The Fancy Speaks

I am always disappointed to see dog bashing in the media following the awarding of Best in Show at Westminster. Year after year, harsh criticism comes from animal-welfare and animal-rights zealots that sours public opinion about purebred dogs through campaigns that push their own agendas.

To my horror, this year’s bashing sunk to a new low when I saw a blast that came from a fellow dog enthusiast.

I was scrolling social media, and there it was: A picture of one of the group winners with a diatribe of trash talk about the inferior quality of the exhibit, and the ruination of the breed in general. As I carefully reviewed nearly 400 fiery comments, my fingers remained frozen on my keyboard. The voice in my head was shouting: WE HAVE GOT TO STOP EATING OUR OWN.

Purebred dog enthusiasts feel the negativity that veils from all sides. More and more, the life that centers around dogs is being systematically quelled by the deeds of animal-rights and animal-welfare groups. These groups have done an excellent job of vilifying us by using phrases like “Adopt Don’t Shop” and terms like “greeders.”

Growing bodies of law and restrictive governance also present challenges to the fancy. Isolated cases of hoarding and neglect are used to paint broad strokes, which fuel the passing of sweeping laws. Seriously, imagine if families with multiple children were subjected to the same surprise inspections that we endure for kennel licensing? Even worse, mixed breed and fad breeders, folks who fundamentally paddle in the same boat with us, constantly attempt to push the purebred preservationist overboard with their self-righteous narratives about the false notions of hybrid vigor and their hollow claims regarding rare canine features. I could go on and on.

When we attack one another from the inside, we are playing right into the opponent’s hand. When we criticize our own instead of showing kindness, when we hinder instead of seizing the opportunity to help, when we tear down instead of building up the people committed to breed preservation, are we contributing to our own demise?

Last week, I saw a widely shared meme that said, “Adopt Don’t Shop is essentially ‘clean up after bad breeders instead of supporting good ones.’” This is the ultimate example of why we have got to stop eating our own. The faulty logic of breeders defending themselves by pointing the finger at other breeders is a snake eating its tail.

I don’t know the answer, but it seems apparent that our defensive approach is not working. Perhaps purebred dog enthusiasts should consider flipping the script by going on the offense. For example, stand on the soapbox about the commercial function of shelters and rescue to hammer home the reality that that “Adopt, Don’t Shop” is a business.

Or maybe we should go on the offense by refusing to bear the burden imposed by the shelter and rescue “blame the breeders” discourse. Instead, we could promulgate the impact of dog-dump owners who are given a free pass. While it’s noble that good breeders are willing to take dogs back at any point, the public needs a reality check. Surrendering an adult dog for reasons of the dog getting too big, not having time, behavioral issues resulting from being improperly trained or the expense are fundamentally no more a breeder’s responsibility than my requiring the department store to take back the jeans I’ve worn for two years because the cuffs are frayed, or they no longer fit me because I’ve gained weight.

Sun Tzu in “The Art of War” notes that the most important battlefield is that of public opinion. If purebred enthusiasts continue to stab one another, we will never win the war.