The American Kennel Club fights to keep puppy mills open. They breed at puppy mills

[Maraya1969]

I posted somewhere else that years ago I worked for a "breeder" of Corgies. They sold their dogs for over $1,000 and always had one or two making the dog show rounds. These dogs go from a crate at night that is like the one you take your pet to the vet with to a dog run during the day on concrete. They rarely get out to play. They are no different from animals who are looking for a home at animal shelters. There were always litters of puppies at various ages coming up. I find it hard to believe that they didn't kill some of them just because it would be hard to find a buyer for each.

Someone then told me that the AKC has been fighting to keep puppy mills alive. Maybe they are doing it because they are damned puppy mills.

I will NEVER go to a dog or cat show and I may just boycott the advertisers of their shows on TV.

TODAY Show Exposes Link Between Puppy Mills and the AKC

This morning, the TODAY Show ran a hard-hitting exposé on the American Kennel Club, revealing that the nation’s largest purebred registry group, one that self-identifies as “the dog’s champion,” is connected at the hip to the puppy mill industry. The program, as reported by Jeff Rossen, highlighted a report released by The HSUS that revealed that the AKC has now opposed more than 90 state and local bills to establish some minimum humane breeding standards for the care of dogs over the last five or so years. The central problem, also picked up in today’s news report, is that the AKC is financially beholden to the puppy mill industry through its puppy registration program. It is estimated that about 75 percent of its constituency are commercial puppy producers. The TODAY Show broadcast includes a variety of scenes from HSUS raids of squalid, overcrowded puppy mills that were registering puppies with the AKC.

This sort of exposure – which reminds people that AKC papers are essentially meaningless to anyone interested in acquiring a dog – is helping to drive consumers toward shelters and rescue groups and to more responsible breeders as the source for the new animal in their lives. That’s as it should be. More resources are readily available for consumers, such as the Shelter Pet Project for adoptable pets, and our guide to finding a responsible dog breeder.

Sales of dogs in pet stores, one of the primary ways puppy millers sell their dogs, have been steadily declining as a result of our investigations, consumer education and outreach campaigns, and policy reforms. The country’s two major pet supply chains – PetSmart and Petco – do not sell dogs from breeders, and make dogs available for adoption from shelters and rescues. In Canada, Petland stopped selling puppies completely because it is no longer profitable. More than 2,000 independent pet stores have signed our pledge not to sell puppies.


http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2013/05/today-show-puppy-mills-akc.html

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. K&R for this important bit of news. n/t

[LiberalEsto]

2. k&r

Every puppy born in a puppy mill means an adoptable dog in a shelter will likely be euthanized.

[jsr]

3. Recommend

[LeftOfWest]

4. Important information here.

I have not seen the Today Show expose yet. Good for them. Keep exposing them.

THANK YOU for this Maraya1969.

[efhmc]

5. Perhaps as a requirement to receive a pedigreed dog, one must

find good homes for the 50-100 dogs in shelters. The ratio of dogs needing home to dogs bought for big bucks is probably much more but that would be a good number to start with.

[pnwmom]

17. Why should a home-based breeder of labs, for instance, have to find homes

for dozens of Chihuahuas and pit bulls -- the most common dogs that turn up in our city's Humane Society?

People who want labs or poodles don't want Chihuahas or pit bulls.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. Oh, how far the AKC has fallen.

Years ago, the AKC was stringent in the standards that breeders had to have. It seems that all they care about now is the money they will get for registering dogs.

It is a good sign that so many pet stores are discontinuing the sale of these dogs, and a better sign that the reason is because people are opposed to puppy mills and are no longer making it profitable for these stores to sell puppies.

[Brigid]

9. That is why . . .

in th US, working registries for Border Collies were not happy when the AKC established a standard and started registering Border Collies. The working registries won't register dogs that are registered with the AKC.

[jmowreader]

42. How many years ago was this?

In the 1970s my dad bought an AKC-registered female Labrador from a backyard breeder and decided to have one litter of puppies. Since we used an AKC-registered sire the AKC was more than happy to register our backyard-bred litter.

[Curmudgeoness]

49. My memories of the way that the AKC operated

is probably late 1960's. It just seemed to me that they were much more concerned about the breed standards at that time. Maybe they weren't then either, but that was definitely the way they promoted themselves at that time. But I don't believe that they would have actually defended puppy mills back then.

