Perhaps I decided to write this reply because I have been so greatly affected by a bad breeder. I had two miniature schnauzers at the beginiing of this year. They were sisters, from the same breeder; same dam and sire parents, different litters.
Our youngest schnauzer, who was just a baby (at 1 1/2), passed away unexpectedly in her sleep. I will never forget that horrible morning when I discovered that she had died. Our 5 year old son witnessed my reaction...I was devestated. Losing her, to me, was like losing a child. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her.
Weeks after her passing, our other schnauzer (who had just turned 2), became very sick. We wasted no time and rushed her to the vet. It was then that we found out that most of her liver is missing, some of her internal organs are displaced, and she may have something called a liver shunt. We now also know that she also has Inflammatory Bowel Disease. My veterinarian generated a letter to confirm that our schnauzers health problems were due to genetic problems/conditions. Without pointing blame, I let the breeder know...thinking that she would be concerned.
...the breeder responded by sending me a letter in the mail stating to "return the unsatisfactory merchandise for a store credit".
To her, our dog; who is a member of our family, was nothing but defective 'merchandise'. We did not buy a toaster from a store! We paid for a dog that came from the breeder's home. We trusted this breeder and believed that she cared about her dogs and the people that received her dogs.
I was able to obtain significant evidence that genetic problems were prevalent within the bloodlines of my dogs. I did take legal action against this breeder which resulted in my favour. I just wish that a judge's order could bring back my 'little girl' that I lost, and take away my other dog's health problems.
I am not trying to imply that the dog breeder that initially wrote this thread 'northside lab', is like the breeder that I experienced. I respect that this breeder can step up to the plate and admit that she/he is profitting from breeding their dogs. However, there was one thing that she/he said that made me write this post...
"It is okay to make money when creating a quality product..."
To this breeder, and any other breeder that reads this reply: PLEASE do not...in any context...ever refer to your dogs as products, merchandise, goods, or any other way that implies that they are objects.
The dogs that you create are living creatures that deserve so much more than to be classified as objects.
Perhaps, given my experience, this is a very sensitive issue to me, but I think that anyone else in my shoes would feel exactly the same way.
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