How could the local or federal government possibly regulate every so-called dog breeder?
The federal Animal Welfare Act requires commercial breeders to be licensed and inspected annually by the United States Department of Agriculture, according to a Sept. 27 article in The Forum newspaper.
“Commercial breeders” are breeders who sell to pet stores instead of directly to owners.
Some Minnesota legislators such as Rep. Al Juhnke (D-Willmar) are hoping to hold noncommercial breeders to the same standards as commercial breeders, according to The Forum.
This sounds nice, but unfortunately when the government gets involved, laws and regulations tend to have the opposite effect of what was intended.
Mandatory spay and neuter laws
Mandatory spay and neuter laws are a good example of government involvement messing things up for citizens and their pets.
For one thing, our federal government and most state governments are broke.
Second, all mandatory spay and neuter laws do is increase the amount of animals turned over to shelters because people can’t afford to have their animals altered. Meanwhile, responsible pet owners are paying an extra tax.
Even the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says these laws show no reduction in the number of animals surrendered to shelters.
What does work? People voluntarily sterilizing their pets, according to the ASPCA.
Buy from responsible breeders
There is an overwhelming number of dogs and cats flooding pounds, shelters and rescue groups across the country.
There is also an uncountable number of “breeders” out there breeding and raising dogs in the most horrific conditions for profit.
The government can’t possibly regulate these “breeders.” The only solution is to inform the people who choose to look the other way.
We all have friends, family members or neighbors who have purchased a puppy online without seeing it first.
We know of people who will buy a puppy from a pet store.
We know of people who will buy from a breeder willing to “meet halfway” in a sketchy parking lot – pups loaded in the back of a van.
Although it’s hard to walk away from a sick or dirty puppy, purchasing one only rewards the “breeder.”
Breeders – “responsible” or not – are meeting a demand.
As long as people are willing to buy inbred, sick, unsocialized, damaged dogs, breeders will continue to supply and profit from them.
No government regulation is going to put a stop to “breeders” willing to work around the system.
Buying a puppy
I can’t believe how stupid people are when it comes to buying a dog. If you are not going to adopt a shelter or rescue dog, use common sense when buying from a pet store or breeder.
1. Don’t buy a puppy unless the breeder has a waiting list.
A waiting list guarantees the breeder is not breeding dogs unless he or she knows there will be homes lined up before the puppies are born.
2. Don’t commit to buying a puppy without meeting it and its parents.
No matter how cute the puppies are, do not walk away with one until you have met the parents. If you buy from a pet store, demand to know where the puppies came from. Do not accept “from local breeders” as an answer. Puppy mills are local breeders. At the very least, ask to see a picture of both parents and get references.
3. Get proof of vaccinations and de-worming.
4. Ask to see where the puppies have been living.
It’s unrealistic to expect the puppy area to be spotless – dogs are dogs. But a responsible breeder will clean up after the puppies often and will allow them to have access to outside. A good breeder will have the puppies nearly housebroken at about seven or eight weeks old.
Stricter dog breeding regulations
It may sound good, but regulations are not going to change the practices of unlicensed, unregistered breeders. And there are hundreds of these “breeders” out there.
What will happen is responsible breeders will have higher fines for petty offenses such as poop in the puppy area.
I’ve worked at a kennel, and I know how bad it can look one day and how good it can look the next. Dogs pee on themselves, roll in gross things and eat poop. They puke often.
Stricter regulations may catch a few bad apples, but most will continue to slip under the radar as they have for decades.
I would not be surprised to see a proposed bill regulating the breeding of hamsters, goldfish and hermit crabs.
What is your opinion on stricter regulations for dog breeders?
Are you satisfied with the breeder/organization you bought your dog from?
Here is The Forum’s Sept. 27 article on unregulated dog breeders. “North Dakota’s No. 1 news web site” will likely require you to log in or purchase the article before you can read it.
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I totally agree with you. The only way to stop the problem is to educate the public. Laws just make the situations worse as we have seen wherever they have been tried.
Yep. I’m glad to hear you agree. I like your posts on mandatory spay and neuter laws.
http://thepoodleanddogblog.typepad.com/the_poodle_and_dog_blog/2009/06/california-senator-denham-gets-it.html
Lindsay – as always, well written with great information! I haven’t given much thought to this issue since I have never experienced getting a puppy personally. If/when I do get a pup, I will definitely be remembering information you’ve provided!