Also, many breeders were "backyard breeders" at that time as well. That doesn't mean that they were not responsible or respectable breeders. In fact, most of the breeders were not professional kennels. I am not sure what the backyard breeder that you are talking about was like though....if it was just dogs tied up to a dog house and bred, or in cages, that would not have been what I had seen. But then again, my friend was in the dog show business, so that may have made a difference.

[jmowreader]

51. The one in question just seemed to be a guy who bred his own hunting dog

As was the case with my dad..."hey, Fred has a male, we'll use him."

[flvegan]

7. Like the NAIA, they TRY to look like they're for the betterment

of animals. Yet, they're nothing short of animal abuse promoting douchebags.

[freshwest]

8. Years ago, when the dog pound in my city carried unwanted or feral pets in the open, and you could

see the animals, instead of these refrigeration almost looking trucks they now use, my husband and I talked to the dog catcher, and his tale reminds me of this.

He was picking up a dying cat from the sidewalk as we were coming up the street. The cat was in his death throes from feline distemper and there was nothing to be done at that point for him. I don't know where his owner was, or if he was feral.

We looked at the scene, then the animals in the crates. A variety of dogs and cats, mostly old and unwanted, all looking out at the world on their last ride. We talked to him, commiserating on their fates as they were unwanted. It seemed most were older pets, and would all be put down. In that era, it was not the way it's done now.

We thought it awful people just threw away their pets when they got old. He said it was not only the old that he was sent to pick up. He showed us a young kitten he'd been called to pick up from a pet store. We asked why would they do that.

He said the store said his markings were not coming out right, so they would not make the profit they intended, so they called the pound. He had to go there to pick up a perfectly healthy kitten, from the pet store, who knew it would be killed.

He was a 'lilac-point siamese' (as our vet later told us). Seeing the looks on our faces, he said, if you want to give him a home, I'll give him to you here as I haven't made the paperwork. But once I'm back at the office, his chances are pretty bad and I can't do anything then.

So we adopted a throwaway kitten, somewhat on the sly, I guess, who we loved dearly. The AKC and the pet stores are not a good way to get pets. But I've since known people who see pets as status symbols, also as a means to make money. I don't know any but one after time, as I consider them rather shallow individuals.

The one I still know stopped breeding and has kept all of her dogs and will keep them until they pass on. She never kept them in cages and treated them as family members. She thought she'd found good homes for them, and took some back, but became convinced on her own that it was wrong.

I also had a family member who worked in a pet store in a small town, and they had a large pup who had developed a terrible case of the mange. He talked the owner into letting him take the dog home when they decided to send him to the pound. It took months of his treating the dog's skin, even going to the university to have him treated. They worked out an experimental protocol that cured him of the mange and that product is now on the market. The dog lived a happy life and of course loved the person who took the time to rescue and treat him and they were sad to have to put him down at about 12 years old.

Keep up the pressure on this.

[Curmudgeoness]

11. You made me cry about that healthy kitten.

I knew what was going to happen before you got that far though. I wouldn't have walked away from him either.

[copperearth]

10. I can not let this BS pass without a comment

I have bred AKC dogs for 41 years. I agree that there are some bad show kennels just like there are bad dog owners. But most people who show dogs love them and care for them as well as most pet owners.
I do not trust anything the Human Society espouses. Their track record is less than stellar. Only 1% of the huge amount of money they take in goes to pets. The rest goes for 6 figure salaries to the "brass". Too many times they would rather put a pet down then let someone adopt them. They want to stop all animal ownership and so if there are no pets there can be no animal abuse.

[Curmudgeoness]

12. I don't think the OP was a condemnation of all breeders.

What I got from it is that the AKC, as an organization, is supporting the bad breeders, not just the good breeders, and apparently it is just to get the registration fees on the puppies.

You may be able to prove us wrong if we think that puppy mills are not ethical. Does the AKC inspect your kennel periodically? Is it a rigorous inspection? Would you lose the ability to register dogs with AKC if you did not meet high standards? If not, that is what the problem discussed is all about.

[Sunlei]

30. Over my years around AKC dogs and dog shows. I've see the AKC inspect kennels and know

of registration papers pulled. That's not their main purpose. Register dogs and have pedigrees that go back generations. And dog show records too.

[Curmudgeoness]

31. I remember when I was young, several years ago,

the breeders were disgusted with the AKC because they had started to issue registrations on any dog whose sire and dam were both registered. Prior to that, papers would not be issued if a pup did not meet certain standards. Since my friend showed Malamutes, I knew a lot of the dog show people, and they were worried for the breeds.

