feliscanis:impish-iggies:mymaincorgis:miamisugarxo:sterlingsea:midnightwillowwolf:scalestails:fighti

feliscanis:impish-iggies:mymaincorgis:miamisugarxo:sterlingsea:midnightwillowwolf:scalestails:fighting-for-animals:How dog breeders have “improved” breeds over the past 100 years. The basset hound never used to sit so low. The dog has suffered changes to his rear leg structure, has excessive skin, vertebrae problems, droopy eyes that are prone to ectropion and entropion, and excessively large ears. The bull terrier used to be an athletic dog, but over the years his snout was mutated to be oversized and bending downwards, leading to respiratory issues. Many bull terriers have supernumerary teeth and are compulsive tail chasers and air biters owing to brain deformities. The boxer now has a much shorter face with an extremely short snout. The hindquarters are also lower. Like all brachycephalic dogs, the boxer has difficulty controlling his temperature in hot weather, meaning they are prone to overheating and collapsing in the summer. The boxer also has one of the highest cancer rates among dog breeds and many modern day boxers suffer from seizures. The english bulldog has evolved into a creature that suffers from almost every known disease. A kennel club survey conducted in 2004 found that they die on average at only 6 years and 4 months old. They cannot mate without human intervention, and cannot give birth naturally due to their giant heads. There is no such thing as a truly healthy bulldog. The dachshund, at one time, used to have functional legs and necks for their size. Their backs and legs have gotten longer, chest jutted forward, and legs have shrunk to such proportions that there is barely any clearance between their chest and the floor. Obese dachshunds usually have to actually drag their bellies across the ground. Their risk for intervertebral disc disease - which can result in paralysis - is extremely high. They are also prone to achrondoplastic related pathologies, progressive retinal apathy, and problems with their legs and joints. Pugs are the most inbred breed of dog in existence - an investigation carried out found that amongst the 10,000 pugs found in the UK are so inbred, the gene pool consists of the equivalent of only 50 individuals.  They are extremely brachycephalic, and suffer severely from all the associated problems - the folds in their face frequently get infected, they struggle to breathe (making snoring/snorting/huffing noises even without moving), they have high blood pressure, low oxygenation, often collapse and die in the summer or if allowed to overheat, dentition problems due to their skulls being so curled in, and perhaps most shocking - their double curled tail is actually a genetic defect, and in its most serious forms leads to paralysis and many dogs needed a wheelchair or being euthanised if this progresses. These dogs are usually culled if they fail to produce this ‘attractive’ trait. Healthy puppies that do not succumb to these ridiculous modern day breed standards are usually culled. One very heartbreaking example is the rhodesian ridgeback. The ridge is actually a genetic deformity - a mild form of spinal bifida - and puppies born without this ridge are healthy - but since the ridge is their namesake, healthy puppies are normally culled at birth and only those with noticeable ridges are bred from, thus passing the disability down to future dogs. Below is a ridgeback alongside a healthy, ridgeless dog.3 to 4 million dogs and cats are killed every year because shelters are too full…. people are choosing to buy from breeders or shops instead of offering them a home. Homeless animals outnumber homeless people by 5:1. Only 1 in 10 dogs will ever find a permanent home. 25 PER CENT OF DOGS THAT ENTER SHELTERS ARE PUREBREEDS. Please consider adopting a homeless dog. Please don’t encourage breeding these animals when there are so many being killed every year. Breeding is a profit, not “just” a hobby, and even if you think your breeder is reputable, they are still churning out puppies into a world where pets are seen as disposable. This post is EXTREMELY important and I want all of you to read it.NEVER buy a dog. Adoption should be your only option.THIS. EVERYTHING IN THIS POST IS GOLD. YOU FUCKERS READ UPDo not buy a dog from a breeder. A dog is not the living equivalent of a designer bag. Adopt a dog. Stop supporting the business of genetic mutilation for aesthetic.I don’t care if this isn’t my blog aesthetic, you shouldn’t either. Please please PLEASE ADOPT!!!!! IF YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR NEW PUPPY THAT YOU “BOUGHT” I WILL FUCKING PUNCH YOU!While I agree that many breeds are bred unhealthily, the comments here are a bit extreme. I’m terrible at debate and don’t have a ton of knowledge but maybe impish-iggies or kookiesaluki would like to tell us why perhaps buying a puppy from a responsible breeder isn’t a punchable offense?I’ve had this debate wayyy too many times so I’m just going to deal directly with what OP says.1. Where are the citations for all these facts? I see none, and actually recognize a number of these “facts” as false. Are you pulling these things out of your ass or what? Here’s a list of “facts” that are false, plus actual citations to prove it:-Pugs are NOT the “most inbred” dog breed. Really, I don’t know if a “most inbred” dog breed has been totally established, but even so, I can guarantee that the Norwegian Lundehund is vastly more inbred than your average Pug, just to name one breed (Tollers are another that come to mind).