The pictures you post on social media to sell your puppies:
The dogs used to produce those puppies found by the sheriff’s department when serving a search warrant at the home:
At the request of the Elmore County Sheriff’s Department, the Idaho Humane Society assisted with the seizure of 28 dogs who were kept in deplorable conditions […] in Oasis, Idaho[.]
https://kidotalkradio.com/idaho-humane-society-rescues-28-dogs-what-you-can-do-to-help/
“The dogs were heavily matted and had feces and cheatgrass embedded into their mats and skin. This case is especially disturbing because this unsanitary facility has been actively engaged in actively selling these animals to the public,” said Dr. Jeff Rosenthal, veterinarian and CEO of the Idaho Humane Society.
This does not appear to be a case of animal hoarding where part of the illness manifests as a failure to recognize the suffering of the animals. Look at the puppy pictures posted online – this person knew the difference between neglected dogs and well cared for dogs and attempted to deceive buyers with photos.
And because I know what a can of worms it is to talk about breeding, let me say this: I believe that most people who breed dogs at home are well intentioned and consider their pets family. Not the person who kept these dogs in misery obviously, but most. It’s a misconception among some animal advocates that it’s the other way around – that most dog breeders are greedy and happy to inflict cruelty so they can profit financially. They hold up breeders like the one in this post as an example. But they’re wrong. Most breeders are just as angry and disturbed as everyone else seeing images like these and are thankful that the dogs have been rescued. Most breeders don’t make the local news.
As of today, I haven’t seen any news updates on this story nor any reports of charges being filed. I really hope that changes. I’ll be on the lookout for follow-ups on the case and if anyone comes across an update, please let me know.
I believe you are sadly misguided if you think most breeders are concerned about the health of the pets used to continually breed their animals for profit. I also STRONGLY believe your mischaracterization of the reason that these breeders hate to see the abuse this article discusses. The only reason that these backyard breeders hate to see stories such as this is simply because it highlights just how bad this immoral breeding of animals for profit really is, not because the breeders are so concerned about the health of the animals being used.to needlessly breed pets that will end up in shelters or on the streets to be further abused or killed. They are simply afraid that local governments will attempt to further curb these businesses of breeding unnecessary animals for profits.
Jerry, I know some “rescues” that keep their dogs in some pretty deplorable conditions, and are only concerned about making the maximum profit from each animal as quickly as possible. They mine Craigslist and high kill shelters for highly adoptable dogs, transport them in overcrowded, inhumane conditions, and house them in a way that they come down with parvo and distemper, which the unsuspecting adopter then has to deal with. Does that mean all, or even most rescues are like this? Of course not.
There are puppy mills, back yard breeders, and then there are people who are conscientious breeders. Those breeders don’t make a profit. Those breeders love their breed, love and care for their dogs as family, are trying to preserve the characteristics of that breed (a pit bull does not have the inherent nature to herd sheep like a border collie does), and are very picky about who those puppies go to. And yes, they don’t like puppy mills for the very reason that people then lump all breeders into one pot. Before you assume I am a breeder, I am not. I have been in animal care and control for over 40 years, and have seen the worst of people, but I know better than to lump everyone together in one category.
And here’s a news flash: Dogs, which are now more popular as pets than ever, come from puppies. Where do puppies come from? The message of spay/neuter has been so effective there is a shortage of puppies (and even kittens) in many communities. We post one puppy for adoption and get 50 applicants from all over the state and beyond. This shortage is actually fueling puppy mills and retail rescues. Is it better to have responsible breeders, or should we go back to the days of dogs indiscriminately breeding on the street to source puppies? In our community, the majority of the puppies we see are from the homeless population, and I can tell you we never see puppies from responsible breeders (most responsible breeders will take their puppies back). Without responsible breeders, ALL puppies will be coming from puppy mills. Or as some in animal welfare are suggesting, shelters may have to start breeding puppies to fill the demand. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!