I'm not sure that overpopulation can be laid at the feet of breeders.....backyard or otherwise.
It seems that most dogs in shelters down here are larger mixed breeds. I imagine most of these dogs got pregnant by being allowed to stay outside or just run loose.
As was mentioned in the "marketing of shelters" thread, some areas have a shortage of dogs and are importing them. This networking between shelters is good for the dogs, but it does show that we have widely different circumstances in different areas.
We have had a few notable puppy mill busts down here. After each one, folks would be lined up around the block to get one of these dogs. Interestingly, the first few busts were of mills with horrible conditions. We had one recently where the sheriff described the dogs as being in pretty good shape, however. That sort of thing makes me wonder if maybe the pendulum hasn't swung too far and some shelters may be using these breeders as a source for more desirable dogs.
Overpopulation and substandard breeding are linked, but that link is more direct in some areas than others. The best solution I have seen that reduces the euthanasia rates is for shelters to adopt some of the practices The No Kill Advocacy Center promotes. They have shown to be effective, sometimes with dramatic results. I would encourage people to visit their site,see what they are promoting and compare that with your local shelter. If yours has a high kill rate, perhaps it is time to introduce that shelter to more effective practices.
have to be attacked differently. |