From: srb@atmosmips.jpl.nasa.gov (Susan Beutelschies)
Subject: Responsible buying (Was Re: Hunting ability in Labradors)
Reply-To: srb@atmosmips.jpl.nasa.gov (Susan Beutelschies)
Organization: Image Analysis Systems Group, JPL
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 23:08:59 GMT

In article <1992Aug21.161913.19675@newshost.lanl.gov> 
srlee@beta.lanl.gov (Stephen R Lee) writes:

>The buyers reponsibility is to provide the dog with a healthy, caring, loving
>home (in a nutshell).  Beyond that, the buyers responsibility is to live up to 
>any agreed to obligations set fourth in the purchacing agreement with the 
>breeder, such as neutering or showing or whatever.  It is the _breeder's_ 
>responsibility to do his or her best to place the dog in a good home, and a 
>proper home, based on the people in question and the dog in question.  The
>responsibility for choosing which dog goes where is that of the breeder, not 
>the buyer.  Is it perfect?  Of course not.  But it is infinitely better than 
>irresponsible breeders and pet stores.

I don't agree.  I think that anyone who knowingly buys from a pet store,
puppy mill, or 'backyard' (irresponsible) breeder is an irresponsible buyer.
I know I'll be flamed for this, but let me expand anyway.

Is it wrong to buy a stolen radio from a thief?  After all, YOU didn't steal
the radio, right?  It's the THIEF that did it.  But don't you see that by
buying stolen radios from thieves (I'm assuming you know the radio is
stolen) encourages them to continue stealing?  Whether you are responsible
from a legal point of view, I don't know, and I don't care.  I'm talking
from an idealistic point of view, and I think from this point of view you
have a responsibility to not buy stolen radios from thieves.

Ok, how about dogs.  Obviously, the 'crime' here is not that the dogs are
stolen, but that they are irresponsibly bred.  If you buy a dog from someone
who does not inquire about what you are looking for in a dog (i.e. pet dog
vs show or breeding dog etc);  if you buy a dog from someone who has not
provided a good environment for the dog to grow in;  if you buy a dog from
someone whose bitch has a severe underbite, then (as long as you can easily
find out whether these conditions are true) yes, of course the seller is
responsible, but so are you!  EVEN if you don't intend to breed the dog.
You are responsible BECAUSE you are encouraging irresponsible breeding.

Do I advocate that dogs brought up under such circumstances be put to
sleep, since they are not perfect?  Of course not.  I only hope that people
do not BUY these dogs, so that the breeders have to lower their prices (or
better yet, give the dogs away), so that the breeder no longer makes money.
In other words, I hope that buyers will be responsible.  I think this is easier
to do than convincing breeders to be responsible.  Why?  Because the goal
of a buyer is to get a good dog (however you want to defing 'good').   It's
easy to buy a good dog - if you know how to find a good breeder.   So the
goal of the buyer is accomplished by simple re-direction.   All it takes is
the knowledge of what makes a breeder good or bad, and though it is
difficult to get this kind of knowledge across to everyone, network
newsgroups sure help!  The goal of an irresponsible breeder, however, is
to make money (generally).  It's hard to convince people to stop making
money.

I'm not taking any of the blame away from irresponsible breeders!  I just
think there's another side to the issue.

Susan Beutelschies
srb@atmosmips.jpl.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs