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AIBU?

AIBU to not understand why some people breed/buy animals when so many need homes?

97 replies

luvlemoncheesecake · 23/05/2011 16:57

And what happens to those that are not sold say dogs for eg....

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DooinMeCleanin · 23/05/2011 17:56

'If you truly want to rehome a rescued dog, you can, just ask your local council to put you in touch with their dog warden. They'd be delighted to help' getting a dog from a pound is not a great idea unless you are very experienced with dogs. They are not assessed in the slightest. You could be taking on anything. Not to mention they are not health checked. My dad took a dog from a pound a few weeks ago. She died two days later . I'm sure you wouldn't want to put yourself and your dc through that.

Adopting from a no kill rescue still saves a dog at risk of being PTS as you making another empty space ready to be filled by the next 'at risk' dog.

If the big rescues turn you down, try the smaller ones. They are far less rigid and take everyone on a case by case basis. If all the rescues turn you down, chances are the home you offering is not suitable for the kind of pet you are looking for.

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Insomnia11 · 23/05/2011 17:57

Same here, we looked at a couple of local cat rescue places when thinking about getting kittens but ended up getting them from a work colleague - I wouldn't get them from someone who breeds to make money, in this case the mum was well looked after and healthy and we weren't charged anything for the kittens.

I can fully understand why they are careful as to whom they rehome and would want to do a home check etc but I don't think being out at work or having young children should necessarily preclude you...there may be circumstances in which it would e.g. a nervous older pet but not in every case. Also some rescue centres are great but not all are.

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midori1999 · 23/05/2011 18:01

"I won't support breeders, not any of them. I don't believe they'd love the breed enough to continue the bloodline if there wasn't the right money in it"

Hmm... I wonder what money is 'in it' for me? I keep four dogs currently, one of which is a rescue, one of which is pedigree but will not be bred from ever. One has had one litter but won't have another and one which may or may not have a litter, if she does it will only be so I can keep a puppy from her lines. So, that's four dogs, that will live for approx 14 years or so each and which I will feed, insure, pay vet bills for, all the other expenses pet owning incurs. I then spend approx £100 a time each time I show them, often double or treble that and I choose not to work because I do not think they should be left for long periods of time, plus I am lucky that I have the luxury that my DH earns enough to support our family finacially. I will have one or two litters in that time, so even assuming there are no complications that are costly and the girls have large litters, and I don't lose either of them or all their puppies, it's not exactly cost effective is it?

I do it for the love of my dogs and my breed, nothing else.

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LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 23/05/2011 18:02

Doinmecleaning... Our local council's policy is for rescued animals to be rounded up, taken to the vets for assessment and healthy dogs vaccinated at the council's cost. Dogs then go to kennels and then for rehoming. Seriously ill animals, if they really are unlikely to recover, are put to sleep. Better that it happens there then the dog carry on, with serious illness, out in the streets.

I don't know why you'd be in the positon of having a dog that was ill? Maybe that council's policy is different?

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Mumswang · 23/05/2011 18:03

Because some people have certain restrictions in their lifestyles that necessitate quite specific characteristics in their pets. We looked for months and travelled far and wide visiting rehoming centres but were unable to find a dog that would fit in with our families needs. So we bought a puppy. We researched extensively and bought from someone who we were comfortable with. No regrets.

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jade80 · 23/05/2011 18:04

Hmm, it seems to be aq certain sort of person that does this, in my experience. E.g. a chavvy girl I know who had one dog, un-neutered and bought another, unspayed, to 'breed them before she was spayed'. The only motivation was money, plain and simple. The male was KC reg, female not. She managed to find a number of other idiots to take the pups at several hundred quid each. Easy money, hey? So she does it again. Disguating, IMO. No home checks or anything- I'm guessing most will end up in rescue, straining the services further.

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LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 23/05/2011 18:04

Midori... Are you saying that you keep them all? If so, you're not a 'breeder' in the way that I mean at all.

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jade80 · 23/05/2011 18:05

Oops, please ignore typos!

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DooinMeCleanin · 23/05/2011 18:08

Our council, like many, will not pay for the dogs to be vaccinated upon arrival at the kennels. The dog my Dad got seemed healthy, but died of Parvo two days later. This was also passed onto their own vaccinated lurcher pup, who luckily recovered but will have had his life shortened by it and might have complications resulting from it later in his life

They also don't test the dogs temprement/behaviour/general health and they don't home check. You can literally just roll up in your car, say "That one please" and drive off with the dog, regardless of whether it is aggressive/suitable for your home. They don't offer any back up if things go wrong and they won't take the dog back if you can no longer keep it.

