EDITOR:
As a person who has owned, bred, shown and loved dogs for over 50 years, I grieve for the mistreated animals shown on TV. The ads don't explain how situations like this happen. These animals are the victims of owners who are uneducated in the the care of dogs or of people who use dogs for profit.
There are two kinds of uneducated dog owners. One kind of owner does not know their females will become pregnant unless the owner prevents it. The puppies are unwanted and are usually given away, killed or taken to the dog pound. Another kind of owner is a backyard breeder. These owners have females who are purebred. They are bred to any male of their own breed and produce purebred puppies or they are bred to any male of another breed and produce mixed breed puppies called, "designer dogs." These owners know very little about the breed or breeds they have. The do not have the puppies checked by a veterinarian or start the puppy shots because they do not want the additional expense. They sell their puppies to any who has the money to pay.
Wholesalers produce hundreds of puppies and sell them to pet store retailers. Most of the wholesalers live in the Midwest and many of them have terrible conditions. The females are bred every heat until she is too old or too sick to continue. They dispose of her then. The puppies are shipped to the pet stores. The puppies are traumatized by the flight. They are then placed in wire cages. The retailers know very little about the breeds they receive. Many of then do not know how to take care of puppies. The puppies are sold to any one who has the money to pay.
Puppies produced in these ways often become the next generation of dog who reproduce in the same cycle as their parents. The cycle begins again.
Responsible breeders carefully select the dogs that are to be bred. They know the unique characteristics of the breed and possible health problems. They carefully select the people they will sell their dogs to. After the sale, they are available for the new owners to talk with and will help the new owner. If, even after years, the new owner cannot keep the dog, the breeder will take the dog back and find it a new home. Many breeders work as rescue foster homes for dogs of their breeds.
These dogs do not end up in the pound. Three percent of dogs in the pound are purebred. Ninety percent of those dogs are pit bulls and only .005 of the other purebreds do not find homes. There are people who want to prevent the breeding of dogs in our state. If that happens, the only puppies that will be available will be puppies produced in other states and sold will be in pet stores. Don't let an all inclusive bill pass.
Nancy Gammie
Carson City
