Quote:
Originally Posted by khengteik
i have seen and read and researched about breeding.. and i understand that it is not just taking a sire and bitch and let them hit on each other... there are alot of things that needs to be taken into account.... which no one here cares about... and by having a sale thread... more and more people would want to breed because there is a market for it....
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Dear Khengteik,
I believe a majority of Petfinder members agree with you completely that
most breeders are ignorant of genetics and focus only on money.
As I think about Ezer's earlier comment about the legalization of marijuana in the US, however, it seems to me that it's not really off-topic at all. Why? There is always going to be traffic in drugs. We can arrest the buyers. We can hang the sellers. The market, though, continues to exist, because some people
want the drugs/dogs.
As I think about it, people who are shopping for either pedigreed pets (or marijuana) probably fall into two categories: those who know what they want and are determined to buy it, and those who are curious but perhaps still a bit uncertain.
The first person wants to buy a Rottweiler, because he's always had Rottweilers. He likes the looks and characteristics of that breed. He is never going to be interested in a poodle-cross from the pound. If he comes to Petfinder and sees no Rottweilers for sale, he'll leave immediately and go elsewhere. In this case, whether Petfinder lists pets for sale or not makes no difference -- this person is not going to change his mind. He is going to give business to the pet-breeding industry.
The second person, however, may come to Petfinder looking to buy a Rottweiler, but he is less convinced and determined. Upon arriving at Petfinder, he notices a forum thread about, say, hip dysplasia, animal cruelty at DBKL, or even the ethics of selling pets in a public forum! (He'll really get an eye-full there...
) He reads a few things, and goes to search for Rottweilers for sale. Aha! There's one, for RM
banyak. And just below that ugly price tag, he'll see pictures of other Rotties or Rottie mixes, available for adoption.
This is the person who justifies the Petfinder decision to list animals for sale. Having gotten more information, he may make a different decision. If Petfinder did not list pets for sale, this person might never have come -- he would have searched on mudah.com, or gone to a pet shop, and he would have learned nothing about animal welfare at either place.
Petfinder can not stop the market for sale of pedigreed pets, whether or not it lists pets for sale. By listing pets for sale, though, I don't think Petfinder is
encouraging people to buy. If anything, Petfinder is about the best way I know to educate unwitting buyers to either (a) buy from a very reputable breeder or (b) adopt.
You say, "and by having a sale thread... more and more people would want to breed because there is a market for it...." People don't have to come to Petfinder to see that they could make money by breeding pets -- they can get that idea anywhere. If I were thinking of making my fortune by selling pets on Petfinder, though, I would take a look at some of the members' critical comments to sellers and re-think, "Whoa -- it might be less stressful to work in construction!" Petfinder also provides a public forum for people to let sellers know that we CARE about animals and the conditions in which they're kept.
Khengtaik, at the end, I agree with you that much of the pet breeding and selling industry is simply wicked, and I would love to see it improved or ended as much as you would. In the meantime, though, I think Petfinder can provide more information and education by keeping its Sale listings, much as you and I hate to see them.