They had good reason to be worried, and I have seen their concerns all come true. Puppy mill dogs, with papers, are often not up to the standards for the breed, they may not be healthy when they are sold, but they have those valuable papers. The AKC has gone from an organization that was most concerned with continuity of the breeds to "paper" sellers.

[Sunlei]

32. They have 'limited registration' now.

What is limited registration?
Answer: Limited Registration means that the dog is registered but litters produced by that dog are ineligible for registration. In addition, a limited dog cannot compete in conformation shows. It is eligible, however, to be entered in any other licensed or member event, including Obedience, Tracking, Field Trials, Hunting Tests, Herding, Lure Coursing, Agility, Rally, and Earthdog.

The breeder assigns limited registration to a dog by marking (blackening) out the limited registration box on the application. The limited box should not be marked if the dog is being fully registered. When registering a dog on-line, you will be prompted to enter the three numbers in the limited box to receive full registration. Failure to do so will result in a limited registration.

Limited Registration certificates are white with an orange border; the Full Registration certificate is white with a purple border.

[BainsBane]

14. I spent a lot of time reading about buying dogs

For a period of a couple years. I was thinking of getting a Clumber spaniel. I went to some dog shows, talked to people, and read. I ultimately got a rescue dog, a boxer mix and the best dog in the world. However, I learned that responsible breeders are very careful about whom they sell to. They gather information about who you are and insist that if you give up the dog, you must return it to them. Some have cameras in their kennels that show you how the puppies are raised. From that reading I did, I knew that if I ever chose to buy a dog, I could tell easily if the breeder was responsible. If they meet you on the highway to give you the dog, it's a puppy mill. If the dog is for sale in a pet shop, it came via a puppy mill. If they send a dog without knowing who you are and how you will treat the dog, it's a puppy mill. If they don't do tests concerning various common diseases that run in breeds, it's probably a puppy mill. If the sell the puppies very young, it's a puppy mill.

On the other hand, if they insist on knowing who you are, on interviewing you, and sometimes even seeing your home, they are not a puppy mill. If you pick up the dog and see the conditions under which they are bred and raised and they have just a few dogs well looked after, it's not a puppy mill. If the insist on waiting for the puppies to reach a certain number of weeks (I forget how many. It likely differs with breed) to sell the dog, when it is the suitable time to separate the puppies from their mother, it is probably not a puppy mill.


As for the $1000 price tag, you'll pay$ 250-$450 at the animal shelter or from a rescue group. There are expenses incurred with raising and or rescuing animals.

[pnwmom]

18. +1 nt

[flvegan]

15. What breeds and how many litters per year for those 41 years?

[Maraya1969]

16. But still you can't deny that for every dog your sold another dog that had to put to death

or spend it's life in a shelter.

[pnwmom]

19. You still can't prove that if you deny a person the right to buy the lab puppy he wants

that he will turn around and "adopt" (for a hefty fee) the older Chihuahua or pit bull that he doesn't want.

It flat out isn't true that every person who buys from a breeder would be willing to buy a different dog from the Humane Society.

[Maraya1969]

27. Why would he not want the pure bred from the pound? For one thing the pure bred

at the pound NEEDS a home and the cost is a lot less than from a breeder. You might pay $75-100 for the pound puppy but they will be fixed and have all their shots and their license when you get them.

[pnwmom]

34. Because the pound, at least in my large city, has very few dogs available -- and almost no puppies.

Typically, a third of the dogs in my area these days are Chihuahuas, a third are pit bull mixes, and a third is everything else.

And many of the dogs come with instructions that they are only for children over the age of 8, or 12, or 16 -- therefore they're not suitable for families.

And the costs of adopting a dog are usually over $200, and can be much more for a young, purebred dog.

Right now there are only 28 dogs available at the Seattle/King County Humane Society, including only one puppy -- an 11 month old Chihuahua. Eleven of the 28 dogs are over 10 years old.

http://www.seattlehumane.org/adopt/pets/dogs/all/sortage/available

[LeftyMom]

36. Petfinder shows over 15,000 young labs and lab mixes available in the Seattle area.

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?location=Seattle%2C+wa&animal=Dog&primary_breed=Labrador+Retriever&age=Baby&age=Young&distance=&pet_name=

Every time this discussion comes up you insist that you just had to buy a *mixed breed* dog because you couldn't possibly adopt one in a major metropolitan area, and every time I'm going to remind you that you're full of it.

