I realize this thread is old but just reading it today, so…
background:!I grew with in a home that bred pure afghan hounds. They were champion bloodline and in my teens/20s I helped train and show.
Personally I prefer shelter dogs because they are the underdog and deserve a pampered life, too. I had a pure St Bernard—beautiful, friendly. I got her from a breeder, bad breeder, who overbred the mother. The parents died of heat stroke in a pen. New pups were a few weeks old, another litter 8 months older. The courts were involved and the breeder was prosecuted thankfully.
My sweet Bella was plagued with health issues. She ultimately died just after her 5th bday from metastatic bone cancer. One of the 8 month older litter was across town, he died from brain hemorrhage at 3 yrs. I lost all respect for breeders in that region because it was a very rural area, and they all knew each other… they knew and said nothing until it was too late for those dogs. I now have two rescues, mixed pitty and something else. very sweet..they were born to a surrendered dog in a kill shelter. I took two..a friend took the mom. Fastforward 5 yrs…all are wonderful living dogs. Mom is 12 and still visits her pups (mine).
Positives and negatives exist on both sides of the pure v shelter, but all deserve living care and to be treated like family, not as revenue.
thanks for reading.
