole notion of pets altogether. We want a future in which animals are returned to a more natural relationship with humans – enjoyment from afar.” (Newsday)
Thus, the animal rights groups continue to indoctrinate the public with the same horror stories, graphic images and numbers they have been using since the 1980s. They will not admit nor will they acknowledge the work the purebred dog community has done to effectively eliminate their breeds from shelters. They would rather the public continue to believe the tired old propaganda about pet over-population and the horrors of purebred dogs and their breeders.
And.. as a side note… the San Mateo breeding ban that started it all? It was actually overturned shortly after its passing – both in San Mateo and the other places around the country where they tried to follow suit. But that hasn’t stopped the attack on purebred dogs.
The saddest news is that, today, because of this unrelenting attack on purebreds, we have breeds that are going extinct. (Both of my breeds are on the “extinction” list – meaning there are not enough being bred to support a healthy genetic pool for much longer.) There are fewer and fewer people working to breed these amazing and gorgeous dogs because people have been indoctrinated to believe that it is unethical to own a purebred. People who want a specific type of dog or puppy are increasing shelling out huge amounts of money for mixed breed dogs because they’ve been told over and over that a purebred dog is inferior, purebred dog breeders are greedy monsters, and supporting purebred dogs is unethical.
Which sets up an bad situation for prospective pet owners. The lack of purebred dogs combined with the societal push, prospective pet owners main source of pets is the shelters. There the only choices are pit bull crosses and chihuahua crosses.
This is like saying when you want a car, your only option is a lot where there are only 4 wheel drive trucks and small sports cars. While those are perfectly fine vehicles, they may not fit at all your circumstances. Yet, societal pressures force you to get one or the other because that’s what you are told is the “ethical”, morally correct, thing to do. Thus we find a family of four trying to fit in a sports car or an elderly couple trying to make a 4 wheel drive truck work for them.
There is some small good news tho. Today, with the wealth of genetic and medical testing available for dogs, puppies from ethical, responsible breeders are healthier than they have ever been. Breed clubs have rescue programs where they work to rehome their breeds into educated homes. They also keep lists of breeders who adhere to the club’s code of ethics. This means if the potential pet owner is willing to take the time, their chances for finding a perfect, healthy, family companion is much greater.
Make no mistake. This fight isn’t over. Everyday, those of us involved in purebred dogs must be willing to clean up the mess left by backyard breeders and commercial puppy mills, while also fighting for the rights our beloved dogs to even exist .
In the end, if getting an animal from a shelter or rescue is what you want, great! Please do so. They deserve a loving home. But, also, if you have a specific type of dog that fits your needs or family situation best then a responsibly, ethically bred purebred is great too. Either way, we would love to help you find your forever family member.
My background: When the people who passed the San Mateo breeding ban arrived in Austin, Texas to try to pass similar legislation, I was president of the Austin Kennel Club. After battling them in front of numerous city council meetings, I founded the Associated Dog Clubs of Texas which I ran for five years. The ADCT was an education and lobbying organization that actively stood up against the San Mateo breeding ban originators in all major cities in Texas as well as taking on state legislation as well. We worked with humane societies, founded rescue organizations and worked to educate city and state legislators across the state. While our name was Associated DOG clubs, we grew to include all purebred animals, including Llamas!
References:
The most popular breed in mixed breed dogs by State. Embarkvet. (2020, February 18). Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://embarkvet.com/resources/blog/top-dog-breed-by-state/?fbclid=IwAR2EMs0BNcYT4Xi6b94u1pVVF5MDB5T74gEUayjjOSPKGT7RuvNsGnHmlJI
National Animal Interest Alliance. (n.d.). NAIA Shelter Project: Animal Shelters & Rescues. Animal Welfare – National Animal Interest Alliance. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://www.naiaonline.org/issues-programs/naia-shelter-project?fbclid=IwAR3xtt_erfEaREd9Ppm7gN16PLkj2stnRqeV42t8oZW-2VMFbJRniuK93l8
“In the end, I think it would be lovely if we stopped this whole notion of pets altogether.” Ingrid Newkirk – founder and vice president of PETA, Newsday, 1988 February 21