I know that I am known as hardcore take-no-prisoners no excuses, no pardons animal rights activist but the truth is, I believe in the power of good. I fight for the underdog and believe in forgiveness. I also give people the benefit of the doubt.
When I saw a recent tweet by Chris Brown’s mother, Joyce Brown, that said, “CHRIS BROWN PUPPIES FOR SALE,” “GO TO cbbreeds.webs.com” my first gut reaction was “How Could He?!?” Then, I spoke to my boss, Russell Simmons, who reminded me that not all people understand what breeding is and that I needed to take a breath and explain it. Not just to Chris Brown, but to everyone. Let me start by being clear, breeding animals is never for the highest good.
Here are the facts: The Chris Brown website lists eight eight-week old puppies that appear to be pitbulls and are being offered for sale at $1000 each. Reading this reminded me of a tweet I sent out awhile back that was picked up widely that said, “When you buy from breeder/pet store you have a gun pointing right at a shelter dog.” And that my friends, is the sad, disgusting truth of breeding.
“Breeders Are Pimps” are signs I used to carry for years when my group Activists For Animals protested every week in front of the AKC stores in New York City. We used that sign because it was eye catching and we handed out pamphlets that explained that people who breed dogs and cats are similar to pimps because they profit monetarily at the expense of the animals they whore out. As Peta has said, “There is no such thing as a “responsible” breeder, because for every puppy or kitten who is produced by any breeder, an animal awaiting adoption at an animal shelter loses his or her chance at finding a home—and will be euthanized. Breeders kill shelter animals’ chance to have a life.”
People who are dead set on getting a specific breed of dog CAN get one at a local rescue – most people don’t realize that purebreds make up at least 25 percent of the dogs in animal shelters that are killed due to lack of available homes. If people continue to go the expensive/unethical route, they are contributing to the already devastating epidemic of overpopulation. Remember, no breeders require any of their animals to be spayed/neutered, which contributes to even more animals being killed.Personally, I have always adopted mutts. I loved the fact that my dogs were unique and couldn’t ever look like anyone else’s dog. I just think that is so cool. Recently, I did adopt a pure breed – a Japanese Chin from JCCARE – Japanese Chin Care and Rescue Effort – not because he was a specific breed but because I was looking for a senior special needs pup. I happened to find him on www.petfinder.org. It is a documented fact that seniors, pitbulls, black dogs and special needs dogs are often the first euthanized at shelters, which is horrifying. If I HAD been in the market for a purebred Japanese Chin of any age, all I would have had to do is go to a great rescue like JCCARE and voila! I would have my pick of wonderful dogs that are desperate for good loving homes.
However, when I adopted my furkid, Hubbell Yoda, I was prepared to deal with health issues that mutts don’t typically have to worry as much about. In order to get a specific appearance, purebreds are often bred to have qualities that are unhealthy for them all because of humans’ genetic manipulation to make them look a certain way.
Inbreeding often causes painful and life threatening genetic defects in “purebred” dogs and cats, including crippling hip dysplasia, blindness, deafness, heart defects, skin problems, and epilepsy. And yes, my rescue dog Hubbell Yoda is, in fact, blind.
Distorting animals for specific physical features also causes severe health problems. The short,”pushed-in”/snub noses of bulldogs, pugs and other breeds, for example, can make exercise and even normal breathing difficult for these animals – my own Hubbell Yoda is one of those dogs. Dachshunds’ unnaturally long spinal columns often cause back problems, including disc-disease. Again, Peta always says it best, “No one who has animals’ best interests in mind would intentionally mutilate them in this way.”
So Chris Brown, you may think that puppies are cute (they are) but you are doing nobody any favors here – not to humans, or the puppies you are breeding. And how sad that pitbulls who already have so much to contend with in this world are being bred by you – many shelters needing more space will opt to euthanize pitbulls before any other type of dog and countless shelters don’t even bother to put pitbulls up for adoption at all. The LAST thing this world needs is more homeless pitbulls.
The beautiful thing about being alive on this Earth is that we can use our time here to heal, nurture, protect, serve and give back to those who need us. We are the only ones who can control animal overpopulation. The statistics are in and they aren’t pretty. The Humane Society estimates that animal shelters care for 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States, of whom approximately 3-4 million are euthanized.
This is UNACCEPTABLE. The murder of innocent, healthy, highly adoptable animals must stop. I get the euth lists on my Facebook page every night – pleading, confused, terrified eyes of lively, young, energetic shelter animals looking back at me knowing that within a few hours they will be taken to a room, strapped down and given a final injection (or worse being euthanized by gassing or the dreaded heart stick method) – many never having ever known the gentle pat of hand, a loving kiss, a warm bed or a full belly. Or perhaps even worse, one day they did know these things. Maybe when they were young and cuddly they had a family but when they got older and slower and when they needed their human mom or dad the most, they got dumped at a shelter.
Those faces haunt me. The old, tired dog who doesn’t understand why their guardian has left them in this cold scary place and hasn’t come back for them.
These faces KILL ME. Of course, some animals end up in the shelter system because their guardians die unexpectedly and there is no family member or friends who step up to continue the animal’s care (which is why I beg of you to make out your will and make arrangements for your animals should the worst happen). Many animals give a lifetime of loyalty and love to their human companion and their reward is being thrown away like yesterday’s garbage. Animals of every size, age and breed are euthanized daily at shelters. Some are just tiny kittens and puppies that lay nursing with their mother in a cage who never get to know what living is because the entire family is euthanized so soon. And finally, let’s not forget the dogs and cats that linger for years in overcrowded cages that only get quick walks and no stimulation who wait and wait and wait for a pardon from their jail cell that never comes. This is not a life either.
You may be reading this and think so what can I do? How can I save them? Well, start by fixing your animals. NEVER allow them to reproduce. Encourage friends/family to adopt from shelters. And of course, vow to never buy from a breeder, even a famous one like Chris Brown. Foster animals, donate to rescues. Do it now, there’s no time to waste. The animals are waiting for homes. They all have clocks over their heads that are ticking time bombs. They are all looking down the barrel of a gun. Are you OK with pulling that trigger? It’s up to you.
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