The Ugly Truth Behind Dog Breeding: Overpopulation and Health Issues

There has been a lot of controversy regarding dog breeding. Some people think dog breeding is superb, whereas a lot of people think quite the opposite. Many people agree with the idea that it is better to go to your local animal shelter and adopt than spend thousands of dollars on a certain dog breed. Although some studies have indicated that breeding dogs can promote a particular dog breed, the majority of research suggests dog breeding causes many health problems for purebred dogs, overpopulation in animal shelters, and is deemed to be a cruel practice.

Dog breeding can lead to many health problems for purebred dogs. A variety of purebred dogs are prone to many health problems depending on the breed of dog. Most purebred dogs are prone to cataracts and cancer. Many dogs end up being euthanized due to their birth defects and health problems. The article 'A Flawed Beauty,” briefly talks about how Dalmatians are prone to deafness due to breeding. The article insists that playing with genetics is complicated by the fact that breeding a certain dog breed to emphasize one characteristic can cause many health problems for the dog later on in its life. Dalmatians are prone to deafness, maybe due to some genetic link between hearing and white pigmentation (Gibson). Another article called 'Come for the Looks, Stay for the Personality? A Mixed Methods Investigation of Reacquisition and Owner Recommendation of Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs discusses how there are different health problems regarding brachycephalic breeds. Brachycephalic breeds are strongly inclined to a range of disorders related to dog breeding, including respiratory disease, eye disease, dystocia, spinal disease, heatstroke, and pneumonia. Brachycephalic dogs' lifespan is reduced by 4.1 years compared to dogs with longer muzzles (Pedersen).

Dog breeding causes overpopulation in many animal shelters all around the world. More than 6 million dogs arrive in animal shelters every year, and half of them end up being euthanized due to them not finding a forever home. The article 'Petition Calls Attention to Overpopulation of Pit Bulls at Animal Shelter,” focuses on a petition that opposes a 'Bully Breed Dog Show.' The article discusses pit bulls being overbred at this particular show, which led to overpopulation at local shelters. It states the area's two main animal shelters, South Bend Animal Care and Control, Humane Society of St. Joseph County, and other nearby animal shelters, continue to be overwhelmed with pit bulls and other 'bully breed' dogs. Those types of dogs continue to be euthanized for several reasons, including biting incidents and aggressive behavior that makes them unsuitable for adoption (Booker).

Dog breeding is considered to be a cruel practice. One reason as to why dog breeding is considered to be a cruel practice is because of puppy mills. A puppy mill is an inhumane way of dog breeding that sells puppies for profit, ignoring the needs of the puppies and their mothers. In puppy mills, dogs may be forced to relieve themselves in cages, confined in spaces only six inches longer than their bodies, or caged 24 hours a day for his/her entire life (Miller). The article 'Attention Dog Lovers: 5 Reasons Why the Puppy Mill Crisis Affects Us All, and How You Can Be Part of the Solution' states that more than 2.2 million puppy mill puppies are born every year. Of these sickly, poorly-raised animals, countless end up in animal shelters or are abandoned by their owners, leading to rescue overcrowding and eventually be euthanized. Many puppy mill owners experience the loss of animals too often and most of the time it is because of underlying health problems that the dog has. Puppies raised in mills are plagued by health problems and are taken from their owners far too soon.

Although some studies have indicated that breeding dogs can promote a particular breed, the majority of research suggests dog breeding causes many health problems for purebred dogs, overpopulation in animal shelters, and is deemed to be a cruel practice. There are certain health problems for every kind of breed of dog due to breeding. Dog breeding is the main cause of overpopulation in animal shelters. Dog breeding is considered a cruel practice because of puppy mills. More than 2.2 million puppy mill puppies are born every year and more than half of them end up at animal shelters. When buying a puppy from a puppy mill, it is not expected to live very long because of underlying health issues. Sadly, some of the dogs that are surrendered to an animal shelter do not find their forever home and end up being euthanized.