I think, should I ever get a dog, I will definitely be getting a shelter dog. I can’t justify not doing so when there are so many homeless pups out there. It sickens me every time I hear stories (TOO often!) about pups found in horrible conditions. Why do people do this? How can they?!
Thanks, Tammy! I’ve said it before, but I can’t wait for you to get a dog!
I have been thinking about a post on the same issue! Pups raised in the most horrific conditions by so-called “breeders” are in the worst situation, but there are also a lot of ignorant (and I mean it in the “just don’t have information”) and clueless people out there who think that just because you have a “purebred” with “papers” means you should breed it and sell puppies.
(ugh, I could go on and on…)
Considering how much ignorance I have seen with the general public, legislating the problem won’t make it go away. Ethical breeders are self-regulating, but of course not everyone chooses to find an ethical breeder. Educating the general puppy-buying public about these issues may, however, help reduce demand.
Biggie on a soapbox
p.s. just because a puppy costs more doesn’t mean its worth more!
Thanks, Biggie. I’m happy to hear your opinion on this issue. I totally agree with you on how clueless people can be when they believe a purebred with “papers” means everything.
Yeah, this is a tough subject and you are right – people will just turn in their animals if they can’t “afford” to spay and neuter (of course some people seem to buy all sorts of other things but spending money on their animals just isn’t a priority). It seems silly here since there are clinics that will do it for nothing or next to it here in the large metropolis that is Los Angeles.
At any rate – YES – education is the best and we are getting much farther but still have a long way to go.
Biggie is right also – just because a puppy costs more doesn’t mean it is worth more!
Yeah I don’t know why more people don’t take advantage of the spay and neuter clinics. Perhaps people don’t know about them. You’re right, often the animals just are not a priority. But owning the largest TV and having a car payment is.
I agree. The government should keep it’s nose out of this type of thing. The way that our shelters will find relief and we’ll stop euthanizing so many animals won’t be from government regs, it will be thanks to responsible breeders, owners, and consumers.
We recently had our newly adopted, but adult dog, spayed at the Humane Society’s low cost spay service. The procedure was around $60 (for a 50# animal) plus $10 for shots. I thought it was a wonderful service.
When we adopted our dog, it was because she was abandoned in the country, pregnant with 13 pups. We have a mandatory spay/neuter law in our county. I don’t know if it works (obviously didn’t in the case of our dog’s previous owner), but I am glad the law is here. Our local human society office processes 17,000 animals a year, 11,000 of which are euthanized. At a rate like that, I don’t think we can rely on owners and consumers being responsible.
Companion animal welfare is totally dependent on human consicousness. So educating our neighbors and living the example is the best way to foster a climate of love and responsibility among pet owners and would-be pet owners. But it must begin with me. Also, and this is so difficult, not resorting to demonizing the bad breeders, as horrid as their practices are. Learning cannot take place in an atmosphere of intimidation and fear. I think we can all see the truth in that.
If you are looking for a purebred keep in mind that these dogs are in shelters, pounds and breed specific rescue groups all across the country. There are hundreds of transport volunteers who will volunteer their efforts to bring you the dog you want. My last greyhound came from the State of Washington and I live in Kansas!
Secondly, do not think the AKC is any indication of a pet’s health. There are AKC registered breeders who are also USDA licensed breeders and who currently have their USDA licenses suspended due to violations.
The AKC registration only guarantees that the puppy’s parents were AKC registered, or in some cases, registered with another registry. It says nothing about the lives of that puppy’s parents. As long as the public equates ‘purebred’ with ‘status’ or ‘refined aesthetic sensibilities’ we will be euthanizing our companion animals at a staggering rate.
The AKC should be encouraged to suspend breeders with current USDA violations and to recheck those kennels that have been suspended or are requesting registrations for unusually high numbers of dogs.
Unfortunately until human consciousness is able to embrace companion animals as true companions there will be a need for the force of law. However we can, with loving outreach and education, hope to one day look back at the laws that required spay/neuter as we do today on some laws that are on the books which outlaw sex on public sidewalks and other oddities.
