This might be nitpicking, I would dispute the "odd juxtaposition of compassion and cruelty" the blogger claims we American exhibit towards pets. For that statement to be true, pet owners would have to be the ones euthanizing the millions of pets in those animal shelters. No, it's two (or more) distinct groups of people. The people loving the pets are not the ones killing them. It's like saying that the compassion and hatred Americans have towards Obama is an odd juxtaposition. Also, the little comment about how many of our products come from "factories with abysmal conditions" at the very end also really bugs me. It just demonstrates the general ignorance and lack of understanding that many Americans exhibit today (sorry if I offend anyone). My dad grew up on a farm in China, and they struggled to feed themselves - the rice they farmed was too expensive for them to eat. My dad made it to the US, but some of my family works in factories there, and the thing is, they don't mind it as much as you'd think. It's better than where they came from, and at least now they have food. I know these aren't really the main points of this article (yeah yeah, puppy mills are bad), but those things really bugged me, and I just really didn't like the rhetoric the blogger tried to use.
Not exactly true. The internet has really spurned the 'rescue' system, whereby foster families take in pets that need homes temporarily while advertising the pets for adoption on the web. Its very humane, and it helps to ensure that the pets are treated well and stay socialized while waiting adoption. Its the most superior system there is, but I don't know how common it is around the country. As to the puppy mills, anywhere where there are perverse incentives there will be perverse profits. That's the sad reality of economics.If you don’t get your pet from a shelter or friend, breeders are the other option.
I had no idea that bulldogs have such a shitty time. I can't believe the breed is allowed to continue if it is so obvious that these dogs suffer. Its a freak! Any animal that has come to the point where a C-section is needed just to continue the species has failed as a species. Think about it, its pretty weird. Bulldogs only exist for the pleasure of another species, and are completely dependant on that species to continue to survive. They would never be able to live as a wild animal. And its not like they are a necessity to our species, no one eats them, no one's lives depend on them. It seems odd to me.