Recently I had the misfortune to accompany a friend to a cat breeder in North Carolina. In my complete ignorance, I was shocked and dismayed to see cats confined in small cages in a small shed for the purpose of breeding. When did it become acceptable to satisfy a selfish want for purebred animals at the expense of the welfare of the animal?
Although this breeder was adhering to breeding regulations, these cats were cruelly confined to a life of imprisonment for moneymaking purposes. Often cats and dogs are denied exercise, basic veterinary care and socialization. They suffer from loneliness and overwhelming stress of confinement in a cruel environment. It is no life for a cat or dog to be confined to a cage. Every time someone purchases an animal from a breeder or pet shop, they are depriving a home for a cat or dog awaiting adoption in an animal shelter.
When kittens and puppies leave breeders or pet shops without being spayed or neutered, it exacerbates the existing overpopulation crisis of dogs and cats that we are experiencing in this country. The attendant problems of painful and life-threatening genetic defects that arise in purebred dogs and cats is another reason to not support this inhumane practice.
Please reconsider buying an animal from a breeder or pet shop. Your purchase of a kitten or puppy from these sources supports this cruel industry.
— Kelly Boulter
Black Mountain
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