Since the dog show was just on I'd like to bring up something that has been bothering me for awhile.

[KurtNYC]

33. Canada puts down 5 million dogs per year -- the number in the USA is unknown

but we have about 10 times the population of Canada.

25% of the dogs given to shelters are purebreds. Statistically, the most commonly euthanized dog in the USA is a large black male dog such as a "Lab mix".

IMHO there should be a written test and a license required before anyone can own a dog. People threaten, beat, neglect, abuse, starve, and injure millions of dogs every year. Many people have gross misconceptions about how to train or care for a dog and it is the dogs who suffer.

In the small town I live in, I have seen and heard about at least 5 dogs who died in the last year due to their owners not properly keeping them from harm -- 3 drown in rip tides, 1 hit by boyfriend's car, 1 inadvertently poisoned.

And many who have never owned a dog in a city have no idea how much you are treated like a criminal for owning a dog. People will say ANYTHING to you. My neighbor came running out and screamed at me when he saw my female squat on his gravel driveway -- "You have to pick that up!" She pee'd (?) on gravel just as I had taught her. At the post office I get people saying loudly "I believe there is a sign that says you can't have dogs in here." Not true -- most banks, all post offices, Lowe's and Home Depot permit well behaved dogs.

And renting an apartment with a dog is nearly impossible, in part because there are many irresponsible dog owners who leave a legacy of damage and noise complaints for landlords.

As a society, we can do better. Dogs deserve so much better.