Dog Breeder Convicted of Animal Cruelty

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/12/18/its-a-war-dog-breeders-rally-behind-an-81-year-old-convicted-of-animal-cruelty/?utm_term=.87922a5b6bb9

An 81 year old dog breeding veteran has been convicted of animal cruelty after breaching her probation. She was under order not to own any more than 25 dogs and was found to have 41 when authorities investigated her property. This story has led to dog breeding groups and animal rights activists attacking one another, both accusing the other side of wrong doings.

Her conviction stems from cropping her dog's ears without proper anesthesia and without a veterinarian despite her having been married to a vet and performing the procedure for the past 50 years. Former employees reported her for performing the procedure after witnessing what they deemed to be animal abuse. She is currently awaiting sentencing and dog breeding groups have rallied behind her saying animal rights activists are attacking them, their traditions, and their business.

Here's the thing, rally behind her all you want but the law states that cropping is only to be done by a veterinarian. Knowing this, she continued to perform the procedure at home and was busted for it. There's really nothing to speak out against, she knowingly performed the procedure despite it being illegal and secondly, she was ordered to have no more than 25 dogs and had 41 when investigated. Feel bad for her if you wish, but she was fully aware that what she was doing was wrong and was arrested for doing so.

Dog breeders are crying out that animal activists won't stop until there are "no dogs left" but I think they're missing the point. With the adopt don't shop movement becoming more prevalent and supported, dog breeding is increasingly being looked at us unnecessary. While animals sit in shelters waiting to be adopted, people who breed dogs are making a killing selling off dogs for extremely high prices. The allure of owning a purebred dog is enticing enough to overlook animals struggling to get adopted in shelters and that's the problem.

They say animal activists are attacking their traditions but what they fail to see is we only have the dog's best interests at heart. It's about wanting to see animals in shelters adopted out instead of people making profits off of animals being bred. It's about saving lives and not sitting idly by while people like her continue breeding dogs rolling in cash. Some of her dogs sold for almost $3,500, that's astronomical when you compare that to what it costs to adopt a dog and save its life.

Do I want to see an 81 year old woman sent to prison? No, I do not. What I want to see is an example made of her that sends out a message to breeders that the attitude towards breeding are changing. It's not about attacking traditions or businesses, it's about saving the lives of countless dogs who are at risk of potentially being euthanized. Every dog sold by a breeder is a nail in the coffin of a dog at a shelter and frankly, profiting off of breeding while animals struggle at shelters is wrong. There's nothing else to it, it's completely wrong.

What do you guys think? Should she go to jail? What are your thoughts on dog breeding? Leave a comment here or on fb / twitter. I want your opinions!


HAPPY VEG