Dog Domestication And Breeding Cause Debilitating Defects

The full article is here. Please do read it.

Detrimental Selective Breeding is Unethical and Inhumane

Today’s version of long-ago domestication efforts is the professional dog breeder who exaggerates certain physical characteristics over several generations of animals. It’s become a shameful display of form over function, and the dogs pay the price.

That’s why we now have legions of English Bulldogs who don’t make it to age 7, German Shepherd Dogs who can barely stand up or walk, and several other breeds enduring debilitating deformities they were intentionally saddled with. According to the UCLA study authors:

“An associated cost of selection for specific traits in breed dogs is an enhanced likelihood of (inherited) disease. Considering that many modern breeds have been selected for unusual appearance and size, which reflects fashion more than function, our results raise ethical concerns about the creation of fancy breeds.”⁴

As a veterinarian, I’ve seen first-hand the problems created when dogs are bred exclusively to achieve a certain look, without concern for their health, mobility, or quality of life. It is deeply disturbing to me, with all we know about the suffering these animals endure, that breeders persist in exaggerating their dogs’ physical characteristics, even if it means sacrificing their health.

Adopt a local mixed breed, the “Ah Wongs” and the DSH cat from the street! Don’t encourage breeding. There are more than enough wonderful animals in local shelters waiting for a loving home. Many on the street too!

Indy: I’m a former street kitten and was adopted from the “longkang”. Now? Hmm….Now, I live quite comfortably and I even run a whole international brotherhood of black-and-white masked cats. Ahem!

On a different note, did you know that street neutering and shelter adoption is so effective in certain states in the U.S. that some shelters do not even have enough animals for adoption? They have to fly animals from one shelter to another that needs animals for adoption!

Over here, most shelters are full and bursting at their seams. We are still at the level where there is insufficient awareness on street neutering or adoption from shelters. Let’s promote these ideas widely, shall we? One step at a time, we shall get there. We need to stay positive and work on it.

Our neutering aid (myanimalcare.org/aid) is available to help as many street animals as we can.

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2016/04/27/dog-domestication-and-br..

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AnimalCare

AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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