hyde wrote:^^Imzadi
I think seeing as the user said that it was from a friend, the puppy would be from a friend. And, I would possibly suggest avoiding terms such as 'backyard breeder', as nonchalantly as you did. A quick google search states that they are: "an amateur animal breeder whose breeding is considered substandard, with little or misguided effort towards ethical, selective breeding".
You've also stated that it was 'on impulse'. The user has had experience with dogs before ("After 10 years since my last pup, I'm a little rusty ><"), and the rest of the family wants a dog. This means that they have thought about getting a dog, and have decided that it would suit there current lifestyle and future lifestyle as they are moving. I really think you misread that post with negativity in mind.
Since they have owned dogs before, they know of veterinary prices, adoption prices and the fees that come with handling a new dog. I understand you are all about 'adopt don't shop' by your post, but some people want full bred lines. That is there choice, and they not want to take in a shelter dog. They did, however, say that they had initially wanted one. They had said this, so your point here is really invalid.
My first dog is from a BYB, my second from a local breeder. Those were my and my families choices and shouldn't be dictated by your idealogy. I am going into work helping rescue dogs, and do want rescue dogs in the future, but it really isn't up to you to tell people that buy dogs that they are in the wrong.
I see that the person has now posted, but I still think you're in the wrong and will continue in posting this.
I disagree. Just because someone is your friend doesn't make them an ethical breeder. No one should decide to get a puppy just because a friend is breeding one. Even if they were a responsible breeder, and the litter was responsibly bred, doesn't mean that they are the right breeder for you, or that a puppy from that litter is the right fit for your family.
Yes, you are correct about the definition of backyard breeder, that is what I meant, I did not misspeak. Based on the fact that they were unsure of the mix of dog, and that the breeding was not intentional, fits the definition of backyard breeder. A responsible breeder would never let that happen. The homes that those oops puppies are going to take up could have gone to dogs from shelters/rescues. That isn't saying that the BYB isn't otherwise a nice person, but I think people should be aware of the situation that is causing dogs and puppies to be killed in shelters by the millions in the US alone. The problem is that everyone thinks that the oops/friend litter doesn't matter, but it does because everyone feels that way.
I'm glad you're going into rescue and plan to rescue in the future. The reason we need rescue is because of BYBs and people that support them. In rescue you will encounter dogs with behavioral problems because BYBs didn't screen and/or support the puppy buyers or bred dogs with poor temperaments, unwanted dogs the breeders won't take back; you will encounter dogs with physical problems because BYBs wanted to make some money and so wouldn't spend any to health test the parents, you will encounter litters who couldn't be sold and are dumped, often from oops litters from people who failed to keep their female from getting pregnant, people who bred their dog just for the joy of having puppies and found out later that their friends/family who said they wanted a puppy changed their mind, you will encounter females who have to have emergency spays because there is just no room in the system for another litter of puppies.
Where do you think they all come from? They come from a BYB who many have been someone's friend/neighbor/etc. Dogs aren't wild animals, so stray/feral/or given up, somewhere along the line most of the dogs in shelters and rescues were failed by a human. So yes it is my ideology that people should be educated about BYBs and warned about the dangers of supporting them. I personally don't see anything wrong with that. I know of many people who wished they had been educated about these things before they'd gotten a puppy.
The woman who runs the rescue I adopted Chloe from got her first Pug from a BYB. I have no doubt that the woman loved and offered the best care to that dog, and that the dog was a wonderful pet. But that dog also had a ton of health problems that caused it to suffer greatly and that could've been prevented by responsible breeding, she confronted the BYB and luckily convinced her to stop breeding. I don't hate this woman for making that mistake in the first place, she made a mistake, she learned from it and now has dedicated her life to helping dogs. But the reason why I brought up this topic is so that other people don't have to make that mistake in the first place. So that someone doesn't have to watch their pet suffer when it could've been prevented by going to a responsible breeder instead of supporting an irresponsible one.
I bring up this topic so that that people like you who are good heart-ed don't make friends with a dog in a shelter only to find out it's on the euthanasia list because it's the fourth pure bred Lab they have and people would rather get a puppy from the same BYB that bred that dog in the first place.
Again I realize that the OP may not have the ability to make the finial decision about whether or not this puppy comes into their lives, but they, and their family deserve to know the reality of the situation. Even if it doesn't change their mind, maybe it will change somebodies, and that makes it worth it to me to discuss it. This is a discussion forum after all.
Please know I have nothing personal against you or your dog dogs. People make mistakes but they also should, and deserve, to be educated. I'm not trying to make you feel bad about decisions made you can't change. But in the future I hope you, and others make more humane ones. I'm sorry if I come off as nasty or preachy, but I'm tired of seeing my fellow rescue workers crying because they have decide which of the nice adoptable dogs have to be put down because the shelter is overcrowded and all the rescues are full.
You may have been great dog owners who supported your dogs their entire lives, but what about every other puppy from that litter, or the next litter, or the next? BYBs and the people who buy from them are contributing to the over population of dogs and their subsequent killing in shelters. That is the reality. Again, I'm not attacking you or your dogs, I'm asking you and everyone to be aware of the reality of what is happening and to help solve the problem. I get that it is not a comfortable topic, but it needs to be discussed.
Again I'm not attacking you or the OP, but I was concerned and wanted to advise that they (and their family) put serious consideration into this decision. And I hope to encourage others to stop buying from BYBs because it's the only way the madness is going to stop. And look, I get it. Not everyone wants and adult dog, and not everyone will find a good match in their local shelter. But choosing a puppy should never be done on the basis of convenience or happenstance. People need and deserved (I'm not pointing fingers at the OP but want to address everyone everywhere) to be educated on the potential consequences of going to a BYB, no matter how nice they may be otherwise, for a puppy.