[pnwmom]

38. Those dogs are NOT all in the Seattle area, they're across the WHOLE COUNTRY!

That's what "DISTANCE: ANYWHERE" means. Try it with your own zip code and you'll get the exact same answer.

You're the one who's full of it. But you'd think there would be some common sense in there. 15,000 available labs, just in the Seattle area. Wow. What about all the other breeds? Add them all together and there must be hundreds of thousands just in Seattle! Maybe millions!

[LeftyMom]

39. Oh sorry, no default distance.

Still more than 100 lab and lab mix puppies just in Seattle. You know, the dogs you couldn't possibly adopt, and had to buy, because the shelters ONLY had pit bulls.

[pnwmom]

40. Not 100 in Seattle. One hundred within 100 miles. Most people don't go that far to get a dog.

We bought ours at a breeder 5 miles away, so we could see where the dogs were being raised. We didn't want to buy a dog without knowing its background, as we would if we bought from a mill or a pound.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. And I have known AKC breeders

Yes, they love the dogs, but also the breeding fees, and stud fees.

And some pure breds have serious health problems due to the massive inbreeding. Can you say hip displacia?

If I ever get a dog, it will be a mutt, not a pure bread, from the pound mind you. I really do not need a pure bred.

[ScreamingMeemie]

28. We got our Sheltie, Jessie, from a breeder, and I have to disagree about "loving the fees."

She did not charge stud or breeding fees, preferring instead to work with a close-knit group of breeders. They would co-own dogs for breeding.

Jessie was bred for pure for sable. She was her mother's only litter as the breeder only breeds a litter ever 3 years. After extensive interviews, pictures of our backyard, etc., she basically fell in love with my husband who grew up with Shelties. She promised us Jessie (then named Jilly) if she looked like she was growing out. At the time, she thought Jessie was a bit "leggy." She sold us Jessie at 12 weeks for $500 with all of her shots and early vet care taken care of. Jessie was from a litter of 5, 2 of whom she kept. The vet bills and cost of care far outweighed the fee she charged. She bred for love of the breed. When we picked up Jessie, we signed a pet-owner spay contract and forwarded the spay records when Jessie was spayed. The contract also stated we would return Jessie to the breeder if we couldn't keep her (as if!). Jessie is now a senior citizen, and I still keep in contact with twice-yearly updates.

No not all breeders do that. Some of them do it because they love the breed. And there isn't anything wrong with that.

[Maraya1969]

23. The Humane society of the US is a good charity - as per Charity Navigator

https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3848

[LeftyMom]

37. Show kennels breed dogs to meet arbitrary beauty standards to the detriment of their health.

A friend of mine has an English Bulldog who was a champion show dog, and who was used to breed more show dogs. Until, on her third litter and third surgical delivery (because prize winning English Bulldogs are bred to be so damned deformed they can't breed naturally) she damned near died and wound up needing to be spayed. Then her oh-so-responsible breeders, the people who had made money off of her reproductive capacity had no further use for her and dumped her in a high kill shelter. Fortunately for her she wound up with a breed rescue and my friend adopted her.

But this prize winning dog's life is still impacted by the awful breed standards for English Bulldogs and the health problems they create. Like most she's got skin troubles, nearly constantly inflamed ears, food allergies. She's constantly snotty. She gets worn out walking across two rooms to her food dish, and usually takes a nap once she gets there before she eats. She's so dog aggressive that the only way to stop her from attacking any unknown dog she sees is for my friend (who is a rather large man) to pin her down until she exhausts herself, fortunately just walking exhausts her so she's usually tired by the time she gets outside. All of this is entirely typical for English Bulldogs, and all of it makes her life a misery even though she's as healthy as a specimen of her breed can be. The very breed standard is inhumane.

And that's not saying anything of breeds who have been bred to have spinal deformities or brains too big for their heads whose lives make hers look ideal.

[Egalitarian Thug]

43. Thank you for being so civil, you're a better person than I.

The irresponsible garbage that these people push is beyond my capacity to tolerate, The breeds these monsters have ruined in the name of profitable beauty contests and ego are too numerous for me to list, but let's start with the Alsatian and go on for the next four days.

[Progressive dog]

47. The Humane Society's main mission is to prevent animal cruelty

Charity navigator gives them a 62.86 out of 70 (5 star) rating and over 70% of money collected goes to their mission.

[MoonRiver]

13. NEVER buy from a breeder!

My future dog will be a rescue.

[pnwmom]

20. You do understand that most rescue dogs originally came from puppy mills, right?

Because most dogs in general came from puppy mills.

