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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 city salon o spa 196 alps rd. (beechwood promenade) open 7 days a week • 552-1515 hair • nails • skin care • spa services • massage make-up ■ reflexology • waxing • aromatherapy Backpacks $31.50-$75.00 Lots of Styles Lifetime Warranty 1490 Baxter Street • (706) 546-7575 www.theoutfiltersltd.com RunrRunners I DOWNTOWN ATHENS **»T*Er* DAILY SPECIALS: Monday-Saturday 4pm-2am MON-FRI HAPPY HOUR 4-7PM $1.00 Oft Everything WEDNESDAY NIGHT AFTER 10PM $2.75 Long Island Teas THURSDAY HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY LONG NATURAL LIGHT ALWAYS $1.00 RUM RUNNERS ALWAYS $2.00 400 E. Clayton St 369-8022 AUGUST 23, 2000 FLAGPOLE IB