Shallcross 1

Melissa Shallcross
ENGL 138T
Persuasion Essay
4/14/14
Regulate the Dog Breeders
How many times have you seen one of those Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercials
showing neglected and suffering dogs withering away in a rescue shelter? The truth is, those
commercials are necessary because of the out-of-control dog overpopulation issue our country
has to deal with. As more and more dogs are brought into shelters either by owners no longer
able to care for them or by animal control plucking abandoned dogs off the street, animal shelters
throughout the nation are being filled at a rate too steep to handle. Shelters have turned to
euthanasia in order to restrain this overpopulation issue, but this inhumane practice does not
solve the issue, so why continue using it? Instead of putting down thousands of unfortunate dogs
each year, we should look at the issue of breeders and reduce our overpopulation issue in a more
humane way. Breeders, who continually increase the dog population for business gain by selling
puppies they produce to private owners and pet shops, require licenses to operate. Why not limit
the number of licenses allowed per area in order to decrease the rate of overpopulation instead of
killing innocent, perfectly adoptable dogs?
Euthanasia has grown to be seen as an inhumane yet necessary method of dealing with
the issue of not being able to care for the huge number of dogs that enter animal shelters every
year. It is estimated by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that nearly six to eight
million dogs and cats enter animal shelters in the US every year. Out of these, approximately
three to four million who are unfortunate enough not to be adopted are faced with euthanasia.
Shallcross 2

Although this statistic has drastically dropped since the 1970s, from about twenty-five percent of
shelter animals being euthanized to about three percent today, the presence of this three percent
should not be overlooked (Common n.p.). Dogs every day are suffering because of
overpopulation in shelters. Today, as the rate of population continues to grow steeper, we need to
recognize the problem and do something about it now before it continues to get worse.
Most of the dogs that are brought into shelters are not there by their own faults, so why
should they suffer through living in a cage for weeks, months, or years, and then be faced with
the threat of euthanasia? Some of the top reasons that dogs are given up to shelters are that their
owners are moving, their landlord does not allow pets, they cannot afford the high cost of
maintenance, or that there are too many animals in their household and they cannot provide the
care needed to the dog (Salman et al. 221) The reason these dogs are not being adopted is not
because they would not make great pets, it is because the demand for dogs is not as high as the
supply; since it is unlikely that the country as a whole will increase its demand for dogs, it is
necessary to look into a way to decrease the supply in order to level out the supply and demand
curves.
Targeting breeders is a humane alternative to the present action of euthanasia. In many
ways, the word breeder has very negative connotations, and for good reasons. Breeders take
advantage of the demand for purebred dogs, for whatever reason the owner desires, whether that
be because they like the appearance of a specific breed, they are trying to win dog shows, or
because of their characteristics, such as their nature for protecting their owners or for being good
police dogs. One common negative aspect of many breeders is their lack of necessary caregiving.
The term puppy mills has been coined for the places where irresponsible breeders hold their
businesses. Many breeders, with the lone desire to make a profit from selling purebreds, will
Shallcross 3

abuse and neglect the dogs in their possession as long as they continue to produce the puppies
they require to gain a profit.
The problem with puppy mills and breeders in general is that they are continually
producing new puppies to be sold at pet stores and to private owners when there are millions of
dogs already in shelters competing for a new home. What people do not realize is that when they
buy a puppy from a pet shop, although they think they are rescuing the puppy from the pet store,
they are actually supporting the puppy mill that supplied the puppy to the store in the first place.
Breeders will continue to produce new puppies and people will continue to buy them from the
store.
People need to realize that breeders and pet stores are not the only places to get a
purebred puppy, if that is what they want. There are thousands of purebred dogs in animal
shelters around the country; an estimated twenty-five percent of dogs in shelters are purebreds
(Pets n.p.). Not only are breeders increasing the already excessive population of dogs in the
US, but many of the dogs they produce end up in the animal shelters facing euthanasia
themselves.
Instead of buying a purebred from a breeder or a pet store, people can find purebreds in
animal shelters and rescue them from potential euthanasia. If the local shelter does not have the
breed they are looking for, there are online resources like petfinder.com and aspca.org where
people can do advanced searches of the exact type of dog they are looking for and locations of
shelters with matches to their search will appear. If they do not find a match, many shelters hold
waiting lists so when a match does appear, the prospective owners will be notified (Six n.p.).
So how should the US address the issue of breeders and puppy mills and increase the
number of dogs being adopted from shelters? One solution to this problem, and ultimately an
Shallcross 4

alternative to euthanasia, is to somehow decrease the number of breeders in the country. This
could be done by regulating the number of breeders that are allowed to breed in a certain area,
similar to how there are only a certain number of liquor licenses permitted in each municipality
of a state in the US.
Currently, the license required for breeders is regulated by the Animal Welfare Act
(AWA), specifically listed as a Class C license (Licensing n.p.). In order to receive a Class C
license, a person over eighteen simply has to fill out an application, pay the ten dollar application
fee, the initial license fee, and, if they pass an inspection that assesses their capability to care for
breeding dogs, pay an annual license fee that depends on their income from the business
(Animals n.p.). There is no limit on the number of licenses permitted per state, so anyone who
applies and passes the inspection receives a license, and this can really add up. The country
needs to establish a regulated limit on the number of breeders that are licensed to produce
puppies per state. By restricting the number of breeders within a region, our country can greatly
reduce the overpopulation of dogs in animal shelters and help those unfortunate three to four
million dogs avoid euthanasia.
Officially restricting the number of breeders legally licensed to breed puppies would
decrease the number of puppies produced by breeders each year in the US. Fewer breeders
means less puppies being produced and sold in pet stores and other places around the country.
With less puppies being sold, people who desire to get a dog will be more inclined to turn to
animal shelters where they can adopt a dog in need of a home. Consequently, less dogs are being
produced overall in the country and more dogs are being adopted through animal shelters.
Therefore, the overpopulation problem decreases and less dogs face euthanasia in animal
shelters.
Shallcross 5