I would love to see citizen groups, properly trained, assist in the inspection of kennels but I suppose that is just pie in the sky.
Love them all … regardless. It is our best hope for each other and for our companions!
Thank you, Ty.
Thank you for that information, Echo. Low-cost spay and neuter clinics are very valuable resources, and it’s important to spread the word to people who don’t know they exist.
Rich, unfortunately there is no easy answer. What we can all agree on is the importance of educating people who do not understand the importance of spaying and neutering or how important it is to buy from an ethical breeder. Thank you for your comments.
Great article Lindsay! Echo, it sounds like your post illustrates exactly why mandatory spay/neuter does not work.
The dog referenced got pregnant. The owner didn’t want to be in violation of the law so instead dumped the dog in whelp. Mandatory spay/neuter also takes away the option for RESPONSIBLE dog owners to keep their dogs intact. Spaying and neutering is not always healthier for the dog as this article outlines: naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf I have one neutered boy and two un-neutered boys in my house. The un-neutered boys have never sired an accidental litter. That’s because I’m responsible and don’t leave them in the backyard and don’t allow them out of the house without a leash on. European countries have a far lower rate of dogs in the shelters and a large percentage of the population does not spay/neuter. They are just a lot more responsible with their dogs. This country just seems to have a big problem with the “throw-away” mentality. Dog fur on the sofa? Take the dog to the shelter. Having a baby and the dog is now too much work? Take the dog to the shelter. Can’t figure out how to prevent unwanted pups? Lop the dogs parts off. Puppy isn’t cute anymore? Get rid of it and get a new one. I think a big part of this problem is that a large percentage of the population in the United States needs a reality check. 
All good points, DogLover. You’re right. It is not always necessary to spay or neuter an animal. I recommend it because no matter what things always happen and I can’t keep track of my dog at all times, for example when I’m traveling and he’s staying with someone else. But you bring up a good point, and I sometimes wonder if “lopping the dogs parts off” is a lazy way to go about it.
USDA breeders also sell to the public. Most of them would prefer to make the
extra cash selling directly to the New owner and having more control where their
puppies go! BUT!
In theses times you have crazy people. Breeders have been held at gun point and
had whole litters taken. Breeders have had human babies cut out of their
bellies. Breeders have people writing bad checks. doing charge backs and
disappearing. There are many negative things that can happen to a breeder. not
to mention being robbed after their house is staked out after showing a puppy.
Then breeders have to worry more about other breeders making up wild stories in
their heads generalizing entire groups because mentally it makes it ok to hate
them as competition.
As for animals flooding pounds shelters etc. Look at them. A very small
percentage are of animals bred by breeders. The rescues are importing them.
Rescues are so hot for purebred and designer dogs and puppies they are buying
them now. So don’t believe the pet over population hype.
As for breeding and raising dogs in horrific conditions. If you are a breeder.
You would understand it is hard enough raising them in good conditions. How is
it possible to raise viable puppies in some of these extreme crazy conditions
the Ars make up.
Puppies raised having animals above them pooping and peeing on them all the
time. Your talking bald un sellable puppies. As for animals below them eating
the legs. How many people do you know would buy a legless, bald stinking puppy
with scabs? Not to mention the fact it is so un socialized and inbred it will
bite anyone that comes near it. yeah sure a female dog will survive a c section
given by an amateur without anesthesia. No antibiotics unsanitary condition
sewed up with twine.
The stories they make up are so extreme only an amateur can believe them. It
shocks me when other breeders fall for them too.
For real breeders to parrot any of the Ar propaganda. The breeder is either
being dishonest with themselves or do not have the experience to know any
better.
As for your conditions to prove a better breeder. I beg to differ.
1. someone who breeds 1 litter every 5 years or even 1 litter a year does not
have near the experience of someone who breeds professionally ( for a living)
waiting list I have had many I learned to have extra because most buyers what a
puppy now and will not wait years for a new puppy.
2. meeting the dogs parents is fine in a perfect world but most professional
breeders live in rural areas. Shipping to populated areas is required. In these
times it is dangerous to allow strangers on your property. Scammers have been
known to show fake puppy parents. A famous one in Florida used two neutered
animals over and over to represent as parents of hundreds of puppies. laymen can
not reasonably personality test nor conformation evaluate adult dogs. They just
want a pet. so meeting the parents will not ensure a laymen is buying a good
puppy.
