{"id":176,"date":"2020-12-01T07:10:08","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T07:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevegandragon.com\/?page_id=176"},"modified":"2023-10-10T05:57:54","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T05:57:54","slug":"pet-overpopulation-akc-and-dog-breeds","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thevegandragon.com\/index.php\/educational-journals\/pet-overpopulation-akc-and-dog-breeds\/","title":{"rendered":"Pet Overpopulation, AKC, and Dog Breeds"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ga Maleven<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as  human overpopulation is real and is a serious issue<\/a><\/span>, pet overpopulation of domesticated animals is also significant. In this journal we will discuss specifically dogs and cats for the other domesticated animals will be addressed in others. Dogs and cats have been domesticated by man originally for the purpose of hunting, dealing with “pests,” and protection. Over time as technology has improved pets have become family members to us, but to some they are simply there for a statement of wealth, that they “have” to have one to be normal, or as a means of making profit.

Dogs and cats have been bred so much that now there is a serious overpopulation problem. Puppy\/kittenmills, backyard breeders, and pedigree breeders have continuously bred and sold cats and dogs despite there already being so many. Add that to the fact of strays who breed and people who simply let their unaltered pets run wild and getting pregnant. This has led to shelters being formed that fill up quickly with dogs and cats, but tend to have very little money and space to care for these animals. And with people continuing to buy from breeders these animals sadly don’t get adopted. The result is them being euthanized.

A fertile cat can produce an average of three litters in one year. The average number of kittens in a feline litter is four to six. Up to 4,948 kittens can be born from one unspayed female cat and her offspring in seven years. Here are more statistics<\/a><\/span>. The average number of puppies in a canine litter is six to ten. Up to 508 puppies can be born from one unspayed female dog and her offspring in seven years. The US ratio of dogs to humans is about one to four. Cats outnumber domesticated canines by over 15 million in the US alone.

On average, 8,000 dogs are euthanized DAILY in American shelters alone. Even more cats. Millions of cats and dogs around the world are killed in shelters because no one is adopting them, instead buying from breeders. Many shelters still use gas chambers to kill the animal en masse. It is supposed to be a painless death, but when the animals are scared, they don’t succumb to the toxin as quickly so die a slow, agonizing death, cramped tightly with other cats and dogs.

What’s the solution? Adopting your pets from shelters and\/or rescues, and to spay\/neuter your pets. The amount of dogs bought yearly is more than the number killed in shelters. If everyone were to adopt than the number of animals in shelters would drop dramatically in a short period of time. Not only will the killing stop, but stopping breeders will also ensure less animal abuse, genetically messed up animals, and better regulating dog owners to monitor abuse. Rescues interview people before allowing them to adopt and check in often. This helps keep abusive people from getting pets, something breeders don’t care for. Breeders only want money.

Puppy\/kittenmills are places where multiple dogs are bred in small cages, not allowed to walk on grass, interact with other dogs, and receive no medical care<\/a>. They are constantly impregnated and forced to have babies, only for them to be taken away and sold in stores, online, or from the back of vehicles. Backyard breeders are those who get dogs simply to breed but have no knowledge on how to breed, don’t care about the plight of the overpopulation problem, do not check who is buying their dog, and simply do so for profit. These dogs from the mills and backyard breeders sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars. Pedigree breeders breed “pure” bred dogs often for dog shows. The dogs are often inbred (fathers breeding with daughters, etc.) to ensure the dogs retain a certain look. Dogs who do not fit the AKC description of a certain breed are often killed as puppies. To ensure dogs breed, bitches are tied to what is referred to as a “rape rack” and the dog is therefore allowed to breed without the bitch biting or trying to get away. If the dog doesn’t want to breed, they are forced onto the bitch, their penis “stimulated,” and forced into the bitch<\/a>. This is common practice amongst all types of dog breeders.

Dogs used in dog shows or bred to fit “breed standards” are deformed in numerous ways making them very sick, unhealthy animals. German Shepherds have backs that slope tremendously making them have “frog legs.” Boxers have seizures at young ages, pugs have twisted spine, bulldogs can’t even breed without having humans helping them, and many other breeds suffer from other various illnesses. A wonderful documentary on breeds genetically falling apart is “Pedigree Dogs Exposed,” which I have links for below.

Furthermore, dog breeds do NOT define a dog’s behavior. Pitbulls, German Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, Malinois, huskies, collies, malamutes, golden retrievers, pugs, rottweilers, Labradors, akitas, mastiffs, beagles, poodles, boxers, chow chows, French bulldogs, etc. are all just dogs. Dogs breeds, to the extent of what they are now, are quite new. Behavior\/personality is not genetic so is impossible to pass down. All dogs are from a common ancestor, the wolf, so it is impossible to have such drastic mental differences be genetic related. Every “breed” has dogs from all spectrums of personality, behavior, and attitude. Every breed can have aggressive dogs, friendly dogs, scared dogs, etc. The way a dog looks does not determine how they will act. Dog breeds are just like race. They may have some physical characteristics that differ from one to another but each is their own person. Raising them to have good manners and ensuring they are properly socialized does help in ensuring they behave better just as it does with humans and any other animal species. Dog fighters kill many dogs before finding a dog who they can manipulate enough to kill. But even then once the dogs are rescued they can be therapy dogs, pets, and live normal lives. Vick’s former fighting dogs are a perfect example of this. The idea that one breed is “evil” is a myth people push around to try and not blame the real people at fault which are irresponsible owners. Collies, German Shepherds, rottweilers, doberman pincshers, and other dog breeds have all gone through the “they are evil” phase and now it has fallen onto American pitbull terriers and dogs who look similar. The entire breed equals “known temperament” is simply a ruse made up by breeders to help sell their puppies.

