There is another reason why the – adult- shelter dogs do not get a second chance and the shelters keep filling up; the abundant arrival of puppies through illegal breeding.
Illegal private breeders breed on a large scale in huge stables where the welfare of the animal is not taken into account. The only purpose is to make money, the conditions where the dogs are kept are harrowing.
This illegal form of breeding is not only done in Spain, but all over the world. In the Netherlands alone, more than 200,000 puppies enter the country every year through illegal transport and are further traded once arrived. In Spain, this number is twenty times higher! They are transported for days with thousands of others. They are too young, too small and too weak at this stage and arrive sick, miserable and many arrive dead. They get a quick health fix and end up in pet stores or are sold over the internet. They often have all kinds of problems, such as allergies, heart problems and growth problems, but there is nowhere to go. The traders have already run off with the money and no one is interested in the wellbeing of these animals.
We quite frankly understand seeing such a fluffy cutie pie, the body immediately produces a boost of Happy hormones (dopamine). If this puppy if available for immediately purchase and delivered to your home within a few days, there is little chance that the consequence of this action will be properly thought through. As soon as the fun is over and behavioral problems arise, due to the lack of loving and dedicated guidance, these now so called unplaceable dogs end up in the shelter and it can take years before they get another chance. If they will at all.
The solution is simple
Don’t buy, adopt! As long as there is demand, there will be supply and the cycle is difficult to break. There is a lot of suffering involved in this industry and the shelters are full of these purchased ‘purebred’ dogs.