Decreasing the number of breeders in the country can help control overpopulation on a
business level, too. When the supply of purebred puppies goes down, the prices go up. As the
prices increase, less people will want to pay the higher price for purebred puppies and the
number of puppies bought from breeders will go down. This in turn increases the intent of people
to adopt dogs from animal shelters, which decreases the overpopulation issues, and saves more
dogs from euthanasia.
Limiting the number of breeders allowed per state would not only help alleviate the
overpopulation issue, but also other issues related to animal cruelty. Some licensed breeders fall
into inhumane practices. Restraining the number of licenses allowed will entail that the agency
providing them, the USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), does more
in-depth and more frequent inspections into a person who is applying to make sure that that
person is using the privilege in a humane and worthy way. If through these inspections, APHIS
finds that there is a more fitting applicant who would be more responsible or able to care for the
dogs, then that persons application should take precedence. The agency will be less willing to
give out the few licenses to anybody who just passes the requirements, those who are more likely
to fall into malpractice with the dogs and/or create puppy mills, thus helping the cause to prevent
animal cruelty.
So with all the benefits of limiting the number of dog breeding licenses available, why is
there not already a law in place that will help to end the suffering of dogs in shelters and
mistreated breeding dogs all across the country? Well, one reason may be in consideration of
money. Putting a law in writing is relatively easy when compared to enforcing it. As with any
law, this one would require law enforcement to actively pursue and reprimand those who would
operate a dog breeding facility without a proper license. Although this is currently the case, it
Shallcross 6

may be that the limit will push those who are adamant in breeding dogs, but are turned down by
APHIS, into operating without a license. The cost of reprimanding these people, between any
legal terms which could include jail time and the relocation of the dogs, may persuade people
against this law. However, what if your dog was in a shelter that was quickly becoming
overfilled and he was next in line for euthanasia? Would you not allow some bit of your tax
dollars to go towards enforcing the law and saving your dog and millions more like him?
A similar reason why a law like this does not currently exist may be because people
believe there are more important things to deal with than saving dogs. However, the issues of
dog overpopulation and animal cruelty are definitely recognizable and important issues to many,
as can be seen through the huge amount of donations each year to campaigns aiming to help
animals in threatening situations. In 2012, within the Humane Society of the United States
(HSUS) alone, people donated just under $19 million, according to the HSUS and Affiliates
Consolidated Financial Statement (Consolidated n.p.). If people are passionate enough to
donate $19 million in one year to support the fight against animal cruelty, do you not think there
are a lot of people in the US who believe fighting animal cruelty and saving dogs from
euthanasia is important and would support a law that helps the cause?
When it comes to the issue of overpopulation of dogs in animal shelters, the problem is
not that these dogs are not fit for adoption or that people do not care about them enough to adopt
them all. The problem is that instead of curbing the population growth at the source of the
problem, animal shelters are having to adjust to the situation, and the only way they currently
know how to effectively do so is through the use of euthanasia. In order to truly fight this issue,
the source of the overpopulation needs to be regulated, primarily dog breeders who supply
Shallcross 7

private owners and pet shops which discourage people from adopting from shelters and saving
lives.
Government officials need to look into actively supporting a law that restricts the number
of licenses for breeding dogs that are allowed per area throughout the US. The thought of using
euthanasia on an innocent dog that could have been someones best companion is just
unbearable. US citizens need to do something about this, and that something could be writing to
their state and local representatives and pointing out the key figures of the issue. Ask them to
support and/or help to create a law that could save countless dogs from dying. I am sure they will
listen, and may try to join our cause, if not just for the political support. It is our role as citizens
of the US to actively involve ourselves in our society, and if enough passion and determination is
put into getting our government to support us, I believe we can truly make a difference that many
people and dogs will appreciate.

Shallcross 8

Works Cited:

Common Questions about Animal Cruelty. The Humane Society of the United States N.p., 3
May 2013. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Dr. M.D. Salman, Dr. John G. New, Jr., et al. Human and Animal Factors Related to the
Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats in 12 Selected Animal Shelters in the United States.
Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science J(3) (1998): 207-226. Web.

Licensing and Registration Under the Animal Welfare Act. United States Department of
Agriculture, Apr. 2004. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Animals and Animal Products. Title 9 Code of Federal Regulations, Pt. 2. 2013 ed., n.p. Print.

Consolidated Financial Statements. The Humane Society of the United State and Affiliates, 31
Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Six Common Misconceptions about Pet Adoption. Petfinder. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Pets by the Numbers. The Humane Society of the United States. N.p., 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 12
Apr. 2014.