Sargent Stubby<\/a><\/span> is a great example of why you can’t judge by the breed. And as someone who has worked with dogs for many years and has literally met and dealt with hundreds of dogs (and trained lots of dogs), I can assure you from my own experience of how it doesn’t matter how a dog looks for how they will behave. It’s all about their personality, the situation they are in, and how they were raised that will determine how they behave.

Spaying and neutering your pets also has the benefits of making your pets behave better, live longer, and less risk of developing ovarian\/prostate cancers. While males can be neutered at any age and not risk developing cancer or harming their body, it is best to fix them at a young age, about 6-8 months, to ensure enough testosterone is in their bodies to finish growing, but not too much to cause behavior issues. Too much testosterone can lead to more aggression, marking, territorial issues, and refusing to obey. Females must be spayed before the first heat cycle (menstruation) to ensure that their bodies don’t go into any sort of panic. After the first heat cycle the estrogen level spike and to suddenly remove the uterus can cause the body to “freak out.” This can also lead to a higher risk of cancer. But spaying BEFORE reduces cancer risks and causes no negative effects to the body. A spayed dog and cat is also less aggressive since they aren’t grouchy during heat, nor are they having to protect their young during and after pregnancy. Most dog attacks are caused by unaltered males, pregnant bitches, or bitches with young puppies. This is why it is extremely irresponsible to have children and breeding pets around them for the risk of the child being attacked. Children can’t read a dog or cat’s body language so end up being harmed.

And if cost is a problem, there are many low cost spay and neuter programs. Contact your local SPCA, shelter, Humane Society, veterinarian, or rescue to find the nearest one. If even that is “too expensive,” then you probably don’t even have the finances for a pet and shouldn’t have one. For pets are very<\/em> expensive, especially if any medical emergency emerges. Just like children, don’t get them if you can’t afford them.

Learning a dog’s body language is also very important for many children are bitten simply for not knowing if a dog is scared or not. Sadly, the dog usually ends up being killed for the mistake of others. Furthermore, dogs are less aggressive and have a easier time socializing when positive reinforcement training is used. Positive reinforcement training is when a dog is rewarded for good behavior rather than harmed for bad behavior. The same reason why you should NEVER hit a child also applies to any other animal. Harming any animal to “train” them has immense psychological effects, makes training difficult, doesn’t have lasting results, can worsen behavior, and event lead to aggression. Choke chains, prong (pinch) collars, shock collars, and other forms of hurting dogs add to this devastating consequence. To learn more on training dogs, look up dog trainer Victoria Stilwell<\/a><\/span>.

Service animals<\/a><\/span>, whether used for helping the blind, PTSD victims, etc. are not “slaves.” They enjoy helping their humans and aren’t working constantly. They play and enjoy life just as any other dog, simply they know better manners for in public and sometimes perform tasks to help their human. Service, therapy, and working dogs don’t need to come from breeders. In fact, rescue make better working dogs. From helping individuals with depression, sniffing out drugs, taking down bad guys, or helping a disabled child put on her socks, these dogs can come from a rescue and perform just as well, if not better, than dogs from breeders. It is actually easier to rescue an already adult dog and know their physical and mental makeup than a puppy who will later develop a possible spine issue or not be mentally suited for the job. It is also cheaper. Rescuing costs from $100-$500 on average while getting from breeders is double or more than that. Some breeders who sell to police price puppies for $5,000 or more each. Something up to $15,000. In the end, rescues can still perform the job, and you are saving a life by adopting. Just look at this example<\/a><\/span>.

Service animals differ from working animals such as bomb sniffing dogs\/rats, military\/police dogs\/horses, search dogs, etc. Therapy animals are similar to service animals, only they bring comfort to others rather than support\/assist their human. Emotional support animals are regular pets who are to stay with you regardless where you live in order to assists with emotional stability\/health.

It is also abusive and cruel to declaw cats for that cuts their toes in half and leaves them defenseless, as well as hurt them for the rest of their lives for they walk on their toes. Pets should always be kept indoors for their own safety, as well as the safety of others. Chaining dogs is cruel, and only does harm for them. Pets should NEVER be left in hot cars for they can suffer heat strokes even if it’s 70 degrees outside and the vehicle is in the shade. Cars can get over 100 degrees still. Cats can be easily walked on a leash and harness to enjoy the outside as well, just as dogs. It is also better to us harnesses on dogs for collars can damage the trachea as well as choke the dog. You also have more control of the dog using a harness. They are

You simply can’t love dogs or cats when you get them from breeders, breed them yourself, or treat them like they aren’t family. Don’t judge them for how they look, and don’t add on to the problem of pet overpopulation and the needless killing. This is a big topic so ask me questions if you need more info on something that the below links don’t help cover enough of. And remember, don’t breed or buy while shelter animals die. Opt to adopt.
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