So the best way NOT to get a puppy mill dog is to buy from a responsible breeder.

[Maraya1969]

24. Unfortunately the puppy mill dogs need us. We do not need more breeders.

Both my 2 chihuahuas are pure bred and came from the pound. I'm sure they started out at a puppy mill.

The mills have to be shut down and there should be a moratorium on dog and cat breeding for a period of time.

[pnwmom]

33. I disagree. We need responsible breeders instead of puppy mills.

There's no justification in punishing responsible breeders because of the irresponsible ones. The answer is better regulation and inspection.

[reddread]

26. always buy from the breeder

"puppy mills" are not dedicated breeders. a person who dedicates their time and resources to maintaining a breed that has limited demand is NOT a "puppy mill"
"Puppy Mills" are larger scale operations grinding out unfit animals under inhumane conditions to be retailed by outfits like the old Doktors Pet Shops that worked from shopping malls selling puppies with "papers" that came from terrible places in terrible condition.

KNEEJERK ANIMAL RIGHTS activists with shortsighted, selfish agendas are NOT the arbiter of what is right and wrong in determining mankinds relationship with nature and domesticated animals.
Until someone demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the dynamics and numerous factors involved in breeding dogs, they should restrict their activities to picketing KFC.
Or maybe fight for habitat preservation, because domestic animals dont mean a damn thing next to wild stock.

[flvegan]

35. Only buy if you wish a shelter or rescue dog to die. n/t

KNEEJERK APOLOGISTS know selfish FAR better than any animal rights activist.


Fuck breeders, the entire reason we're in this shit.

[reddread]

45. what a silly remark

Apologist?
Ive probably got more experience training dogs (under a K9 corps leader, and another school of thought trainer), showing dogs (next to none, but took home the medal when all was said and done) and seeing what happens when people dont attend to the conformity and health requirements of a breed, than most commentators. Also far too much experience inside the trade.
Cute and vacuous slogans like "every time X, a kitten dies" are simply mindless.
Here is where that reasoning makes sense- people who actively purchase a mutt from some irresponsible owners ARE encouraging surplus animals, by supporting the careless reproduction of dogs that SHOULD have been neutered/fixed.
Its one thing to go to a shelter and find an animal to care for, despite the difficulties you are likely to have with some traumatized animal. It is another to claim that people breeding mutts are anything more than the root of the problem.
Careless, profit oriented breeding kennels/mills turn out junk dogs and bring down the breeds through greed.
So many breeds have inherent problems because of these assholes.
Serious breeders have to eat their efforts, because their is not enough money in it to cover the costs.
And then thoughtless assholes pile on a bunch of ignorant prejudices against them.
Real dog lovers MUST appreciate the efforts of quality breeders and conformity standards brought about by show competition.
I am NOT apologizing for the assholes in the AKC.
Im talking about healthy dogs, with centuries of breeding efforts being undone by loose cannons who would fix and neuter every decent dog they come across, and the absolute lunacy of buying mutts from irresponsible owners.
get your reasoning straight.
The significance and utility of line breeds is quite similar to the ABSOLUTE IMPERATIVE IMPORTANCE of wildlife habitat and gene pools.
The average animal rights KNEEJERK ASSHOLE does not put their efforts behind the most crucial issues of our time, because they
are too hooked on cute and fuzzy, and not connected to the real math of the problems facing nature and mankind.

[pnwmom]

21. Good to know. I have a non-AKC registered mixed breed that came from a small, responsible breeder.

I met the puppy's parents and saw the home where they were living.

There are many breeders who breed mixed breeds who do a lot of genetic testing and breed for health.

[Enthusiast]

25. It is sad to hear that.....................nt

[Sunlei]

29. AKC is just a registry, pedigree service.They put on dog shows, train judges, track breed standards.

They have no rules for the number of times any breeder breeds a dog or how many dogs they can own or breed. They make money on each dog registered.

You probably want to go to the National Breed Club for your breed, if you want to see top flight breeder standards. Those breeders generally breed dogs where both parents have genetic clearances, and conformation & working titles. Some will give a lifetime guarantee on their pups.

A shelter dog, mix breed is the way to go in this world. They're usually a lot smarter and a lot healthier than the majority of each 'pure breed'.

A puppymill, petshop, even a 'backyard' 'breeder' it's a crap-shoot for pure breeds.

[truebluegreen]

41. Nothing but shelter dogs for me

and when asked what kind they are, I tell the truth: "They are good dogs."

