>Of note, in Nebraska there has been a fight on in the last year or so
>over setting standards for breeding - . It is a law mostly designed
>to set some VERY basic standards at puppy-millers but the AKC and its
>small dog breeders fought this hard. I ran into an article on the same
>thing in Minnesota (dated Jan 2007 no less). Ultimately its all about
>money. Anyone making money off of live pets is a problem and will
>fight these laws tooth and nail or interject themselves to get the
>laws changed to provide loopholes for themselves. In an AKC comment
>they basically said they wanted dogs to continue to be considered
>property and that people should be able to do what they want with
>their property. I've been very anti-AKC for a long long time. Parent
>breed clubs and UKC are somewhat better.
>
>Mary

AKC and small show breeders want to protect purebred breeding and
breeder's rights to continue to breed the dogs they want. I
wholeheartedly agree with fighting restrictive breeding laws. I also
support animals continuing to be property in the law's eyes. With small
breeders of purebred dogs (and ferrets) it's not about money. The money
they make goes largely back into their animals - high quality diet,
showing, training, vet care, health testing, etc. I know I'd be scared
to see how much money went into my dogs every year.

AR activists have been pushing for a long time to get restrictive
breeding laws which would not only apply to commercial breeders but
to ALL breeders. I personally want to continue to have the dogs I have,
breed them when I want to and keep them the way I feel is best. I don't
think it should be a crime or require high fees to keep an intact
animal if that is what you choose to do. I don't think the government
should in any way be in control of what I do with my dogs. My dogs have
a good life, their puppies have good lives and I don't expect the dogs
to pay my bills. people who want puppies from me are screened and I
turn down people I don't feel make suitable homes - as do most small
show/working/performance breeders that I know. I breed litters because
I am a dog person, because I show and train dogs, because I have
quality dogs, because my dog's temperaments and conformation are
correct for their breed, because I want to continue having future
generations from them and because other people enjoy having dogs like
mine as well.

I am planning my first ferret litters this year. My reason for breeding
ferrets is much the same as my reason for breeding dogs. I want to
produce healthy, naturally reared ferrets with known backgrounds. I
choose my breeding ferrets for temperament - very human oriented and
super intelligent, health and structure. I am breeding ferrets for
myself and for like minded owners.

Laws like what you are talking about threaten to prevent me from
continuing producing the dogs and ferrets I like. They also threaten
to limit some breed's gene pools by making it harder and harder (and
more expensive) for small breeders to continue breeding.

I enjoy showing in both UKC and AKC. AKC is not the horrible
organization that AR activists and dog rescue people make it out to be.
They do a lot of good for dogs (such as public education and research)
and protecting dog owner's and breeder's rights (such as fighting breed
specific laws, restrictive ownership laws and restrictive breeding
laws). As far as registrations go - they are just a registry. It's up
to owners-to-be to research and find out if they are buying a quality
dog or not. Parent clubs (which are generally AKC member clubs) and
UKC also oppose restrictive laws.

Nikki

[Posted in FML 5531]