“Where did you bury my other leg?!”
The Scotsman – April 30, 2007, via Overlawyered:
DOG breeders have warned that some of Britain’s best-loved breeds including dachshunds, bulldogs and basset hounds could disappear because of new and potentially far-reaching government animal-welfare measures.
The Scotsman has learned that ministers in Edinburgh and London are preparing to ratify a controversial Europe-wide treaty that could set strict limits on the breeding and handling of animals.
Dog breeders fear that the treaty’s terms are so broad that it would effectively forbid the breeding of distinctive types of dog because their defining characteristics could be seen as risking their welfare.
According to the Scottish Kennel Club, ratifying the treaty would mean that anywhere between 30 and 40 breeds would effectively be outlawed. Some distinctive breeds of cat including the Siamese and Persian could also be affected.
I have to admit, I never really understood the difference between purebred and inbred.
Red Rocket! Red Rocket! Red Rocket!
There actually is no difference between purebred and inbred. To make matters worse, breeding dogs and cats is often done purely for physical appearance. This leads to highly unhealthy breeds of dogs and cats. I am not upset by this. I think they probably could have done it by simply requiring that all animals be bred for health, as measured by life expectancy and chronic health problems or some such. But, mutts are healthier. This is often true of humans as well.
Some legislation required, but as always if that legislation is improperly worded or structured it is inevitably improperly applied. 3 years ago I purchased a persian kitten here in Spain. I purchased from a ‘reputable’ breeder with ‘champion’ persians. Unfortunately my kitten had polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and died at nine months of age after 3 months of suffering. PKD is an inherited trait that could easily be culled were it not for greedy and unscrupulous breeders. It came to my attention later that the same breeder was selling litters from the same sires, I also discovered that legally I had no options. Poorly written legislation is better than no legislation at all!
#4 – Pedro…
Do you know anything about anything?
Will you ever make an insightful post?
Will you ever say anything that doesn’t make me want to shake my head and utter “what an idiot!” under my breath?
2. I agree there isnt much difference. Didnt this cause problems in the so-called Royal families of Europe.
This is so stupid, humans have been selectively breeding animals and plants for thousands of years. How do these clowns think their precious terriers came about in the first place?
Does this mean my minature dachshund just went up in value?
Hooray for mutts! (got two great mixed dogs)
Seems like the biggest issue is when a breed gets to be so “pupular” that breeders looking to make a buck stop caring about mixing things up a little. I’ve seen some of the really nasty genetic issues that come from overly inbred “purebreeds”. German Shepherds (in the US anyhow) that have Hip dysplasia by year 2. Pugs whose eyes fall out because they’re too bug-eyed. It goes on. When people breed for some pretty freakish attributes, it’s not doing the dogs any favors.
Some breeds don’t have that much issue…but usually it’s because they’re not being bred for characteristics that cause issues, or they’re not that popular.
Mind you, I don’t think it should result in more legislation, just handled under existing animal cruelty laws if breeders are producing a lot of crippled animals (like an owner a while back that would deliberately breed for fewer than 4 legs in cats and such).
I certainly agree with Misanthropic Scott. Most purebreds these days are inherently dangerous because they turn or unhealthy because they are born with genetic diseases and defects. Breeding animals that closely and showing them is cruel and unproductive. I can’t get upset about this, quite the opposite.
Pedro should stop getting his education through AM radio exclusively.
SN – Loved your caption for the photo you found!
#12, “seamonkeys” aren’t cute and cuddly. so I doubt you’ll see many tears shed for them. Just like few people care if you kill a mouse, but heaven forbid you kill a cat.
#4 – HOw comforting is the notion that PC is taking over the world. Radical muslims must be having a big laugh at this.
Comment by pedro — 5/17/2007 @ 4:36 am
#5 – Pedro…
Do you know anything about anything?
Will you ever make an insightful post?
Will you ever say anything that doesn’t make me want to shake my head and utter “what an idiot!” under my breath?
Comment by Awake — 5/17/2007 @ 5:47 am
Can I just echo this…
I mean, what the fuck does that mean “PC is taking over”?
PC is doing something? PC is a concept, not a thing capable of taking an action… and further, its a tired, stupid, meaningless term that the right just bandies about as a slur. It just means, “I don’t like you because of your beliefs”
If I am ever accused of being PC, and as you can imagine, it happens, then I know my accuser has nothing to say and can be dismissed out of hand.
—
SN – Jackie Onasis was a purebred. Paris Hilton is inbred.
#14, actually, I rather prefer “I don’t like the things you say because they are nonsensical and dumb”
i.e. using the term “African-American” as a racial identity rather than a less silly reference to a person’s continent of birth; or the term “Native-American” used to describe people who migrated here across a land bridge before the ones who migrated by way of sailing ship, even though anybody who was born here is rightfully called a “native.”
But these are just the opinions of a “German-American” who has never stepped foot in Germany. I need to stop wasting time and go hit on the boss’s secretary.
I vote for spaying female animal right activists, it’s not like they’re using their genitals anyway.
14 – I like your definition of purebred/inbred. Excellent.
I think the main difference is the intended purpose of the breeding.
IMO, many purebred lines came about for one of two reasons:
1. Breeding for traits that make the dog good for a specific work-related purpose. Work dogs. Most of those breeds were known to be very healthy and stable, because otherwise they weren’t worth anything. And then along came the AKL.
2. Breeding for purely cosmetic traits for the idle wealthy. Those dogs had health issues from the beginning. But who cares? Rich brats want a pretty puppy. Big eyes are cute. Who cares if their eyes fall out? :p
When animals are bred for a working purpose and one of the goals is for a strong/healthy animal, they tend to do well. When you get obsessed over cosmetic standards, you create freaks that are useless for anything other than decoration.
9. I agree with you, I have always owned mutts, and they are great. Elitist breeding is bullshit, go to the Humane Society and rescue an animal, it is so worth it.
Hey awake and OFTLO give pedro a break here. At least he did not mention emporer kuzco like he usually does. Maybe his new meds are working to change him.
John S
#18, mark, can’t beat a mutt runt for smarts, loyalty and affection, dog or cat. Just what I need – a “blond” pet.
I can’t imagine spending thousands of dollars for a pet, but hey, it’s big biz and tv to boot.
#15 – I guess using the term PC against those you don’t like also means, “I’m egotistical and arrogant and don’t give a fuck about anyone that isn’t me”?
What does it cost you to say african-american? Do you prefer darkie? Yes… I’m asking. What is your axe to grind really all about, because speaking to people with respect doesn’t cost you anything… but you wanna bitch about the labels that are chosen like they really matter. They only matter to you, I guess and there is something about those minority groups you seem to resent. What is it?
You think the stuff I say is stupid? There are 6.5 billion people on Earth. I’ll bet a lot of them think stuff I say is stupid. Well, I can’t bother to lose sleep worrying about what you think.
OFTLO,
I would be in support of calling people “darkie” if they call me “whitey”. I would like to be called European-Caucasian-Nativeborn-American, but I never see that on any survey.
14. “SN – Jackie Onasis was a purebred. Paris Hilton is inbred.’
I want a twosome with both. What does that make me?!
Seriously, Jackie married her second husband solely because he was rich. Doesn’t that make her a prostitute?
11. “SN – Loved your caption for the photo you found! “
The odd thing is that I didn’t notice that she was missing a leg until after I posted it.
#23
A dirty old man.
23. At least half of a necrophiliac.
26. “At least half of a necrophiliac.”
What evidence do you have that Paris has any higher brain function indicating life?
27. If it hasnt assumed room temperature, its fair game.
your right, full necrophiliac it is.
#21 – any stupid PC term that includes ethnicity, ancestry, etc is simply put there to draw attention to victim/victimizer status because that’s what PC is all about. It’s interesting that PC’s professed goal is to get us think that we’re all the same, yet the terminology is designed to point out differences.
The term should be simply “American”.
Parasite Hilton is going to be self-bred for a few weeks in lockup.
I hate to be a party pooper, but…
– ahhhhh, who’m I kidding?; I love to be a party pooper! 🙂
Not to take anything away from your caption, SN, which is a good ‘un, but I invite you to look closely at the shadows, particularly the shadows cast by her two heels…
Dogs? DOGS??
Honestly, can’t you get past this black / white extremist / absolutist crap?
#2 – m scott
“To make matters worse, breeding dogs and cats is often done purely for physical appearance. This leads to highly unhealthy breeds of dogs and cats.”
Wrong. How about “This often leads to…”??
What is intrinsically wrong with breeding beautiful animals for beauty, if done carefully?
Selective breeding, when practiced intelligently, produces excellent animals. It’s done all the time with just about every animal people interact with. In general, it’s only when greed or fanatical stupidity control the gene pool do these problems arise.
“…mutts are healthier. This is often true of humans as well.”
Well, this has been common knowledge for quite a while… it’s generally referred to as ‘hybrid vigor’.
Selective breeding – like just about everything else in existence – tends to be best when practiced in informed moderation.
“To make matters worse, breeding dogs and cats is often done purely for physical appearance. ”
Geez, how did I miss that? Just what in the HELL would the offspring of a dog and cat look like anyway?