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People Protection Law - So the dog fancy is up in arms regarding mandatory spay/neuter.....really?  Where were you when these draconian laws were written?  Where were you when county by county, state by state, these laws were passed? Where were you when your own breed specific rescue SOUNDED THE ALARM over and over and over?

     When parent club members were warned that FAR TOO MANY PUREBREDS were showing up in public animal control facilities......the answer was usually, "Well, they're not MY dogs".  OK. I agree. But those little puppy mill rejects are surely AFFECTING your dogs.

     So go ahead. Stick your head in the sand. Don't get involved. Surely, these laws aren't meant for you. Support the puppy mill lobbiest, the ones who lobby for Petland, the Missouri Dog Breeders Association and Hunte Corporation. An old saying goes.....if you lie down with dogs, you may get fleas. So if you associate yourself with THE ONES CAUSING THE PROBLEM, you will suffer the consequences of their actions. Just saying......from a lifelong dog fancier, 28 years rescuing my breed and fighting anti-dog laws.

     The pet trade lobbyists are causing most of the anti-breeding public sentiment. And the lines become so blurred that the public sees no difference between the legitimate breeder and the puppy mill breeder. That is all I was trying to get across. Teach people the difference so that laws aimed at mills do not hurt legitimate breeders. Dorie Sparkman, Akita Rescue Society of Florida Inc.

How Show Breeders Survive - I think that this is very much a marketing game, and let’s face it rescue and the HSUS and the designer breeders have won.

     We need to have the CKC/AKC and conscientious breeders band together and let Johnny Q Public understand the differences between having a quality dog that has the appropriate testing for health and temperament and a rescue with unknown problems.

     20 years ago when I got my first dog, all I knew was that you didn’t buy from a pet store. I had no idea about back yard breeders, or puppy mills. I was lucky, my first encounter was with a breeder who gave me some really good insight – look for testing – see the mother at least – must be home raised – look for a guarantee, not that you want to return the puppy but that you want the breeder to believe in what they do. As the years have gone on I have met / talked to many other reputable breeders that I am now proud to call my friends. I look for more in my dogs now because I like to do activities with my dogs. A very nice lady breeder informed me that if I want to do activities with my dog – I needed a show quality dog that was properly put together so that I could actually do activities with him/her. I previously thought that since I was not involved in conformation that I did not require anything more than a pet quality dog. Again there is so much more. I was Janie Q Public and did not know any better. I have been extremely fortunate that kind caring people took the time to befriend me and help me have a better relationship with my dogs.

     This is what the public needs to know. A dog that has been well planned has a better chance of a successful life with a family whether for conformation or competitive activities or just part of a loving family.

     A strong campaign to inform the public of the differences. We don’t need to bring in rescues from South America and the Islands. Pure bred dogs (have) history and temperaments and activity levels that are anticipated. I encourage people to do the research when choosing a dog. How much work is involved, how much activity, what kinds of things can I do with them, grooming. I make people make their children come up with a pro and con list for each breed that they think they want. Then they can make informed decisions. Not one person has come back to me and said I was wrong. They have all been happy with their decision from the time and effort that they put into the research. Just my 2 cents. Maureen Smith

Editor's Note: Show breeders should refer all potential owners to this letter.

Handlers - The sport is in trouble and the biggest reason is that it has become too expensive for the average dog owner or breeder and in too many instances, prohibitively expensive for clubs. When entries decline as they have over the last 5 years, smaller clubs are forced to close down. The sport is hanging on by a thread, thanks to the generosity and devotion of the ultra-wealthy. To them, we are grateful and we are indebted but in order to survive, there must be opportunity for the novice handler or owner. Without breeders and owner-handler support, the sport cannot thrive, much less survive. Richard Lewis

Editor's response: It is remarkable that a sport that began as amateurs showing their dogs has evolved into an enterprise where individuals are paid to put their face next to your dog so it can win. The AKC staff is littered with ex-professional handlers who discriminate against owner handlers. You make an astute point about survival. Just as the rescue dog fad has undermined purebred breeders, so too will economic interests determine the course of history. In the end, the owners will rebel and go to a non-AKC entity for dog shows.  You could not have said it better.

Open forum, any subject, just keep it short!  Send your: Letter To Editor

Find Ethical Breeders - This article is clearly written by someone who not only does not understand the problem but are quoting from HSUS agenda!  Local breed clubs do not have sole rights to having ethical breeders. I know of several members of local breed clubs who I would NEVER do business with. All the right questions may be asked and eventually the breeder tells the perspective owner they are not “good” enough for one of their puppies. This discourages new owners and is killing our purebreds.

     Raising a puppy in a family environment is not just the priority of an ethical breeder. Many commercial kennels I know raise puppies inside but don’t tell USDA as their rules state that to be USDA licensed you may not have puppies inside. So I guess USDA has automatically created a class of unethical breeders because these people are USDA licensed?

     I also have seen very well raised socialized puppies that live in a kennel. Being raised in a house does not make the puppy’s behavior. The interaction and knowledge of the breeder with and about the breed is the result of the puppy’s outgoing behavior.

