Meliora Drents

The “Adopt Don’t Shop” movement has led most people to believe that all dog breeding worsens the shelter dog crisis and should be villianized. Even in the cases of ethical breeding, they say, if someone chooses to buy a puppy, they have effectively killed a shelter dog that they could have chosen to adopt instead.

So it may surprise folks that I believe the practice of reputable breeding is not only not worsening the problem, but is actually part of the solution.

The term “reputable breeder” is somewhat circular. Reputable breeders do certain things, and those certain things are what make them reputable breeders. Those things also prevent dogs from entering shelters.

• Reputable breeders who produce healthy dogs from rigorously health tested generations will reduce surrenders due to vet bills owners can’t pay for.
• Reputable breeders who produce mentally sound dogs from temperament tested & proven generations will reduce surrenders due to behavioral issues owners aren’t prepared to address.
• Reputable breeders who vet their buyers to ensure their breed is the right fit for a person or family’s lifestyle and that they are properly equipped to care for the dog will reduce surrenders due to incompatibility within the home.
• Reputable breeders who require their progeny be returned to them or rehomed through them will reduce surrenders due to unforeseen circumstances/emergencies such as death, illness, job loss, housing issues, etc.

According to Best Friends Animal Society’s Owner Surrender and Acquisition Analysis published in September of 2020, the top 5 reasons for owner surrenders of dogs are as follows: housing (14.1%), behavior/personality (non-aggressive) (10.6%), cannot care for animal (9.5%), too many animals (9.2%), and caretaker or family health/death (8.4%). These add up to over 51% of the reasons for owner surrenders, and all could be prevented if these dogs were acquired through a reputable breeder.

Of course, there will always be a need for reputable shelters and adoption. Another interesting data point from the BFAS study is the way in which most of the surrendered dogs were originally acquired; a large chunk (20-35% depending on the data source) were given or rehomed to them from someone else, and an equally large chunk were adopted from a shelter or rescue.

Hopefully, one day, there will be a shortage of shelter dogs. If and when that day comes, the dogs produced by breeders will fill the remaining demand. The thing is, reputable breeders can’t just go away for now and come back when the public wants them. It’s not a faucet that can be turned off and on at will. Preserving the breeds we love is a journey that requires thoughtful, deliberate, and ongoing stewardship. No matter what state the shelter crisis is in – we need to encourage, even demand, reputable breeding to go on.

So the answer is not to “Adopt don’t Shop”. The answer is to adopt OR shop, but do so responsibly – and educate the public on how and why to choose a reputable breeder.