Your council sounds more responsible than ours, but i bet they don't assess the dogs behaviours, offer back up or homecheck - which is as important for the adpoter as it is for the dog.

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Ishani · 23/05/2011 18:09

We breed and I have sworn on the childrens lives the day I get left with one animal I cannot sell I will keep it and we will never do it again. Our animals sell within days of being born we have deposits, the animals are expensive to try and attract the right sort of owner. The fact is it's supply and demand and people want pedigree animals.

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Changing2011 · 23/05/2011 18:09

Get a rescue staff. Mine is a mongrel (staffie cross) but she is probably the most loving non-hardwork type of pet ever. Same goes for my mongrel cat! It makes me so sad they are over-looked time and time again. We both work, had a three year old when we got our dog, and had a long-term resident cat! Dog breezed through home-check and has been lazing in bed settled and happy ever since! They have got a bad rep but £600 for a labrador puppy? No thanks.

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midori1999 · 23/05/2011 18:12

No, I don't keep them all. I only breed though when I do want a puppy to keep and when I have a waiting list for the remaining puppies. Not very foten at all, I certainly don't make any money from it. On the contrary, my hobby costs me a fortune!

If I could breed a litter and just produce a puppy for myself to keep, I would do. Breeding and homing puppies is a massive responsibility.

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LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 23/05/2011 18:13

DooinMeCleanin... I think you're right, councils have different rules. With regard to the parvo, I think the vets are able to spot it because of the blood testing they do. The dogs, once they've been to the vets, go into kennels and stay there until they're rehomed - or the vet recalls them, I suppose for illnesses like distemper and parvo.

Here, you can't drive up and pick them out. I don't know if they do homechecks but we didn't have one, we both worked for the council at the time so perhaps they were just happier about that? Perhaps they do homechecks generally, or at least ask the questions. I think people who work with rescued animals can generally spot a likely uncaring owner at 20 paces.

So sorry for your Dad.. that must have been so awful. :(

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midori1999 · 23/05/2011 18:15

"The fact is it's supply and demand and people want pedigree animals."

I really disagree with this and it does give the impression you are breeding for the money, sorry.

I could sell all my litters dozens of times over, I could breed many litters per year and sell them. Why don't I? Precisely because there are thousands of dogs being put to sleep every year and if people can't buy from breeders then they have no choice but to rescue. Also, because why on earth would I risk my bitch for someone else's benefit?

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LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 23/05/2011 18:15

Agree with Changing2011 about staffies... lovely dogs who really are people pleasers (think 'Nana' the dog from Peter Pan). Far more than our rescued JR/Whippet cross who treats us like servants.

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thefirstMrsDeVere · 23/05/2011 18:19

I bought a dog for the first time two years ago. I had never bought a pet before. Always had dogs from rescue homes.

But there was no way I would have got the right dog for us. No way Battersea would have homed a dog with us because we have children

I didnt want a staffie/staffie cross or a jack russell anyway and that is what BDH is full of (no offence staffie JRT lovers - not the right dog for us).

So I bought a dog off a lovely couple who clearly adored their dogs. They shouldnt have let them breed but hey ho they did and I got my lovely puppy. He wont be breeding though - no knackers anymore.

I felt incredibly guilty about it if thats any help. I love my dog and he is the right one for us. I spent a lot of time thinking about what sort of cross breed I needed (dont do pedigrees). He is the sort of dog people laugh at but I love him.

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DooinMeCleanin · 23/05/2011 18:20

It was, but it was because of this that he is now working with local rescues and is currently fostering a Whippet for them. I think they're going to make her a permanant addition to their family but he wants to continue helping the rescue via fund raising and emergency fostering. So it had a happy ending in the end and Sadie, the dog who died, was responisble for him becoming involved. She did a lot of good in those two days . Lurcher boy is now as nutty as ever.

Buying from BYB encourages more breeding and more dogs in pounds at risk of this happening to them. The Whippet they are fostering now was bought from a BYB with no consideration for where she would end up. Luckily for her she went to a great rescue.

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midori1999 · 23/05/2011 18:20

changing our rescue is a staff x and I would absolutely have another in the future. He is wonderful, so enthusiastic and easy to train. I am hoping once we have moved in the summer (closer to civilisation, we are curently ridiculously rural!) that I can do some competitive obedience/agility with him.

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Baffledandbewildered · 23/05/2011 18:21

We breed and show setters.Of the five litters we have had in fifteen years only two ever made us any money! Our latest litter was tiny and after an emergency c section and then keeping two for our selves we lost money. We love our breed and aim to produce the perfect setter. We keep in touch with all our owners and have guarantee that any dog we breed can come back to us .....only happened once so far. We do every health check possible to ensure people buy a healthy happy well adjusted puppy. Responsible breeding is not a problem. People breeding to make a quick buck is and people buying a puppy without thought and research are what cause problems. Finally we have breed rescue which works to ensure our breed do not end up in rescue centres.

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coccyx · 23/05/2011 18:21

people are greedy and daft.

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LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 23/05/2011 18:22

I agree with you on that, Midori. The thing is, people see the 'vast sums' referred to and think they want a piece of that. They don't care for the dogs/cats anymore than what that animal is financially worth. You do sound as if you really do put in the time and care and your heart has to be satisfied with the new homes. There's you at one end of the scale and I think you represent a tiny percentage of breeders, unfortunately. :(

My brother bought a KC registered Doberman, he'd always wanted one. The dog was very uncontrollable, span around in circles continuously and managed to get into an accident one day. He survived but his leg needed to heal and he wouldn't sit still and it couldn't mend quickly. He then started throwing himself againt the wall and my brother took him to the vets. The vet said there wasn't anything else to be done and put him to sleep. My brother asked for a post morten and it was all to do with the dog's pituitory gland, trying to grow within an abornomally tiny head. The 'breeder' had done this. We're still so upset 20 years later and I will never have any dog other than a rescue one (or ten). That's where my dislike for breeders comes from. :(

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Ishani · 23/05/2011 18:35

I do breed for the money, I simply don't believe many people do it for any other reason. We are as responsible as you can be under the circumstances and do our very best by the animals whilst they are with us and people always have the option to return the animal to us if something goes wrong, ghats not happened in 4 years.
We also don't mess with them trying to produce god knows what within the breed if we get a White paw so be it, people aren't that daft that only perfect pedigrees will do.

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midori1999 · 23/05/2011 18:36

I agree with you completely that good and decent breeders are few and far between and far outnumbered by bad ones. Sadly. The do exist though and if people refused to buy from BYB's and puppy farmers and only bought from decent breeders or got a dog from rescue, things would greatly improve for dogs.

There are all sorts of reasons why people don't though, mostly they don't want to wait. They think the way to get a dog is to look in the local paper/on internet sites, go and see a litter of 'ready to go' puppies, hand over the cash and take one then and there.

I will never forget a family who came to see me about going on a waiting list. The daughter mentioned how she'd seen adverts in the paper saying 'can deliver'. The father couldn't quite believe people bought puppies this way and said 'good grief, they're not buying a pizza!' It's a pity not everyone sees it that way.

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StellaSays · 23/05/2011 18:37

Some rescue places can be a bit odd about making sure you are suitable. My friend was not able to adopt a cat since she lived near a main road, we live in a city, so does everyone! When she said she could keep the cat in they said that only lame or blind cats should be kept in.

I think this is ridicuous, my cat is a house cat since I live in a second story maisonette and she can't get in or out, she goes on the balcony and thats it for outside. She is perfectly happy and if I hadn't taken her on she would have been put down.

If I wanted to rescue another cat in the future and wasn't allowed because of no outside I would just buy one.

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midori1999 · 23/05/2011 18:41

Ishani, so not only are you breedign for money (which at least you admit!) but you do not care about damaging the breed in the process? To you it might be a white paw that doesn't matter, to others they breed without caring if the dog is fit for purpose, so we then get Golden Retrievers that have no natural ability to retrieve, won't go into water, can't do a days work in the field and with dodgy temprements. And they don't even look like Golden Retrievers. It's just not quite so cut and dried at all.

If you don't 'mess with them' does that mean you simply breed one dog with another with no thought for the pedigree or bloodline and the genetic problems that may exist within that?!

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