A breed apart

Most everyone has seen the reports showing the horrible conditions of breeding facilities known as "puppy mills." Charles Stucker, director of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, says puppy mills aren't the only source of unwanted dogs that eventually are given away to shelters or euthanized.

A neighbor who has a couple of pens in his back yard and advertises puppies for sale in the want ads may not have the horrendous conditions the puppy mills do, but the result is often the same -- puppies who don't reach breed standards for sound, healthy dogs.

Often people who buy those puppies want to get something for their investment and breed them when they grow up, perpetuating the cycle.

"There are lots and lots of backyard breeders," Stucker said. "They think they're going to make money, and some do, but it's expensive to the dog owner. They may have health problems or are inbred. They become so expensive, people can't take care of them. They wind up here. I see a lot of that with backyard breeders."

According to the Internet site ShelterDog Rescue, maintained by Adopt a Rescue Pet of Las Vegas at www.adoptarescuepet.org, "the number one biggest contributor to the problem is the backyard breeder, not the puppy mills."

Animal experts say many backyard breeders are well-meaning people who want to make some money from the investment they made in a purebred dog. They don't always have the expertise in genetics professional breeders have. They also don't always realize they're contributing to the pet overpopulation problem.

Most backyard breeders live in rural areas where there are no ordinances regulating the number of animals a resident can have at home. Cape Girardeau and Scott City limit their residents to four adult animals. Jackson residents can have as many as five.

Dog Owner's Guide, an online magazine for pet and show dog owners owned by Canis Major Publications at www.canismajor.com, claims that puppy mills and backyard breeders got their start after World War II when farmers were seeking alternative methods of making money after traditional crops failed. The Department of Agriculture encouraged raising puppies as a crop.

The puppy "crop" grew along with the postwar economy that allowed retail pet outlets to flourish. Some breeders raised puppies with impeccable bloodlines; others bred their dogs indiscriminately, often incestuously.

In 1993, the federal Animal Control Facility Act was passed to regulate puppy mills. While it imposed needed regulations requiring that animals adopted from a public shelter such as the humane society must be spayed or neutered, Stucker said, "it didn't go far enough with commercial breeders. Commercial breeders felt they were already over-regulated."

State inspections of commercial breeding establishments drew criticism in 2001 from state auditor Claire McCaskill. According to the audit, state inspectors did not cooperate with the federal Department of Agriculture inspectors and could not account for the time they supposedly spent inspecting kennels. Also, the state program coordinator and an inspector, both responsible for monitoring Missouri's breeding industry, were former commercial breeders still involved in the industry through their wives, creating a conflict of interest. The report from McCaskill's office stated, "Commercial dog breeders have no incentive to comply with Missouri laws, leaving canines at risk for substandard care."

Hard to regulate

If licensed breeders have no incentive toward regulation, backyard breeders are nearly impossible to regulate, Stucker said, although he keeps a file of the more troublesome breeders he knows. The Humane Society of St. Louis has an investigation department that responds to reports of abuse.

People who want a pedigreed dog need to be aware of the kennel's owner, said veterinarian Dr. John Koch of the Cape Small Animal Clinic. They should be able to see where the dogs are being raised, how clean the kennels are, how well the dogs are socialized and should be provided information about the puppy's bloodline.

"So much boils down to the individual involved, how responsible that individual is at providing good care," said Koch. "Not necessarily is every breeding situation a bad situation. On the other hand, there are people who are after the almighty dollar, and that's all they're interested in."

Koch said he often sees a puppy in his practice who is not quite as healthy as it could be.

"When I look at a puppy I always wonder if it's the exception or the rule," he said. "It might not be very healthy or very desirable. It's difficult to judge, but I do wonder."

Reputable breeders like the breeds they raise and are interested in preserving them. They are licensed and inspected regularly, but randomly, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"I never know when they're going to be here," said Beverly Sanders, who has owned Pom Hut Kennels in Scott City for 20 years. Sanders said anyone is welcome to come and look at her kennel.

Stucker said most people want a certain breed of dog because of its temperament or because they want traits a given breed is known for, such as working dogs.

According to ShelterDog Rescue, if a dog doesn't meet the criteria the American Kennel Club sets for certain breeds, then that dog is a pet and should be loved and appreciated, but not bred.

"If your pet-quality dog has AKC papers, that's nice, but it doesn't change anything," wrote Sunny Arruda in an article in ShelterDog Rescue. "You still don't have the right to breed it. If you breed your pet-quality dog, you are a backyard breeder. If your pet-quality dog cost you $500, be glad you had the money to afford it. You still have no right to breed it."

lredeffer@semissourian.com335-6611, ext. 160