     Health clearances???? What does that mean???? Every breed is different and some breeds don’t require any at all. Then you have the question of What is the worth of the health clearance? Does it mean the puppy will not get the genetic deformity/disease? NO. All it means is that the breeder is aware of what the parents demonstrate (for the subjective health tests) or the genes that they carry (for the genetic health tests). Then the breeder hoped and prayed that by combining the knowns they have eliminated the unwanted. That is all. It does not guarantee the future health of the dog. It can say whether or not the dog may or may not develop the genes for a specific ailment but only the genetic testing of that particular animal will absolutely guarantee what genes they have. The subjective tests are just that: subjective and again you hope and pray the offspring will pass.

     CODE OF ETHICS????????? That is a laugh! I know people who sign the COE and then do what they want because they have no ethics as the COEs are not enforceable in most parent clubs and certainly not by AKC who does not set them.

     Waiting lists????? Ha! There is a shortage of purebreds out there. If you are lucky to find a breeder with puppies on the ground and available – that doesn’t make them unethical. It only means luck is on your side. The unlucky ones have to go on a waiting list and hope they may be called.

     Deposits???? The deposit is for the breeder pure and simple to guarantee that the buyer really wants the puppy. Requiring one does not make one ethical or unethical.

     Age - Well, here again, USDA and most state laws for dogs and cats specify that an animal cannot be sold under the age of 8 weeks. Although I do have to agree, it is not ethical to remove an animal under 8 weeks.

     As far as interacting - again, a USDA kennel has certain criteria they must follow and may not allow any visits due to diseases being carried in by the visitors. This is not a matter of ethics but biocontrol for the health of the animals.  A lot of states are now requiring vet checks prior to the sale of dogs/cats. This is either covered by kennel licensing, animal laws, health laws, or business laws. Following the law does not make you ethical – it just keeps you out of trouble with the law officials.

     If it makes you ethical to send home all of the supplies listed, then the buyer had better be willing to pay for them. To be able to send everything home again does not make you ethical.  The responsible breeder will answer questions about your puppy. That is responsible but it may not make you ethical.

     I am surprised that if you have a web page you automatically have inherited ethics. A good salesperson is never offended by questions and will automatically have an answer to fit any situation.

     You can be an ethical breeder and have more than one breed. I know of several people who have 2, 3 or even 4 breeds and do everything that a person does who only has 1 breed. Their ability to do this is because they choose to do so.

     If the dog/cat is being raised in a dirty environment then the person is breaking the law. Buying a dog from a business that the mother is not in evidence sounds to me like a pet store. Oh, wait. Pet stores are being prohibited from selling a legally produced pet from a breeder but can sell an animal from a shelter or rescue in many areas.

     I have seen puppies bite that came out of a supposedly “ethical” breeder as described above. Again – knowing how to raise an animal does not make ethics.

Again - a good salesperson knows how to sell an animal. It does not make them ethical or not on how they answer the questions. In fact many breeders have learned to answer questions just because of articles like this one. What the buyer has to discern is if they are telling the truth.

     What this all boils down to is this: The buyer must be aware of what they want, how much they are willing to pay, and do their homework on the type of animal that will fit their lifestyle and budget.

     Ethical or unethical – people who want to sell products learn how to sell. It is up to the buyer to find out if they are telling the truth.

     Ethical or unethical – if people are making money breeding dogs, that is their business and they will produce another litter to sell for money. Can you tell me what is wrong with that? Are breeders supposed to go in the hole on each litter to “prove” their ethics? That is just not good business sense and quickly makes everyone stop breeding purebreds.

     Ethics are only one person’s perception. What they consider ethical, another may not. This goes for societies also.

     This article is not ethical nor responsible as the information it serves to pass on can be argued both ways. It is time the purebred dog fancy stops thinking of itself as the only game in town and they are the only ethical breeders. Cathy Mall

Dog Show Crud: Having dealt with dog show crud, unsuccessfully the first time, losing all the pups, I started asking (I do show dogs) and researching. Vets do not seem to recognize dog show crud but I and my dog show friends know it exists. It will test low positive for parvo. The worst thing to do is give fluids. A simple capsule of Keflex will cure. Google dog show crud and always keep keflex on hand. If you give the keflex and there is not quick response then it is something else. Marian Blackman

Editor's Note: the internet is now full of "Dog Show Crud" coverage but the original 2005 report ties it to Un Of Fl research on Canine Flu Vaccine. Click "Dog Show Crud" for more info.

I LOVE "TheDogPress" and look forward to receiving it... Believe me, I used to endure lots of curbside lectures about rights and due process from drunks, drug addicts and soccer moms who think they know all about the law based on what they watched on "NYPD Blue," and the like. I used to tell them all the same thing..."Go back to the law school you graduated from and demand a refund because you don't know what you're talking about." It usually shuts them all up. Keep fighting the good fight! Corey Rigoni - Renaissance Bassets – MI

Million Calls To End HSUS Reign of Terror - Would you please get this information to FOX NEWS they will have a field day with it. Anna Trulock

Editor's Note: We suggested that Anna get in touch with Fox News along with all her friends to support the end of HSUS!