[yourpicturehere]

44. Here we go again

Every year around Westminster, this discussion starts.

I have had purebred Afghan Hounds for 40 (FORTY) years. I have shown dogs for 40 years. I have been training dogs since I was 6. I LOVE my dogs more than you will ever know. I don't take extended vacations because of my dogs. I am always home by a certain time because of my dogs. I spend money on my dogs (and have for forty years) that could have improved my lifestyle, but the dogs ALWAYS come first. I spend at least 18 hours a week grooming my dogs and much more cooking their dinner, training them, playing with them and picking up after them. I KNOW WHERE EVERY PUPPY THAT WAS BORN HERE IS NOW, and a lot of them have stayed with me. We haven't had many litters because, you see, as responsible breeder is prepared to keep every puppy they breed if necessary. I live in an extremely red section of the state I live in because the dogs can have room to run and play and BARK, because, you see, neighbors SUCK. Their kids can raise nine kinds of hell, all hours of the day and night, but your dog better not bark at all. Oh, and BTW, I do rescue, and have for forty years. We don't get many Affies because they don't act like Labs (they are aloof like a cat), and Af breeders know this and are careful about where any Af goes. Mr. and Mrs. America want a dog that hangs on their every whim, not one that says "Don't bother me now."

Shelter dogs, I have noticed, are usually pits and labs and small dogs. I cruise the sites in case there are Afghans. Lots of shelter dogs have behavior problems and that is why they are in a shelter. This is extremely sad, but until you convince Mr and Mrs America that socialization is necessary, it is likely to remain this way. Show dogs have to be socialized because a perfect stranger comes up to them and touches their most intimate places. Shelter dogs also come from "breeders" (anyone who puts a bitch in heat with a dog and gets puppies is a breeder by definition) that want the money for the dog, but don't want to take it back if the owners can't keep it. They come from people that get a puppy and want to "recoup" their "investment". Shelter dogs also come from people that want a puppy as a new play-pretty for the kids and they, quite frankly, don't care what the kids do to it. When the dog snaps, suddenly he is "vicious". Then there are the people that get rid of a dog because he is "too old", or they have a new baby. This pisses me off, especially when responsible breeders get blamed for it. Then there are the people that couldn't train a dog if their life depended on it and they won't listen to ANY advice, or they seem to and them repeat the same mistakes they made thus reinforcing the bad behavior. I teach a training/puppy socialization class.

Now...purebreds vs. mixed breeds...
I want a purebred because I LOVE THIS BREED!!! I rescued the cutest mixed-breed puppy years ago and gave her to a friend. This dog grew up to be the fugliest dog you have ever seen with some strange personality quirks. If she were purebred, I would know WHAT she is going to look like when she grows up and probably would have had some clue to her personality. If people want a rescue (I often recommend rescue to people looking for a specific breed) or a mix, THAT IS FINE!!!! I LOVE LOVE!!! my Afs. I don't want any other breed even though I like ALL dogs. The rescue dogs that I have kept (I keep some of the old ones so that they can live out their life getting all the perks the show dogs do) ARE wonderful critters. They ARE grateful. One I kept was hilarious with a pile of toys because he had NEVER seen toys. He dived right in the middle and threw toys everywhere. It was GREAT.

This discussion will be hashed and rehashed until doomsday. AR wants ALL animals and animal use gone and they are very good at propaganda. Those commercials? From China. From Mexico.AKC will be on you like stink on shit if you have any cruelty charges brought against you. One prominent breeder that had been wonderful for years had a nervous breakdown and started neglecting her dogs. She is GONE. FOREVER. AKC keeps good breeders in perpetual fear because they WILL come after you.

Once again, I LOVE my dogs MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW. I also like steak, cheese, wool, leather and I am NOT prepared to give any of that up for (A)nimal (R)ights. All animals deserve a decent life, but going after people that are trying to do things right will only move them to the other side.

[reddread]

46. thank you

for both speaking up, and taking care of your breed!

[yourpicturehere]

48. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!nt

[hunter]

50. I wrote a large rant, but then I thought better.

I have strong opinions about this.

In summary, breeding dogs is a nineteenth century hobby that should have stayed in the nineteenth century.

[defacto7]

52. You bet the AKC is into puppy mills.

There is nothing about the AKC that is redeeming. They have been a blight on dog breeding for decades and in my estimation from decades of working with dog owners for the restoration genetic viability in canines, they are one of the primary causes of the problems that have risen in dog breeding and misinformation.