Just a warning, this article has some unpleasant parts to read

  • AbsurdityAccelerator@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    I agree with you 100% but even adoption has been corrupted. Go to petfinder.com and search for a doodle. You will instantly see a bunch of puppies that are clearly from the same litter with an “adoption fee” of $800. I recently learned it’s called “retail rescue”.

    We need to start heavily regulating breeders and educating the public.

    • frickineh@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Most people really need to stop getting their hearts set on a specific breed when adopting. I constantly see posts of people rehoming dogs because they can’t keep up with them or meet their needs. Like, yeah, maybe instead of adopting a 1 year old Aussie, you should’ve gotten a 5 year old chihuahua if you’re not the kind of person who runs and does agility and shit.

      Also, I had a labradoodle who was rescued (as a 7 year old) from a puppy mill, which is where pretty much all doodles come from now. He shed like a motherfucker, was absolutely not hypoallergenic, and cost a ton of time and money in grooming bills. He was also the single most anxious dog I’ve ever had. We adored him but they’re not some magical perfect breed. (We didn’t seek one out, my parents just fell in love when I was fostering him.)

      • Drusas@kbin.run
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        5 months ago

        You kind of made your own point against your argument in the first paragraph. There are different traits to different breeds, and that is a fact. I would never get an Australian Shepherd (or any shepherd) because they simply have higher energy and exercise needs than most other dogs do. So I insist on getting a breed with lower exercise requirements.

        The point is: breed matters. Environment and training matter, but so does the breed. Get one that suits your lifestyle.

        • jeffw@lemmy.worldOPM
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          5 months ago

          The thing about most shelters is they are filled with mutts. Yes, breeds have traits. But with mutts, visual breed identification is notoriously difficult. Best to go to a shelter and meet with a dog to feel it out.

          And don’t believe whatever label they slap on it. They are guessing (no fault on them, they gotta write something down). My recent adoption was labeled as a high-energy breed and he’s pretty chill. I almost skipped over him because I was afraid I couldn’t handle the breed that they thought he was/what he looked like.

          • Drusas@kbin.run
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            5 months ago

            Oh I know. I also know that it’s popular to call everything a lab mix if it looks like it might have any pitbull in it. Improves the chance of adoption.

            I’m not anti-pit, by the way. I just know that you can’t trust what the shelters say.

    • jeffw@lemmy.worldOPM
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      5 months ago

      That’s why you go to a local shelter or through a legit nonprofit. My poor guy was a stray abandoned in a park and cops took him to the SPCA :(

      But yeah, that just sounds like backyard breeding with extra step