I adopted Max from a rescue. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again if I decided to get another dog. I wish I could rescue them all, but between the grooming, the best food, meds and insurance, I can't afford more than one at this time. :(

Great thread V but I doubt you will get many breeders to say I am not going to breed for a year and when I do it will only be 1 or 2 litters a year. I would guess almost 90% of breeders do it for extra income into the home..and since they do not have to pay a penalty for their dogs ending up in a shelter or rescue it will continue. I have said this before...I think they should be responsible for the costs and NO they do not get the dogs back because I think some of them would kill the animals...

I think there is tons of things different people can do to help the little ones that don't have homes from donating time, donating $$$, sewing beds, collecting dog food, fostering, adopting, writing letters to their senators & lawmakers to change the laws and the list goes on and on. Each person can help out in their own way as there is plenty to do.

Very interesting topic V!!! All my life our animals came from the local animal shelter. Until my aunt wanted to give my daughter a ragdoll kitten for her graduation present and specifically found a breeder who would breed for her and allow to purchase every kitten for friends and family, I never thought about buying.

However, when I decided I wanted a yorkie I did not know what a rescue organization was, let alone how to use one - and I specically wanted a puppy.

I've heard both good and bad about going through rescues. It appears that many of the yorkies in rescues are there because of pretty major health issues or neglect - though not all of them. If I didn't already have a yorkie, I might consider going through a rescue. But, I don't think I would add to my yorkie family this way, though I would go with a rehomed yorkie if it weren't for behavior issues. And, having one with health issues - I know firsthand just how expensive it is to keep them as healthy as possible.

I applaud all those who work with rescue organizations and those who adopt these babies as well. I also applaud those breeders who are responsible and truly love their babies.

You lost me there...who should not get the dogs back because some of them would kill the animals? I'm sorry I just don't understand. Could you clarify? :)

Also, does anyone know the statistics re shelter dogs? Are the majority of them from puppy mills and pet stores and what percentage come from reputable breeders? I would be very interested in knowing. :)

What a great post, I think you have it all covered, I just want to know if you are now or have ever been a member of the communist party? :D

Seriously, this is a great topic and close to my heart. I didn't believe in supporting any breeders for a long time. My dogs were pound dogs, and I had no preference in what kind they were, there are always plenty of cute dogs at the pound. As the years grew on I did want a special type of dog, I'm older now, and this will probably be my last dog. I needed a smaller dog under 20 pounds, and I decided to learn more about what was available. I actually didn't even realize that there were breeders who really loved the breed, and bred not for the purpose of supplementing their income, but actually because they had something to offer the breed. So now I see nothing wrong with supporting this type of breeder. I am concerned about what the next few years will bring. In a bad economy more and more people seem to be breeding, and rescues are turning away dogs. It seems like it's changed so much here in the past year. It use to be we could link a picture of a dog who needed adoption and within a week he'd be adopted, and some sort of YT train would be set up to get him to his new owner, now the rescue section has page after page of threads, and not too many people seem to be responding to them. I hate to see people made to feel guilty about buying a dog, and I'd hate to see people rescue when their heart isn't really into it. It doesn't seem fair to the dog. It's a tough situation.

One of the definitions of a "reputable breeder" is someone who will take the dog back at any time. We can't even sell Joey without his breeder's permission. So there are no reputable breeder's dogs in shelters, this doesn't mean that there aren't cute adorable dogs in shelters, but the breeders who produced them were selling dogs, not placing them in good homes. Most breeders will act like they are discriminating, but few really are, if you have the money, they will sell you a dog. A breeder has not done a through enough job, if a dog needs rehoming.

When I bought my first dog I was ignorant and bought her from BYB. When I decided to get another dog I went looking at shelters (here in Houston). I have three boy's and one other dog and alot (almost all) were deny to me because of behavioral problems. They needed someone at home most of the time and no children. I almost cried of joy when I found one that was good with children and other pet. But there were like 100 inquiries in front of me. I send my application to so many places but my condition (of having kids) kept me from a rescue.
I'm not saying it's wrong because I can fully understand why. But not everyone is able too or lucky enough.

I agree with you all but this part, reputable breeders can not keep track of every single dog as much as they hope to some move and never keep in contact. there for some that do end up rehomed/shelters and its very sad.
but any dog is sad to see in a shelter.

I'm sorry, but I define reputable breeder differently than you do. I think they should know where there offspring has gone, and they should keep in touch. If they have really done their job right, the dog will never be placed in a rescue. I have very high standards for what I call a reputable breeder.

Either that or you could just send Joey to my house! :D (j/k)

Lol, I have to get his breeders permission first, it's in the contract!

I have very high standards for what I call a reputable breeder too.and I have only seen a few at that.
but even reputable breeders get ill/die they can only hope and pray that they have picked the best owners. but some times sadly to say some do get through the cracks and gets away there for never knowing what happened to that pup. there was a thread on a breeder here not long ago about not being able to find one of her pups owners. its sad but it does happen.

I have kept updated with every breeder/pre owner I got my babies from.

the world has gone crazy if you ask me. everyone breeding dogs trying to make money off them. its sad and makes me ill to think about it. what about the poor dogs.

The point I was trying to make is that if you are going to support a breeder you should find one with the highest standards possible, one that you know isn't adding to the over population of dogs. I wouldn't feel right about owning a purebred if I hadn't done this. If one of her dogs slips through the cracks, and she dies, and it ends up in a rescue, at least it will probably be beautiful, and healthy too, which makes it much easier to adopt.

Wasn't sure what you meant by "everyone breeding dogs trying to make money off them." Do you mean that you think everyone who's breeding is trying to make money off their dogs, or were you saying "there are so many breeders breeding dogs trying to make money off them?"

I was saying to many people thinking about making a fast buck off these dogs by breeding them. more and more BYB and puppy mills. not talking about good breeders.

Yeah, I agree completely, I mean you see it here all the time, and some people seem like very nice people too, and they don't understand that this is a huge problem; they think they just found a nifty little way to suppliment their income.