People who breed animals for stupid reasons

14 years ago

I feel disloyal posting this but the situation irritates me. My sister and her husband live in an apartment and have a total of 6 pets (3 cats, 3 dogs) now their current landlord allows this (and the past one allowed their two cats) so they have been lucky so far. They keep adding to their brood though. Her husband is the problem. She wanted a cat and he brought two home and then he picked up a third from a rescue because it reminded him of a cat he had when he was young. then his parents split and he had to take their dog. Then he brought my sister another dog home from a rescue. Their latest addition is a young german shepard. A friend found her abandoned and took her in but couldn't keep her. The dog is very undiscipline and just causes a host of problems. My sister is very frustrated with the dog and practically hates her. Her husband wants to keep the dog though and my sister finally told her why.

He wants to breed her with his dog (which is some large mix breed) because his dog is getting older and he wants a puppy to remember him by. So they are going to breed an unregistered german shepard with a mixed breed and have all these puppies that she will have to find homes for. I just had seven kittens abandoned at my house last year and I think kitttens are easier to find homes for than puppies (not that I have any experience with puppies) because cats are lower maintenance and I had the most difficult time finding homes for them. I had to foster them through a rescue and I ended up keeping two and one is still at the rescue with no home and is 10 months old.

So I think it is insane with all these homeless pets in the world, to deliberately create MORE homeless pets! It really upsets me. I see this at the rescue I volunteer with every day. In one hour last week we had 10 kittens dropped off! In one hour. The shelter only holds about 150 animals so if that happened every day or a few times a week over half would have to be put down because there just isn't room for them. I tried to talk to my sister and she says it is more her husband's idea than hers but she would like to have puppies too. Just crazy! Is there anything I can say to her?

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Comments (15)

beegood_gw
14 years ago
YES! Are you nuts?? You need more pets like another hole in the head.
sylviatexas1
14 years ago
Just call her up & read your post to her.

but...

I used to believe that you could reason with people, that if you explained things to them, they'd see reason & change their behavior (& I still struggle with it).

but people don't behave according to reality or reason,
they don't make choices according to reality or reason,
& they often get really bent out of shape at the person who shines the light of day on their self-deceptions.

If I were in your shoes, I'd still talk to her or send her an email so she'd have to look at it in black & white, but don't take it to heart if she & boyfriend persist in this.

& ps:
What rescue gave them an animal without having it spayed or neutered???
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annzgw
14 years ago
She better run the idea past her landlord or she may end up with no place to stay.

They apparently have no idea of the expense of having puppies. Ask her if they're ready for the vet bill if the female has problems during delivery?
mazer415
14 years ago
Put her husbands name on a number of mailing lists which specialize in animal overpopulation!!!
trancegemini_wa
14 years ago
"but people don't behave according to reality or reason,
they don't make choices according to reality or reason,
& they often get really bent out of shape at the person who shines the light of day on their self-deceptions. "

that's been my experience too, and it drives you nuts that you can't get through to people. my sister in law had an unsterilised cat that used to have kittens every season, my SIL would then offload them to a local pet shop which sold them. Her attitude was "well at least they go to homes and arent put down" - I seriously wanted to throttle her. But people are ignorant and tell themselves certain things to justify their actions and you often can't make them see reason, they often dont care or dont want to know.

So all you can do is try to get through to your sister and hope she and her husband see reason but nothing you say may change their minds.
freezetag
14 years ago
I wish your brother in law would just take his dog to a portrait studio, if he wants something to remember him by.
idrive65
14 years ago
Print this out or email it to her...

Here is a link that might be useful: Breeding your dog
mazer415
14 years ago
idrive65 - Great link. It should be posted in every vets office, grocery store and pet shop in the world!!!
jackieblue
14 years ago
I have ended relationships with people over this issue. I know it seems extreme but there isn't much of a relationship I could have with someone whom I think is an idiot so it is the best choice for me. If I didn't every time I saw that person we'd have the same arguement. I feel very strongly about not spaying and neutering, but to breed an unwanted dog for the sole purpose of creating more unwanted dogs is just the lowest.
Meghane
14 years ago
I LOVE that link! I am copying it and posting it on the bulletin board at work- in a vet office. I have seen all of the above and probably more but people get stupid with visions of dollar signs dancing in their heads. How about when the girl is bred but it doesn't take and she gets a pyometra, a life-threatening infection of the uterus which requires emergency spay (at emergency surgery cost- like $600-1200 and even more if there are further complications) and even then she might not live? Or how about all the puppies have worms which causes diarrhea so bad that they strain so much their colons prolapse? Wait, the c-section at the emergency clinic is $1400?!
olyagrove
14 years ago
I know it seems extreme but there isn't much of a relationship I could have with someone whom I think is an idiot so it is the best choice for me.

Not in my book. I call it as I see it - stupid is stupid, whether are you my friend or relative.

Newhomeseeker, I admire your relentless effort to help the animals in need, and you have gone a long way (I think) since you first started posting...I think you should be frank with your sister, and I have faith in you that you can...
whether she will get it, that is a whole different question...
cindyandmocha
14 years ago
Sylvia, you said a mouthful "what rescue group adopted her out without a spay/neuter?"

NO LEGITIMATE rescue group EVER does such a thing - EVER PERIOD.

No legitimate shelter I know of would ever work with a group that does not REQUIRE A SPAY/NEUTER. It is not done.
carmen_grower_2007
14 years ago
Too many homeless animals and too many poor people and that will always be. Sorry - it is life. Eat all of your veggies because children in Africa are starving. OK.
brownthumbia
14 years ago
You know I don't know how to say this gently, but am I the only one who is a little suspicious about your brother-in-law? I'm wondering why a grown, married man is still living in the past with his animals. Because a cat reminds him of one he had when he was young??? And he wants to breed a dog so he has a reminder of an older dog? Gosh I don't know but it sounds like he's somewhat living in his childhood. Sorry, I don't mean to offend. I just think that maybe the animals are not the problem here.
newhomeseeker
Original Author
14 years ago
No offense taken regarding my BIL. I agree with you. We had a lot of cats growing up, and my favorite died of old age about ten years ago and I have several cats now but not a single one was aquired because it looked like my favoirte cat from childhood. She was buff and white and I have no buff or orange and white cats. Just becasue they look familiar doesnt' mean it is the same animal. THey each have their own personalities. As far as no legitimate rescue group adopting an animal that isn't spayed- they didnt' get the dog from a rescue. she was a stray that a friend found and couldn't keep the dog.

People who breed animals for stupid reasons

Comments (15)

beegood_gw

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People who breed animals for stupid reasons

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