Shocking Stories behind dog breeding...

Have you ever thought about the story behind the birth of the adorable Golden Retriever puppy you have adopted? Believe me. Many do not look into this fact. What would you feel if you were seized from your mother when you were still a child? Would you be able to bear it? The same goes with these innocent puppies that are taken away from motherly love and affection right in their early days.

Well, unfolding here are some of the stories you may not have believed had happened recently. These will also make you reconsider your behavior towards your innocent pet or the decision of adopting a pet through illegal dog breeders whose main target is to reach commercial benefits. Before moving on to these stories, let us see what dog breeding is and the matters relating to it.

“Dog breeding is the practice of mating selected dogs with the intent of maintaining or producing specific qualities and characteristics. When dogs reproduce without such human intervention, their offsprings’ characteristics are determined by natural selection, while “dog breeding" refers to the artificial selection of dogs, in which dogs are intentionally bred by their owners. A person who intentionally mates dogs to produce puppies is referred to as a dog breeder.”

- Educalingo -

Now that you got to know about dog breeding, it is vital to know about the factors related to breeding. Inadequate knowledge in this area is the main reason behind the shocking stories we get to hear today.

Accordingly, knowing about bloodlines is important as it allows the breeders to define which dogs are the most suitable for their purposes. Then the breeders should prepare themselves for breeding a litter and keep in mind that the dogs are bred to improve rather than gain commercial benefits. The breeders should understand the need for a full-time commitment and be mindful in choosing a proper mate with good health and temperament before pairing them. Moreover, they should have a proper or basic understanding of the science of genetics and problems related to it, including diseases. To be legally binding, the breeder should enter into a contract with the owner of the stud dog before mating. The female dog should be subject to pre-breeding health checks and be provided proper nutrition during the pregnancy period. After the puppies are born, they should be well taken care of till new homes are found and, at the right time they should be weaned from their mother. Consulting a veterinarian for further assistance is also best to avoid complications. Most importantly, the puppies should be registered in a recognized institution. For instance, the Kennel Association in Sri Lanka which is located in Nugegoda is the recognized national body for purebred pedigree dogs in Sri Lanka. The relevant documents could be obtained by visiting their website.

(Link: < http://www.kasl.lk/>)

Despite having these guidelines, still, some people consider dog breeding as a mode of earning. For instance, in Sri Lanka, pedigree dogs as well as other breeds (except for street dogs), are bred by private owners/ backyard breeders. By modes of advertising on social media, newspapers and posters near pet shops or veterinary hospitals, these dog breeders sell the puppies for lots of money despite thinking about the emotional wellbeing of these animals. Recently it found that the breed of Siberian husky is sold nearly for Rs 200,000 while the price of pedigree puppies remains on a trajectory. This situation has become a new normal since the global pandemic, where people remained in homes and started to breed using their pets.

Normally, when the female dog gives birth, the owner of the male dog gets to choose one puppy of the litter and sell it while the owner of the female dog gets to sell the remaining puppies. However, due to the close nature of backyard breeding, there are no defined means to identify the number of puppies born and sold during a year by dog owners, which is a loophole and not covered by the laws regulating animal welfare in Sri Lanka.

The recent stories depict how this highly evolving dog breeding has shaped the lives of these innocent dogs and have dragged them into hell while disclosing them for a threat of being extinct.

In March 2021, it was reported that five dogs that had been kept for breeding and selling at a house at Kaldemulla in Moratuwa, had been taken care of negligently and discarded. As a result of starving them for more than one week, the poor animals had fed on the flesh of one other dog. Accordingly, these five dogs include three male dogs and two female pregnant dogs which are of the breed American pit bull. At the time police raided the house, they had found the dogs feeding on the carcass of the dead dog. The suspect was a businessman and after being tried at the Magistrates’ Court on the charge of cruelty to animals, he was released on a personal bail of Rs. 100,000 with two sureties and, the dogs were released to him on the bond of Rs. 1.5 million. The magistrate had also ordered the dogs to be examined by a veterinarian weekly and updated the court by providing a report before the next court hearing. (Daily Mirror Online, 25th March 2021)

Also, in 2019, it was reported about an owner of a pet shop who had been selling his homebred puppies (Tibetan Terriers/ Dalmatians) in a lorry in Nugegoda as a mobile pet shop. The puppies had been sold for Rs.30,000 each. However, the puppies had not been provided with proper infrastructure whereas the puppies were stacked in cages with one cage stacking two puppies restricting the space. On top of the cage, there had been another cage that kept thin puppies. The state of the puppies made it understandable that they were not being taken care of properly. The action taken legally against this person is not clearly defined however, the source had raised awareness on the issue among the public.

Furthermore, in 2018, the animal welfare inspectors of the UK found caged dogs with matted hair living in filthy conditions, including a dead puppy. The court banned the dog breeder from keeping animals after identifying 70 dogs caged in his house. The suspect had charged 1000 pounds for puppies of the breeds labradoodle and golden Labradors. He later pleaded guilty to five charges under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 at the court. Marking this incident, the court made a statement; “We urge people looking to buy a puppy to carry out thorough research beforehand and if you do come across a breeder that isn’t caring for their dogs appropriately, contact us or the local authority.” The above statement is very insightful as it delivers a message to the community about what we can do to prevent injustice caused by illegal dog breeding.

Hence, although dog breeding has been in practice for quite a long time now, its dangers are immeasurable and are evolving. Would you want to stop these inhumane actions against the dog community ? Are you urging to speak up for these voiceless animals that need your support the most ? You have many options left. Take action without hesitating. Remember we play a role in this cruel game too. Dog owners breed puppies because people buy pedigree dogs. So why do you think only pedigree dogs could be loved or petted? Move away from the trends and start a new normal where people would be willing to adopt or rescue a local dog living in the streets. This act itself will be a more meaningful and promising deed.

Written By: Rtr. Malithi Fernando