3. Proof of vaccines I so agree with BUT! again people can fake this too. I
always use stickers. But some vets want to see a vet gave vaccines. A buyer
should be able to ensure the breeder is stable and able to be confronted if
there is a viral problem.
4. seeing where the puppies are living. Not sure if that will ensure a person
got a good dog. It would ensure they are not dealing with a dirty house keeper.
Granted this seems fine until you have the problems as I listed above. most
breeders between the Ars and the crazy people do not want to let strangers into
their homes. So a breeder who is cautious is not a sign they are a bad breeder.
Another problem are people I call petting zoos. who will go from shelter to
breed and so on passing around diseases that can bring down a kennel. Too many
visitors at a kennel is not healthy at all.
What would solve the problems
1. Breeders have got to stop labeling commercial breeders and Pet Stores. These
can be very good sources. Demonizing them will only make more bad sources .
Because scaring the public is non productive. They will never become as
experienced as someone who is deep in the industry. Expecting all the public to
understand everything an experienced breeder knows would take the capabilities
you see in sci fi movies where you can upload info into everyone’s brains. This
is why each aspect and interest of this world has professionals. So everyone
does not have to know everything . The canine industry is not even perfected and
things are constantly changing and new studies are always coming about.
2. The best thing for a new puppy buyer is to see the person is legal for one.
A breeder who is not legally selling puppies according to their state and county
laws should be avoided. They should have experience. Know their breeds and why
they are breeding them. And research the breeder to make sure they do not have
complaints. I would say a private individual was at more risk by a one time
breeder then a professional one. Who would you rather do heart surgery on you?
the doctor that dabbles and may have done one. Or the one that does them on a
regular basis
3. Have a good relationship with the breeder. A good seller will Talk to them.
Anyone buying a puppy is buying that persons experience. Is the breeder just
using scare tactics to sell. Or are they telling you about their puppies the
temperaments, type, health. The needs of the puppies. I would tell a person to
shy away from a seller using scare tactics to sell a puppy . A seller should use
experience and love of the puppy in explaining who would be the best home for
the little guy. If a seller does not have a good product I guess calling the
other guy a puppy mill etc would be the only way they can sell.
4. Do not give pets up to rescues no matter how much they beg. When re homing
retired breeding dogs be very careful they are not going to rescues.
)))) I’ve worked at a kennel, and I know how bad it can look one day and
how good it can look the next. Dogs pee on themselves, roll in gross
things and eat poop. They puke often.))))))
The above sounds like you described a puppy mill? According to the Ar movement A
kennel that looks bad gee. Cant have that actually being that I am USDA I cant
have that ever. I can have an inspector show up at my door at any time. And
believe me they do show up at anytime and it is usually at the wrong time.
I would highly suggest that if unlicensed breeders wanted to stay unlicensed. I
would highly suggest they stop slamming us real licence breeders and gives us
the respect we deserve. In Missouri by law I have to be .licensed through the
state too. which in all honesty is a heck of a lot tougher then the USDA. They
also are the ones with the power to come in and take animals. Missouri State
Ag.
I am originally from a state that does not have this regulation.
I prefer selling direct to the public. But because of have greedy, uninformed
people calling all breeders in the state of Missouri Puppy Mills, and Internet
sellers bad sources and again puppy Mills. I am forced to sell my over flow to
pet stores which I carefully pick. Many of these pet store I view as a heck of a
lot better source then many other sources I have come across . So I am also USDA
Since experiencing licensing I must say. I prefer it. I feel this may not be
better for me personally.Because of the intrusion of my privacy. But it is so
much better for the dogs. I have been in dogs for 32 years. I am a vet tech, I
have handled in AKC conformation and I have shown agility. I have worked with
Schultzhund dogs, I have been a professional groomer for the past 20 years. I
even owned a pet store. I have bred as a hobby breeder. But since I have been
licensed in Missouri. and have attended the seminars which by god you can go to
one every few months here. I have learned more and am better at what I do then I
ever was. I feel the experience I have received from this end. Far exceed all
the experience I received before I chose to move to Missouri and Breed dogs for
a living. I was just at a seminar this past weekend and saw patty hastings and
Dr. Carmen Battaglia. Oh and the seminar was free it was put on by Hunte. That
is what he does for his breeders. Granted I do not sell to brokers. Anyone was
welcome to that seminar even if you were not one of his customers.
