Moe came from a BYB, initially. The BYB evidently couldn't sell poor deformed little Moe so he tied him to the gate of the shelter one hot July night. Deformed, scarred from either abuse or neglect, sick, infested with parasites of every kind, and totally lacking in even the most basic training or care, he was a sorry-looking beast. But he had a beautiful face and seemed full of joy, in spite of his rocky start in life. He cost us forty dollars in adoption fees (twenty-five of which was refunded upon neutering), three hundred fifty dollars in vet fees, and one hundred and fifty dollars at the pet store for basic supplies. Then who knows how much I spent in our search for the perfect food and dog shampoo... all in all, I think we got a h*** of a bargain!!! Who can put a price on the love and joy he brought to our lives?
Moe's BYB is a perfect example of a bad BYB. From my own town, he breeds the same two dogs continuously, each litter producing at least one pup with the same genetic deformity that Moe has, some of them needing very costly reconstructive surgery just to walk. (Moe is fortunate that his deformity doesn't hinder his ability to walk or run, though we have to keep his weight down and treat him with buffered aspirin when it pains him). If the pups don't sell, the man ties them to gates or trees of shelters all over the East Bay area, under cover of darkness. We met several of Moe's siblings at the Basset Bash... one pretty girl who had a home with a loving family who, with the help of Colonial Basset Hound Rescue, had had the reconstructive surgery and was conpletely recovered, and another who was still in the care of CBR and had steel pins in her leg from recent surgery and was awaiting adoption. That's an example of a BAD BYB.
I've heard stories of people who get two Bassets and breed them, then sell the puppies (and if this is not for money then why do it? Why put a beloved pet through a process that can cause health problems?). If a person is lucky, things go fine. If they are not, they can lose pups and/or the mother dog. Breeding is a complicated process that should be carefully planned and closely supervised by responsible knowledgeable people who care for the animals and thier offspring. There is work and expense involved. A vet is usually on call near the birthing time and C-sections are sometimes needed. A BYB has very little or no knowledge of breeding - they simply put a male and a female together regardless of health or genetic history and let the dogs go at it. Then they oooh and aaah over the cute little pups and place an add in the paper or put a sign by the road "Puppies for sale". A responsible breeder carefully screens a prospective buyer, who, if they pass inspection, must sign a contract or agreement that stipulates, among other things, that the dog be returned to them if things don't work out for any reason. A BYB will sell to anyone. Even the ones who may care for thier pups don't really do anything to ensure the pups happiness or well-being. Personnaly I would leave the breeding to the people who know what they are doing and spay or neuter my own dogs, so I could enjoy my time with them. There are way too many dogs without homes out there
without me adding to the problem with my ignorance or need of money.
Terry
