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PHOTO BY AILYSON MANN
reilams continued from poge tl
admits that there might be a place for responsible breeding. "I
know some reputable breeders out there, and I wouldn't want to
speak against them, but there's just too many dam dogs out there,"
she says.
The web sites for PETA and IDA discuss the potential negative
effects of purebred breeding, which aims to produce dogs with spe
cific physical traits—a feat sometimes accompanied by the ill
effects of inbreeding. Respiratory difficulties are common in flat-
faced breeds like bulldogs and Boston terriers, because they have
shorter breathing passages. Shar-Peis, bred to have wrinkled skin,
have a greater risk of infections in their skin folds and can become
blind if part of the eyelid is not surgically removed. There's a long
list of health defects that PETA and IDA attribute to human manip
ulation of a breed: hip dysplasia, epilepsy, back problems, blind
ness, deafness. Breeders like Holsinger and Polansky are careful to
minimize the chances of such problems, but there are a number of
iess educated breeders, sometimes called "backyard breeders," that
operate in ignorance and perpetuate these traits.
Monique Kramer, a volunteer with Pup and Cat Co. and a U6A
vet student, has seen the results firsthand. Currently she's fostering
two Australian Shepherd puppies who are blind and deaf [See story
p.13], the result of breeding two merle-colored dogs to produce
puppies with a lot of white in their coats. "It's basically the new
fad among backyard breeders," she says. The puppies are from dif
ferent letters and were rejected not only by the breeders, who sur
rendered them to a shelter, but also by an Australian Shepherd
rescue organization.
Faced with the overwhelming amount of information, the diver
gent points of view and the tragic facts surrounding these issues,
most people will choose to remain ignorant They'll find it easier to
end up where they started—staring at the adorable Petland pup
pies, where the atmosphere makes it easy to win the war against
better judgment. Polansky, who's conducted some informal research
on why people buy puppies at pet stores, says there are two main
reasons: the puppies are immediately available, and nobody really
quizzes customers about the practical aspects of their purchase.
"People are drawn to these puppies," she says. "They have rescue
fantasies about them."
Homemaker Kim Harrington's experience is a good example of
how the appeal of a puppy can be powerful enojgh to override
better judgment After years of waiting to get a dog, and despite a
positive experience buying from a breeder in the past, Harrington
succumbed to the charms of a Bichon Frise after a few visits to
Petland. She decided to buy the puppy, but c; anged her mind at
the last minute after talking to Polansky. Harrington wanted a sure
thing—a dog that would be compatible with her family's lifestyle
and her son's allergies-and decided that she needed more infor
mation about the puppy's background than Petland could provide.
Eventually she bought a Cairn Terrier from a breeder in Warner
Robbins. Although the Terrier was a little more expensive than the
Bichon Frise, Harrington decided that the money was worth the
extra reassurance of meeting the breeder and the puppy's .datives.
"The breeder said, 'This is the dog you asked for,' and he really is,"
she says. "Now we have a wonderful dog."
In the "Dateline" story, the owners of Bella, the Florida Petiand-
purchased Alaskan Malamute plagued with health problems, weren't
so lucty. Although Petland staff members had-reassured them that
Bella came from a reputable breeder, eventually they discovered she
was bom at Honey-Dew Kennel, a Missouri puppy mill. And
according to information posted on the web .site of the Companion
Animal Protection Society, Honey-Dew is owned by the Hunte
Corporation, the broker that supplies the local Petland store with
puppies. ...
In the final analysis, it all comes down to the bottom line. The
bottom line for reputable breeders is love of the breed, say
Holsinger and Polansky. In contrast, the bottom lin? at Petland is
profit That means the importance of a sale outweighs considera
tions of animal welfare.
Allyson Mann
Backyard Breeders: The Loveable, Tragic Result
get along with the other animals since
she can't pick up on the usual visual or
auditory signals. Tt turns out that she had
r 3me help from Kinfe, the Husky puppy.
Kinfe, playing Anne Sullivan to Shante's
Helen KeUer, brings toys and shoves them
in Shante's face until
she plays with him.
They swim together,
play together, sleep
together and provide a
tag team kind of wel
come for visitors, so
Kramer wants to find a
home that will take
both dogs.
But it will have to
be a special home,
since Shante has spe
cial needs. In addition
to the safety issues
that accompany a dog
who can't hear or see,
there's the question of
communication. Shante
is a happy puppy,
mainly because Kramer
has invested a great
deal of love and
patience into estab
lishing a relationship
with her. The person
who takes her home will
need to be prepared to
do the same (no small
task since communi
cating with Shante
occurs solely through
touch). For now,
though, Shante is per
fectly content among
the crowd at Kramer's house.
For information on adopting Shante,
Kinfe, Kamiki or Ginger, call Kramer at
(706) 742-5850. For information on
finding responsible breeders in the Athens
area, call Nancy Polansky of the Classic
City Kennel Club at (706) 549-2292.
Allyson Mann
"Hi, my name is SHAN1E, I am a 10
week old female Australian Shepherd
puppy. Due to the actions of irresponsible
breeders I am blind and deaf." (Critter
Magazine, July 2000)
When I first meet Shante, I don't know
how to greet her, since
she can't see or hear
me. She notices my
odor quickly and comes
over to say hello. After
I pet her for a minute
she becomes agitated
and her foster mom,
Monique Kramer, tells
me Shante wants to be
picked up. I oblige and
she bounces happily
from side to side. I
forget that she can't
hear and start talking
to her, saying the kind
of nonsensical things I
say to my own com
panion animals.
On the cover of the
July issue of Critter
Magazine, Shante
seemed the most
pitiable creature I could
imagine; I was almost
afraid to meet her. But
in her presence, I forget
her physical limitations
and begin to appreciate
her spirit. She's like any
other puppy: playful,
naughty, inquisitive,
irrepressible.
Kramer explains that
Shante is the result of
uneducated breeding, sometimes called
"backyard breeding." In order to produce
Australian Shepherds with lots of white in
their coloring (the current trend), two
merle-colored dogs are mated. The result
is beautiful puppies with visual, hearing
and immune problems. Unfortunately,
Shante's condition isn't unusual Kramer is
also foster mom to Kamiki, a blind and
deaf Australian Shepherd puppy from a
different litter.
Kramer, a student at UGA's College of
Veterinary Medicine, is a volunteer with
Pup and Cat Co., a humane society in
Barrow County. In addition to Shante and
Kamiki, Kramer is fostering and trying to
place Kinfe, a Husky puppy, and Ginger, a
timid chocolate Labrador Retriever. During
the week before my visit, Kramer placed
three dogs. She also has four dogs and
three cats of her own.
I ask Krarer how Shante learned to
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AUGUST 23, 2000 FLAGPOLE IB