Designer Dogs: An Exposé
Inside the Criminal Underworld of Crossbreeding
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
--- WITH A FOREWORD BY DR. PHIL MCGRAW ---
Designer Dogs is the shocking exposure of the dangers of continuing to make our dogs tinier or funnier looking, more “Instagram worthy,” and presents startling new revelations on why this threatens French bulldogs, pit bulls, and other favorite breeds with extinction.
Ever heard of a labradoodle, a goldendoodle, or a puggle? How about a cockapoo, a pomsky, or a spoodle? You or a friend have certainly been enticed by a “hypoallergenic dog” or smiled at a “teacup.” These are not dog breeds that nature created; these are the results of the forced mating or genetic engineering of different breeds, or inbreeding, and popularized by social media and celebrities.
In Designer Dogs, Madeline Bernstein, one of the country’s most respected animal welfare crusaders, reveals the obsession with new types of dogs—engineering puppies that keep getting smaller or sillier looking—and the horrifying health consequences of this on those we claim as our best friends. She also provides extraordinary revelations on how this has led to a world of “disposable pets”—puppies and adult dogs abandoned when their medical expenses become too costly and added to the 6.5 million animals entering shelters each year, or put on the street—and informed insight into what’s ahead: made-to-order puppies; hybrid animals; shorter life spans for dogs; and even the extinction of breeds like French bulldogs, pit bulls, King Charles spaniels, mastiffs, Skye terriers, bloodhounds, and more. And Bernstein calls out those responsible for the savagery, both domestic puppy mills and backyard breeders, and also an international dog trafficking ring that she’s been on the front line exposing.
Bernstein’s game-changing and unforgettable book is destined to cause outrage and save lives in the process.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Though labradoodles, cockapoos, and teacup dogs are all the rage among pet owners, according to Bernstein, president of the SPCA's Los Angeles branch, they are also some of the unhealthiest dogs one can adopt, due to inbreeding, overbreeding, or inhumane sellers. Although the main thrust of the book is to expose the breeders of designer dogs (as well as some accredited purveyors of purebreds) as little better than the proprietors of puppy mills, Bernstein is continually distracted from that purpose, addressing such topics as the wave of dogs left without owners by Hurricane Katrina, the smuggling of puppies from Mexico, and the bizarre rise of subprime designer dog adoption loans, while dispensing dry, rote recitations of legal decisions and regulations. Her advice on finding reputable breeders is sound and will surely be appreciated by readers interested in doing the right thing, and her knowledge of the issue and passion for animals is unassailable. But there's a better, more focused book buried beneath the court proceedings and frequent narrative detours.
