Reply #107: I'd like to take this opportunity to go on record saying that I intend to BUY my next dog

[bertman]

from a local breeder. Probably the same guy my current Lab came from, or maybe the one we got our previous Lab from.

We didn't buy either dog for showing or hunting--just for pets. And what fantastic family members they became. We love them like our kids.

We bought them from the breeders because we had friends who had bought from them and loved their Labs. Word-of-mouth referrals are always the best.

We have also had pound pups and will probably get another one to go with our Lab, two adopted kitties, one bunny, and one snake.

I don't feel in the least guilty about buying a Lab from a breeder who obviously cares for and doesn't abuse his/her dogs. All the ranting about puppy mills and dogs being bred for beauty and all the other asinine, hysterical wailing from the anti-puppy mill Nazis hasn't swayed me one iota. Just showed me that there are always going to be people who think they know what everybody else should be doing and have no tolerance for dissenting opinions--because they are the experts and they are right and nobody else knows jack.

I agree that puppy mills need to be regulated, at a minimum, and are not an enterprise I would support. But I knew that before I read all the crazy ranting on this thread. Maybe if some of you fanatics would just present your case and let people decide, instead of acting like you are the ONE and ONLY source of reliable information, you might actually win some converts.

Oh, and the overpopulation problem is due to irresponsible owners. People who do not have their animals neutered are the problem. That will only be remedied when local governments require spaying and neutering.