> I continue to hear folks say that the AKC is only a registering body, not
designed to enforce responsible dog breeding. The AKC is a private
registry. WHY must they register all dogs? If they are so strongly behind
their own policies, then I want to see them take definitive action. The
time is LONG past for the AKC to step up to the plate completely, and take
on some of the responsibility for enforcement
Although I won't pretend to know why the AKC is *long past* (your words) the
time to implement changes, I think more than likely one of the reasons the
AKC is moving so slowly is the exact same reason the government takes their
time enforcing changes such as cars meeting minimum MPG and pollution
standards. They start out low and have a stepped program. This is to
protect the car manufacturers so they may implements changes in such a way
that they won't have to go bankrupt doing so. If they were to go bankrupt
an awful lot of people would be without a job.
No matter how much we hate puppymills now, even 20-30 years ago they were
pretty much accepted by most people as a normal way of breeding dogs. It is
really only in the last 10 years or so that people have really gotten upset
over the fact that puppy mills exist. Hence my questioning of the use of
*long past*. In huge corporation terms, 10 years is not much time.
Another reason could be the basis the United States was founded on.
Freedom. Everyone has freedom of choice. I guarantee you most puppy mills
actually feel they are doing people a service by producing those puppies!
Producing puppies is their freely chosen way to make money! I can't imagine
a couple of them are sitting in his/her home thinking "I am doing something
awful here, making those poor doggies have puppies over and over and living
in the conditions they live in--but I don't care because I'm making money so
I'm going to continue to do it!" I think it is much more like "Wow, I am
making money producing cute puppies and making families happy." Sure they
are producing lots of defective puppies, but I doubt it is any harder for
them to pretend those defective puppies aren't there than for show breeders
to pretend Cavaliers don't get hip dysplasia so there is no need to have
their hips OFAd/PennHIPP'd. The human brain/psyche is really quite
remarkable in it's ability to protect a person's ego/sense of worth by
altering their perception of what is really happening.
The fact is the AKC WAS set up purely as a registration body--because that
was ALL that was necessary when it was set up. This was a LONG time ago. I
doubt a single person ever thought about puppy mills or any such thing when
the AKC was first started. The fact is that the AKC is against puppy mills
now and has taken a written position saying so. The fact is the AKC has
taken a stance and step by step is attempting to drive the puppy mills out
of their registration. The fact is the percentage of registrations from
puppy mills has dropped from 11% to 5% over 10 years, so what they are doing
is working.
Problem is though, it is not stopping puppy milling in the least. It will
go right on happening--with or without AKC registration. Those same people
that can be convinced that pet shop/puppy mill puppies are fine as pets, are
also the same people that can be convinced the APR or FIC registry is just
fine, too.
Maybe, just maybe, the AKC is taking their time implementing changes because
their efforts might backfire.
Heck, if we really want to do something, maybe reputable breeders should
start THEIR own registration system--one that doesn't allow puppy mills or
backyard breeders.
Just more food for thought.
Laura Trunk
Roycroft Cavaliers
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