“But isn’t the right thing to do called adoption or rescuing?” Not necessarily. It can be an appropriate avenue for some prospective pet parents, but others may have more specific criteria that can only be found through purchasing a puppy from an ethical source.
What do You Mean a Puppy From an Ethical Source?
Ethical Breeders
Not all breeding is bad. Preservation breeders, also called ethical breeders, are people or organizations that only participate in AKC or UKC breeding programs with registered and titled parent dogs to ensure healthy puppies and development in their specific breed.
Each breed within the AKC and UKC has their own standard to breed for. Ethical breeders will only breed parent dogs that exemplify desired standard traits of color, temperament, sociability, and physical traits. A standard is what makes a breed of dog unique to itself; a malamute with a heavy, compact double coat next to a golden retriever with a smooth, long double coat looks vastly different, and that is for a reason. Those reasons are imbedded in the history of the breed that helped define their standard, and that is what preservation breeders aim to continue.
Why Choose an Ethical Breeder?
If you’re looking for specific traits in a dog that can’t be guarenteed in a shelter setting, or you’re wanting to raise a dog on your own, an ethically bred puppy is a good option for you. Since each breed has their own standard to breed to, ethical breeders produce puppies with predictable and consistent traits based on the specific breed you are looking for.
Puppies from titled parent dogs are more likely to experience less health issues, since parent dogs have to have Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) certified cleared hip, elbow, eye, and cardiac health exams to be eligible for breeding. Breeders within AKC or UKC do their best to genetic test their parent dogs for any recessive genetic disorders like renal dysplasia, hip dysplasia, albinism, blindness, deafness, among other genetic conditions that are recessive in dogs.
Ethical breeders have to be transparent about this information to potential pet parents as a part of AKC and UKC breeding programs. You’re allowed to ask what the parent dogs are titled in, which genetic tests they’ve done, whether or not their dogs are carriers for genetic conditions, and how long they’ve been involved in their breed.
You’re even allowed to attend events that the parent dogs participate in to see them in action for yourself. Most importantly, this ensures that you can find a good fit for your new furry family member way before you’re ready to take them home.
Additional Things to Consider:
- Return Policies
- Ethical breeders have a contract in place stating that they’ll accept any puppy back to prevent them from landing in a shelter or worse.
- Waitlists
- Many ethical breeders plan their litters far in advance, and because of this, generate a long waitlist of people interested in a puppy.
- Background checks
- Preservation breeders don’t give their puppies to anyone who asks, they do research into the homes they want their puppies in to ensure their safety
What if I’m Interested in Adoption or Rescue?
The Good Side of Adoption
Adoption through an animal shelter or rescue is a GREAT thing if it aligns with your lifestyle! Many organizations are non-profit, so they rely on the work of many dedicated volunteers that love animals.
This can be a fantastic avenue for prospective adopters who are first-time pet owners, as many facilities offer guidance, training class referrals, vet care vouchers, and they really get to know their animals one-on-one. They’re able to better attest to their temperament and likelihood of settling in with a new family, especially for their animals that reside in foster homes.
However, there are some not so great aspects of adoption that may not suit everyone’s beliefs or needs when looking for a new pet.
Unethical Breeders That Fall Back on Rescues
Many organizations take in dumped animals, stray animals, or legal surrenders. On the surface, it looks very noble. We all want to believe that someone fell on hard times and had no other choice. That is most often not the case, as typically, well-meaning owners who are surrendering family pets will rehome to people they’ve personally vetted. A major, horrible reason for this oversupply of animals, is that there are way too many unethical breeders that have their puppies funnelling into these systems.
An unethical breeder, also called a backyard breeder, greeder, or puppy mill, are people or organizations who have no prior experience or knowledge with breed standards or breeding regulations within the AKC or UKC. Their main motive is for profit by breeding easily obtainable dogs and selling mixed breed, poorly bred, often “designer” dogs by the tens or hundreds that have no genetic testing and may have underlying health conditions. This includes puppy retailers across the country who sell puppies sourced from industrial puppy mills and breeders who intentionally breed off-standard and unhealthy dogs.
To learn more about what you can do to help shut down unethical breeders and puppy mills, click here.
Why Does This Happen?
When well meaning pet parents like you and I are searching for a puppy, these guys are likely to be the first thing you see. Unethical breeders spend a lot of money on public advertising, because they don’t have any referrals from professional sources to build relationships privately over time.
When “greeders” or people associated with them dump dogs on the street, it isn’t a spur of the moment decision like people think. It is a calculated move so that they don’t have to personally show their face in shelters or rescues with repeat surrenders of puppies they can’t sell.
Unethically bred dogs often end up in shelters and rescues for many reasons, such as these below:
They get dumped by the “greeder” in a public location, knowing that someone will find them and surrender them if they can’t sell them in time.
They get dumped by a new, unvetted owner involved in unethical breeding in a public place because of their behavior, health, or cost, knowing that someone else will do the right thing.
They get surrendered by well meaning owners who were scammed or mislead, either lied to about breed or health, and the “greeder” won’t take them back or reimburse.
They get surrendered by good samaritans who found them dumped but can’t keep them long-term.
This is unfortunately the case for a lot of dogs who end up in shelters and rescues. As a community we can all do our part by dismantling this putrid system at it’s core by reporting unethical individuals or organizations that are selling mass amounts of unhealthy puppies, so that rescues and shelters can start to have room for the animals who need the care the most.
Before Adopting a Puppy or Dog
Keep In Mind:
- 3-3-3 Rule
- Animals that have an unknown history are more likely to develop behavioral habits once they’re settled into a new home, which takes approximately 3 months.
- Restrictive Adoption Process
- Organizations that adopt out their animals for a low cost often show discretion through their adoption application, such as relying on home ownership status, marital status, employment status, and criminal history as main qualifiers.
- Cohabitation
- If you have other pets, take into consideration how you’ll integrate your new pet into your family. Read this for more information on how to introduce two pets to each other.
Every Dog Deserves a Home
Choosing to bring a new pet into your home is a significant decision that requires careful consideration of various factors. Whether you lean towards adoption or purchasing from an ethical breeder, it is crucial to prioritize the well-being of the animal and ensure that your choice aligns with your lifestyle and values. Regardless, every dog deserves a loving and caring home.
Adopting from a shelter offers the chance to give a second chance to animals in need, while ethical breeders provide predictability in terms of health and temperament, catering to specific breed standards. Regardless of the path you choose, thorough research, patience, and awareness of both the benefits and pitfalls of each option will lead you to a loving and compatible furry family member. Ultimately, your commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment for your new pet will make all the difference—be it through rescue or responsible breeding. Remember, every pet deserves a loving home, and with the right approach, you can ensure a happy life together.
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