Pedigree Breeding is Unethical “The health problems affecting pedigree dogs are so extreme that a fifth of vets believe certain breeds should be banned altogether.” (Copping and Jasper). One of many such breeds is the pug. It is bred, as most dogs are, for appearance not health. Its squashed-face causes many problems for the dog. These pedigree dogs are also extremely expensive and sought after creating even more issues when new commercial breeders become involved in a potentially explosive market. Pedigree breeding is unethical due to the inherent health problems associated with qualifications required for breed integrity, rules required for show-quality dogs, and over breeding that occurs due to breed popularity. Breed integrity …show more content…
Many of these breeders are not well versed in how to ensure the breed is pure. Many genetic diseases must be tested for in the dam and sire so they are not carried through future generations. Grace, my Yorkshire Terrier, for instance has a now-uncorrectable disease called Legg-Calvé-Perthes. When she was a puppy my family and I did not realize the disease existed so had no reason to have her leg and hip x-rayed. Although the reasons for the condition are unknown, it is commonly seen in miniature or toy breeds such as the Yorkshire and believed to be genetically based in Manchester Terriers (Clay). Legg-Calvé-Perthes is the disintegration of the head of the femur bone in the hind leg and if caught early enough, can be fixed with corrective surgery. I do not have a lineage tree on Grace because we bought her from a kennel-breeder. We later learned the breeder was unreputable. The breeder did not look at Grace’s lineage to find diseases or other undesirable traits. Since we were ignorant of this information and thought we had merely received an amazing deal on an extremely expensive dog Grace now has a lame leg. She tucks the leg up under her body when she walks or runs. While my dog has a happy life and does not realize she has a crippled leg, she could have lived with four legs on the ground if her pedigree was
A person's individuality begins at conception and develops throughout life. These natural developments can now be changed through genetically engineering a human embryo. Through this process, gender, eye and hair color, height, medical disorders, and many more qualities can be changed. I believe genetically engineering a human embryo is corrupt because it is morally unacceptable, violates the child's rights, and creates an even more divided society.
Consequently, the dog we see fitting the classic mold outline in the American Kennel Club (AKC) Boxer breed standard is a bit different from the portrait we would see if the pup were allowed to grow up without surgical intervention. These procedures lie at the heart of a rather heated debate, especially in the Boxer world. Unlike many other cropped and docked breeds, the Boxer’s breed standard offers no choice regarding whether the tail or, most significantly, the ears may be left natural and still satisfy the
Hundreds of thousands of puppies are raised each year in commercial kennels (Puppymills Breed Misery). Puppy mills keep breed stock in horrible conditions for their short lives and produce unhealthy puppies with many issues. Not only are they committing “inhumane care,” but puppy mills are responsible for customer fraud. Many puppy mills are small and contain about twenty breeding dogs in basements, garages, or sheds “in cages stacked to the roof.” The dogs will stay in those cages without “exercise or sunlight.” Also, the dogs have two “litters” a year till about the age five. Other puppy mills contain hundreds of breeding dogs. The operators keep the puppies in “relative darkness” so the puppies seldom cry or draw attention. The dogs in puppy mills rarely receive medical attention. The females are dissipated because of the never-ending period of “producing and nursing litters.” Most dogs have “chronic ailments, rotten teeth, and ear, eye, and skin infections.” Many of the puppies purchased from puppy mills are un-healthy and not well-adjusted. The puppies have a high prevalence of hereditary syndromes and illnesses, and difficulties that occurs following the “purchase.” After the females cannot produce anymore liters...
Why breed-specific legislation doesn't work. (2013, January 9). The Humane Society of the United States. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/breed-specific-legislation/fact_sheets/breed-specific-legislation-flaws.html
“A dog is not a thing. A thing is replaceable. A dog is not. A thing is disposable. A dog is not. A thing does not have a heart. A dog’s heart is bigger than any “thing” you can ever own.” -Elizabeth Parker. According to the ASPCA, a puppy mill can be defined as “a large-scale commercial dog breeding facility where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs” (Puppy Mills 1). Dogs are more than just items that are sold for profit, they are part of many people’s families. The way dogs are being treated in the mills is not the way one would want someone in your family to be treated. Because puppy mills do not care for the animal’s health, wellbeing, or safety they should be banned federally.
The American horse racing industry has been admired by generations upon generations. Although it is a very cherished sport, like any other sport, there are many issues involved. The major issue that I find is that many owners make the decision to breed when there are other solutions. The Jockey Club, also known as the head council for the American Horse Racing Industry, should be addressing the major issue of overbreeding in the American horse racing industry.
