Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom  These threads are simulataneously interesting, frustrating, confounding.
A huge clarification is missing, one which we'd probably never have consensus on, for both personal and political reasons: HOW, once and for all, is "profit" defined in a breeding program? Because, obviously, one person can look a program and see profit; another could look at the same program and see almost no profit. So, which one is then considered "ethical" - if profit is used as part of the equation in determining an ethical program (and in this thread, it seems it is). It seems to me, that since profit is a moving target, it is unfair to use that as "judgment" in determining ethics.
That said, if *profit* is the goal - that's where I view a whole other place of intent. INTENT being the key word there. But, few will admit to profit as a goal, bc it's just too ugly. And, I can think of several, and I mean several, breeders on this board who breed for profit - but won't simply just say that; instead, they state the "bettering the breed" line. Even though their quantity/quality of litters proves otherwise.
I'm not a breeder (I'm "on the outside"), but there are so many signs/cues/signals from the outside that we all see here - and we see the cream rise to the top, we see the middle, and we see the bottom. So, even though "us outsiders" don't know everything about breeding, we're not stupid either - and we don't have wool over our eyes. There is a whole spectrum of breeders on this board - and they fall where they may, ya know?
I really, really appreciate the experienced breeders who come forward and share their knowledge and experience - bc they often get bashed for it (as seen here w/ Bama). |