But, Come on when I was on the other side of the fence We did not have what I
see in this state labeled puppy mill capital. We did not have our breed club
hosting full day seminars with top billing from a half a dozen or more speakers.
Yet again just like the long winded post I am responding too. You have all these
people that without first hand knowledge. Think it is ok to parrot crazy AR
activist and try and ruin hard working breeders livelihoods. Sure this state has
some bad breeders. But a bad breeder in Missouri is like a mediocre breeder on
the east coast. My point of view in what I have seen to date.
This labeling has got to stop. Because of the constant attacks by breeders who
would rather hate then be informed. A hate that fuels the Ar movement.
From what I gained from being a licensed breeder. I feel all breeders should be
licensed. The Missouri state license copies AWA. Which allows for show breeders
and small breeders to crate. So I do not see how this will do nothing more then
invade your privacy. Now if you want to wave a white flag and stop the labeling
maybe USDA breeders would help hobby breeders stay unlicensed. But at this point
why should they? AKC pretends like they are trying. But, it is only for our
money and the chance to register all of our puppies. Still I run across as many
Hobby breeder web sites using the term puppy mill then I do rescue sites. Most
breed clubs I run across have in their code of ethics not to sell to a wholesale
breeder or a pet store. What kind of treatment is that??? total divide and
conquer. It is non productive and demonizes. We all know what the pit bull ban
has done for the pit bull. demonizing and banning things always tends to create
worse then what they intentionally were thought to be.
Thank you for your (long-winded) comment. You make some good points even though I don’t agree with all, especially how you are so threatened by dog rescue groups.
We have several purebred dogs that end up in our local dog rescues. We have six Chihuahua and Chihuahua mix puppies there now. And every week purebred dogs are rescued – beagles, labs, border collies, shih tzus, Chihuahuas, etc. None of these dogs are “imported.” They are all pulled from our local pounds or surrendered by people in the community.
Good point about breeders living in rural areas and having to bring the puppies to a more urban area in order to sell them sometimes.
This is a topic that comes up frequently in the Sheltie club. Since I’ve worked in a traditional “kill” county animal shelter, volunteered for all breed rescue and breed specific rescue, train and compete with my dogs, I get to hear all sides of this issue. All have very good points and it’s an emotional debate.
I’ve personally always felt that the answer lies in each individual taking responsibility for their own pets and quite honestly I don’t think you can legislate that. Education is helpful, but some people just aren’t interested in being educated I’ve decided. Even with more strict laws the problem often turns into being able to enforce them, and then there are nearly always unforeseen consequences that affect responsible pet owners negatively.
I recently purchased my newest puppy from a breeder. I was on a waiting list, she welcomed me to come and meet her dogs and see how they live with and raise their puppies. I also knew several people who had already had dogs from this breeder who were very happy and gave great recommendations. I couldn’t be more satisfied with the decision that I made. She is a true representative of the breeders out there that are striving to improve their breed, and ensure that the dogs they produce have wonderful homes, not just make money.
Thanks Marie, your opinion is very valuable. I admire how you chose your newest dog and also how you have several rescues.
[...] safe, but I’m leery of dangerous dog ordinances whether they are breed specific or not. Like dog breeder regulations or mandatory spay/neuter laws, dangerous dog ordinances may be well intended but may lack the [...]
Yep. I’m glad to hear you agree.Thank you for that information, Echo. Low-cost spay and neuter clinics are very valuable resources, and it’s important to spread the word to people who don’t know they exist.
I’m for rescues-adopted and returned several due to the mental issues that people left the dogs with. I purchase from hobby breeders with no more then a couple of breeding dogs-I get to see parents and home.
Do not believe in the mass production of canines for any reason-the puppy not purchased at the pet store ends up at shelter; returned to middleman/breeder and likely knocked in the head so there’s not much of a win/win situation for that canine-seems people do not think of that.
Yeah I often wonder what happens to the puppies at our mall’s pet shop if they aren’t sold in a certain matter of time.
[...] Dog breeder regulations [...]