-Bull Terriers don’t have “respiratory problems” due to their anatomy. I can’t find any sources where OP might have gotten this from; my guess is that they’re grasping at straws here. Here’s a real list of Bull Terrier health problems.-Dachshunds are at risk for IVDD regardless of whether their legs are shorter or longer. I actually wrote an article on this.-Dwarfism in Dachshunds is NOT due to achrondoplasia, but rather hypochondroplasia. So no, Doxies are not at risk for “achrondoplastic related pathologies” and by saying they are, you are just proving that you literally have no idea what you’re talking about. Here, read some actual studies and educate yourself: link link.-Pugs “often” die of heatstroke or suffocation when they exert themselves. Yes, Pugs have a horrible time regulating their body temperature, but after working at a vet for 2 years and seeing hundreds of Pugs, I have yet to see or hear of a case of a Pug killing itself in this way. If this really happened “often” I think that wouldn’t be the case. Generally, Pugs just pass out when they can’t breathe properly (something I HAVE seen), rather than dying on the spot.-Pugs born without curly tails are culled. Really? I’d love to see a good source for this one.-The ridge in Rhodesian Ridgebacks is a mild form of spina bifida. Okay, I’m guessing OP watched Pedigree Dogs Exposed and then immediately regurgitated a bunch of the program’s information without fact checking. I say this because this “fact” is included in PDE, but after a complaint was filed, the script had to be changed because this statement is wholly untrue. Also, regarding the culling of ridgeless puppies, this practice is NOT deemed acceptable by most Ridgeback breed clubs, including the UK club (see previous link).2. OP takes 6 of the most controversial breeds, out of the hundreds of breeds in existence, and uses them to make the generalization that ALL dog breeding inherently leads to qualzucht.Fun fact, I can do the same thing with shelters and rescues! Here’s a list of the horrible things these organizations have done recently:Denver Animal Shelter Adopts Out Well-Loved, Lost Dog Despite Owner’s Attempts to ReclaimSt Johns Co Oops-Kills Beloved Lost Cat Upon IntakeUnlicensed staff botch illegal killings at Killeen Pound, put animals into garbage bags, store them in freezer, and put them into incinerator while still aliveAZ rescue owner charged with animal cruelty after killing a dog by stomping on its headIslip Shelter Tells Owners Their Beloved Lost Pet Will Be Sold to StrangersSeattle Purebred Dog Rescue Kills Lost Pet, Notifies Owner by MailSt Johns Co Kills Lost, Microchipped Service Dog Without Contacting OwnersDallas Pound Secretly Kills Four Dogs Slated for RescueSC Pound Kills Microchipped Lost Dog Without Contacting OwnerMAS Kills Dog Good Samaritan Wanted to AdoptAllegations of Neglect and Needless Death at IL PoundGwinnett Co ACO Under Investigation for Beating DogAnd to top it all off:**WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS DEPICTING ANIMAL CRUELTY**State Inspection Report on Klein Shelter Documents Animal Suffering and Inhumane ConditionsUpdate 1Update 2: Arrest Warrants Issued for TX Pound Employees: Multiple Charges Include Animal TortureUpdate 3: State Photos and Documents from Klein Animal Shelter in TexasThese are just a small handful of examples of the kind of abuse, neglect, and needless killing that runs rampant in the US shelter and rescue system. And yet, you will NOT hear me condemning all shelters and rescues everywhere. Instead, I always advocate for supporting reputable shelters and rescues, because they’re not all the same. That’s the flaw in blanket statements like “Adopt, don’t shop!” They paint all breeders as bad and all shelters as good, and as these examples prove, it’s foolish to assume that all shelters and rescues really have animal welfare at the heart of their organizations, just as it’s foolish to assume that all breeders are after monetary gain.3. “Pet overpopulation” in the US is a myth. This is a huge, convoluted topic but I want to keep things simple and just talk about data points. Every year, 23 million families will add a pet to their home, and 8 million pets will be surrendered to shelters. Why then do we kill 4 million a year, claiming no homes can be found? It’s a complex question that has more to do with animal rights extremism than anything else.The shelter system needs to take a long, hard look at itself and realize that the only entity to blame for mass animal killings is itself. I’m sick and tired of all the emotional manipulation, blame-shifting, and intentional skewing of the facts. Let’s stop pointing fingers and start actually working towards animal welfare, shall we?*hand-stinging applaud* if this op was originally inspired by the first 100 Years of Breed Improvement post by science of dogs that has been stolen and not credited all over the place, they didn’t bother to read into it at all and they bastardized the shit out of it just like huffington post and most every other news source. -- source link

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