Going Extinct: Breeders in Hiding
BY CARA RYCKMAN continued
ple. How do we replenish our ranks? How do we make it to where a responsible breeder doesn’t feel like they have to go into the closet and hide from friends and family their love of the sport of purebred dogs? Trump rallied Americans with his call to “Make America Great Again.” I would just like to see America be sane again, when it comes to the ownership and breeding of purebred dogs. For awhile, it seemed that the public was “getting it.” They understood that there were different calibers of breeders…they understood that going to a responsible breeder for their chosen breed of companion was a differ- ent experience than getting a Heinz 57 at the shelter. Now, it is almost a criminal act -and certainly not what’s “in” – to BUY a dog. Adopt don’t shop, all of the ads say! Be a Green Monster, the environmental website says no breeder is responsible and to “be green” you have to go to the shel- ter. Our dog clubs are going to have to start showing a pub- lic face. Educating the public needs to be a primary goal of ANY dog club. Where we used to have to draw the line in the sand to show the difference between the “responsi- ble” show breeder and the “uneducated” pet breeder, now we are going to have to show why it is valid to have pure- bred dogs, or sadly why we should have the right to own pets at all. We need to get the general public out to see a dog show in person, and to see activities such as obedience and agility. We have to help them to understand that each breed has known QUALITIES that might be better for an individual person’s lifestyle, that will lead to a more perma- nent home. Breeding for health and temperament as part of a total package is an important plus of the responsible breeder, as well as a lifetime resource for advice and help with your pet. As for me as the responsible show breeder, I’m going to keep talking. I’m going to advertise, if nothing else just to show the difference. I’m going to take my dogs out in pub- lic and talk to others. I’m going to take the time to talk to pet people who come to shows, and hopefully lead them to a kennel club meeting. If I don’t have a pet available, I’m not going to say “No, I’m sorry…” – I’m going to help direct them to other responsible breeders. I’m not going to hide. I am proud of my program and I am proud of the time and effort I put into my dogs. The dog club that I was a part of 35 years ago was a thriving organization of all ages. Each meeting would have 20-30 attendees. Many all-breed clubs today seem to only have a few active members. Sadly we just saw the announcement of the demise of the Eugene Kennel Club, due to lack of ability to find active members who would work. Entries in some breeds have decreased so much as well – it is hard to find majors. Dog laws are going into effect in various parts of the country – a friend talked about her concern in moving to Florida due to how many areas there are affected by kennel licensing. Wake up friends. You thought the circus would never cease to be. The cur- tain call is coming. We need to turn the tide. n
try to be educational. Not just about my dogs, but I will put up any article I read that I think has merit or that I feel might help others. On my personal facebook, I have 744 “friends.” Prior to the facebook animal sales/adoption ban, I have placed several dogs from my personal facebook, usually to someone I know well or their mother or cousin or friend. On the plus side, I have only blocked ONE per- son on my personal facebook due to their anti-breeder stance that she chose to post as a comment on a picture of one of my dogs. Of course now, if you “advertise” on face- book by posting a dog for sale or even adoption, you run the risk of getting in trouble as it is now against facebook policy. What I am seeing now is some still blatantly adver- tising, and some skirting around by using different word- ing avoiding keywords that will be caught by facebook. A friend of mine suggested that she is afraid to let peo- ple know she is a breeder. She hides it like an addiction. I refuse. There is nothing wrong with my hobby. It is a wholesome family activity to show dogs. Yes I breed dogs. No, I do not contribute to the shelter problem. No, my dogs are not exploited and mistreated. My dogs are better cared for than many children! So, what is the solution? I wrote an article many years ago where I suggested that our fancy was fighting a losing battle if we – and by WE I do not mean just responsible breeders but ALL who believe we should have companion animals, ALL who believe we should have the CHOICE to breed animals- cannot come together. If we cannot set aside our looking down our nose at another breeder because they are focusing too much on head type and not on the total package, we sure aren’t going to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with a commercial breeder to stop the animal rights activitists. I know dog friends who were fine with the destruction of the Ringling Brothers’ Circus. Do you think for one minute that we as the dog fancy are not on their agenda? We should have been out there fighting for the CHOICE for Ringling Brothers to HUMANELY train elephants for their performances. Were you? I wasn’t. I never believed it could happen. We can all agree that nobody should be abusive to animals – that is the animal welfare we have been telling everyone about for years that they should be supporting instead of animal rights. Everyone knows that, right? Our neighbors and friends don’t send their money to PETA or the Humane Society of the United States, do they? Yes, they do. Have we been loud enough in decrying the agenda? Or have we accepted that they are currently after fur, or circus animals, or laboratories…and not realized that they with their mil- lions of dollars in advertising have people on facebook decrying a responsible breeder for attempting to find a lov- ing pet home for a retired brood bitch for the cost of a spay…because….because…SHELTER DOGS ARE DYING! We must find a way to show the public the truth, or our beloved dog fancy will vanish. The breeds we love will be gone. Have you noticed that the fanciers at dog shows seem to get older and older? We are losing the young peo-
168 • S how S ight M agazine , S eptember 2017
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