Busting Backyard Breeders

Prior to my animal group enlightenment, I wasn't super knowledgable on pet breeding and what it entails. All of my animals have always been rescues because as a child I thought the shelter WAS the pet store. It makes sense to a kid, right? You go to a place, pick out an animal, and most of the time there's a fee! It feels like shopping for an animal and as a kid, you don't really care what *breed* a small puppy or kitten is - you just find it cute.

Into my college years, I acquired some friends that turned me on to a couple dog & cat breeds. I knew the classics (thanks to Nintendogs as a child) but wouldn't know a detail about anything that strayed too far from a retriever. Then my boyfriend showed me Dean the Basset, a famous internet sensation that collects his popularity from his stubborn aversion to anything that requires getting up from the couch or... moving at all, really. The glorious breed of the Basset Hound are quite beautiful and hilariously tempered. This breed made me realize how important it is to continue safe breeding as long as it's done the correct/legal way. There's nothing wrong with wanting a certain kind of dog!

Turns out, there's a lot to know about breeding and the difference between a backyard breeder and a licensed breeder. One is okay and the other is horrific. It wasn't until I started seeing posts like the ones below that I had even heard of the term, "backyard breeders." It left me with many questions and heartache.

Why do these sweet animals need to be "rescued" from the place they were born? I didn't fully understand. I had heard of #adoptdontshop and I really thought it was more of a financial movement. I had only been in one pet store before where they sold little Yorky and Maltese puppies for prices nearing $1000 so adopting did seem like a better option. That was until I realized what the animal's journey was to get there.

Below is a photo from a backyard breeder that was discovered in Miami.

These dogs are matted, living in an enclosed shelter with nowhere to relieve themselves or run and play. They are being used to breed puppies that are sold for the same amount registered breeders are selling them for.

Luckily, thanks to Facebook, groups are forming to end backyard breeding and report animal abuse. It soothed my soul when I found this long list of groups after a quick Facebook search.

The grammar and attitudes on these pages CAN become quite comical but the heart behind the mission is what matters. Again, the common theme between this age of pets and social media is that people are banding together to make things better for animals AND society! These missions are positive outlets for people to focus their energy that don't require sharing political views or knowledge of the latest memes - people are just trying to help.

If you're ever looking to buy a specific breed to add to your family, make sure you use your best judgement when shopping. Breeders often use Facebook to advertise, but have professional branding and reviews from previous customers. Hardly ever will a legitimate breeder advertise from their personal account. Do your research on the pricing of the breed you want and compare what breeders are asking for a puppy. If it is substantially lower than what you were expecting, that's a red flag! Backyard breeders often use their advantage of a "bargain" to draw in more customers. Finally, legitimate breeders will be transparent with you on the living conditions and background of the mom and dad animal. Often times, they will even upload photos or video updates of the expecting mother to show you! If you're paying a lot of money for an animal, make sure you're contributing to the right industry.

If you do encounter a backyard breeder, report it and maybe consider rescuing an animal from it's facilities. You won't be supporting the abuse by transitioning an overworked mother into retirement.

Even though I have been educated over the last year on breeding do's and don'ts, I still believe that adoption from a shelter is the best way to go. After all, my precious cat (who just turned one) would've never known the good life of free feeding and tall cat trees!

A photo of Opal giving her best "blep"