Something Failed, But Maybe It's Not the Dog

Over at The Thoughtful Animal Jason Goldman asks:

The question that I wish to consider is this: is a significant portion of the two million shelter dogs killed each year simply the individuals with the lowest adaptive fitness? Do they end up in shelters because of significant aggression or other behavioral problems? Are they, essentially, failed pets?

And, of course, the answer is YES. They are definitely failed pets.

But what failed?

Was it the dog or the breeder?

Was it the owner, or the information, placement, and marketing system?

And what does it say that 50% of all dogs being put to death in this country are Pit Bulls?

Is the dog a failure, or is it the information system that says Pit Bulls are like every other dog?

Or is it the breeders, and the breed-blind apologists who argue that it is better to kill a million Pit Bulls a year rather than intervene in any way to slow down the never-ending influx of these dogs?

No doubt this post will generate a lot of palaver from those who will say there is nothing we can do, and nothing we should do.

Property rights trump all!

At the most, some will say we need to tell everyone they should adopt a Pit Bull because they are like every other dog in the world!

Right.

And so we will continue to breed them, and we will continue to kill a million of them a year, all the while patting outselves on the back for saving a few "breed ambassadors" to be used as a political catspaw and a fund-raising vehicle.

Crank up another show on Animal Planet with dwarves, ex-cons, biker gang members, and tattoo'd strippers to showcase how Pit Bulls are normal dogs for average suburban families

Right. Got it.

Message received all over.

But the question remains: Was it the DOG that failed, or was it the community that bred those dogs, sold those dogs, and then dumped those dogs at the shelter?

Who failed?

And when can we start changing this failing game?

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