Written by Michelle Sherrow
You may recall the protesters who took to the center ring at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show a couple of years ago. Well, it happened again earlier today just as the judge stepped up to announce which dog was "Best in Show." Two animal advocates rushed toward the ring with signs reading, "Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' Chances" and "Have a Heart: Adopt, Don't Buy."
The protesters' point? Members of the Westminster Kennel Club continue to promote and breed "purebred" dogs, while millions of wonderful mixed-breed dogs die in animal shelters every year simply because they don't have a home. Every purebred litter takes homes away from other dogs waiting desperately in shelters as well as increasing the homeless population because one-quarter of purebreds will also be abandoned and end up in shelters.
As long as shelter dogs are dying for lack of a good home, there is no such thing as a "responsible breeder."
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