Credibility: A few years ago, my roommate Anna was desperate to find a new puppy. The easiest place for her to find one was an online site full of cute Pomeranian puppies. Although she really wanted to save a dog from a nearby shelter, she completely fell in love with a picture online of a beautiful brown and white Pomeranian puppy. Immediately Anna purchased the puppy online and ended up receiving the dog soon after. Paisley was a ball full of what seemed like healthy energy. Anna took great care of her and made sure she had everything a puppy needs. About three months Paisley started having seizures and was taken to the vet. The vet said that Paisley had a blood defect that was commonly seen in dogs that came from puppy mills. Sadly enough, Paisley had to be put down because she was in too much pain to recover.
Although science is at a peak for overwhelming and astonishing outbreaks, the ethical issues concerning these “out breaks” have been inadequately addressed. As the options that couples that are desperate to have a child expand, so do too the expectations of whom the child becomes. Couples are able to choose a donor, of either gender, based on characteristics that they see fit to their liking. Although imperfect, couples now have the ability to choose their child’s gender. “Medicine tends to be patient-driven at the moment.” Said Charles Strom, MD, PhD, director of medical genetics at Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. “A patient needs something and physicians do all they can to provide that service, and that sometimes makes one shortcut the ethical considerations.” With our vast
Take a moment and picture a dog in your head. What do you see? You may see many different things depending on your own personal encounters with the species. There are many types of dogs out there. Some small, some large, long-haired or short-haired. There are many variances in what a dog can look like. One thing that does not change, or should not change, is the importance for every dog in this world to be given love and affection, no matter its characteristics. This is what leads me to believe that the obsession with producing and owning purebreds needs to come to a halt. Continuing to create these so-called “best dogs” is dangerous to not only the purebred’s health, but also devalues mixed breeds and can cost them their lives in animal shelters where they may never escape. My interest in this topic caused me to look into seeing what other people felt about it.
Throughout the world there are many different countries that contain diverse cultures, religions, and life styles. There is however certain aspects within these countries and cultures that acts as a common ground between one another. One dominant aspect is the existence of dogs within these cultures. Dogs are common throughout the world, either as a domestic pet, a protector on a farm, or an assistant for hunting; amongst others. Regardless of the reason for having a dog most people have either owned one for themselves or has known somebody who has owned one at some point in their life. Despite the relative normality of having a dog in your life in one way or another, the reasons for dogs coming into existence is not common knowledge among most people. Throughout a great portion of mankind’s history dogs have been an essential part of life. The truth is dogs were actually created in part by man. It was evolution from wolves in the form of natural and artificial selection that brought dogs into existence (Harris 3). This is the most modern and widely excepted theory at this time, however this was not always the case considering the theory of evolution in of itself is relatively new in our society. After evolution as a theory was accepted there were several other variations on the theory such as, the evolution being from jackals opposed to wolves, and artificial selection being the only form of evolution to have taken place. According to Jarret A Lobell and Eric A Powell of Archaeology magazine “The idea that dogs were domesticated from jackals was long ago discarded in favor of the notion that dogs descend from the gray wolf (2)”. As for the theory that artificial selection ...
"Puppy Mills: Dogs Abused for the Pet Trade." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. .
The Human Genome Project is the largest scientific endeavor undertaken since the Manhattan Project, and, as with the Manhattan Project, the completion of the Human Genome Project has brought to surface many moral and ethical issues concerning the use of the knowledge gained from the project. Although genetic tests for certain diseases have been available for 15 years (Ridley, 1999), the completion of the Human Genome Project will certainly lead to an exponential increase in the number of genetic tests available. Therefore, before genetic testing becomes a routine part of a visit to a doctor's office, the two main questions at the heart of the controversy surrounding genetic testing must be addressed: When should genetic testing be used? And who should have access to the results of genetic tests? As I intend to show, genetic tests should only be used for treatable diseases, and individuals should have the freedom to decide who has access to their test results.
Pragmatism is the name of the game when it comes to taking away freedom. The public tends to be against any attempt to curtail civil liberties across the board. It is standard practice, however, to for the government to violate the rights of certain groups in the name of public safety or to fight crime. This is what is happening with the government collection of DNA samples.
In an ever advancing world and desire for perfection, the word eugenics is growing more prominent in today’s language. Its “infamy” is only increased by todays technological advances allowing everyone access to the information necessary to learn about what it is.
Because there are some irresponsible breeders, animals are born with disabilities and perfectly good pets are filling humane societies. These animals could ...