Alexis Vasquez-Morgan

April 18, 2016

*Work is the property of Alexis Vasquez-Morgan and should not be posted or distributed
without a source.
Persuasive Speech Outline
Adopt, Dont Shop: Why We Should Adopt Shelter Dogs and Avoid Buying Purebred Animals
INTRODUCTION: The topic of dog breeding has a harmless first impression, and can even
conjure up pictures of a cute puppy ready to grow into a beautiful dog, but the actions leading up
to the creation of this adorable creature and the results lend themselves to a much sadder reality.
One litter of bred puppies might not seem like it has a very large impact, nor do the American
Kennel Club dog shows, but behind the scenes, systematic dog breeding proves itself to do more
harm than good. Today I will discuss three reasons why dog breeding is a dangerous and
unnecessary practice for both existing and new litters of puppies, and what you can do to help.
I.

There are far too many animals in the shelters as it is, and it isnt cheap for taxpayers.
A. As reported by the American Humane Association, over 2.7 million of the
animals that entered the surveyed shelters were euthanized due to overcrowding. I
cross-checked these statistics with information from the American Society for
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Their website also states that 2.7
million animals are euthanized each year, 1.2 million of which are dogs. That is a
staggering amount. These are not natural deaths. Along with that, up to 2 billion
taxpayer dollars are spent to kill these animals each year. It is an unfortunately
necessary evil, due to the chronic overcrowding within shelters.
B. Breeding exacerbates the issue by creating more dogs to be put into the system.
Besides the fact that purebred animals take homes away from shelter pets, there
are a few other causes. A standard situation is that a breeder can only sell a certain
amount of puppies, and the rest are put into shelters if not adequate for producing
another potential litter. Even if all the puppies get purchased, at least one owner
will mostly likely return the animal due to reasons like behavior, health, or
environment. Where does this returned dog go? If the breeder cannot re-home him
or her, they are dumped in a shelter.
C. Along the same lines, if a breeder gets lazy or runs out of funds, the puppies may
end up in irresponsible hands. Cases like this usually end with innocent puppies in
a shelter system, some of which may be rejects, sick from in-breeding. When Dr.

Alexis Vasquez-Morgan
April 18, 2016
*Work is the property of Alexis Vasquez-Morgan and should not be posted or distributed
without a source.
Edwards commented about the sad fate of his two dogs, I was concerned, hoping
that he did not encountered a situation such as this.
D. Many new breeders make the claim that they wish their children to see the miracle
of birth, but fail to take into account the expenses, and potential tragedies, of
breeding their female. On her website, dogstuff.info, Sierra Milton explains her
point of view on this mindset with this quote, While planning for the children to
witness the miracle of birth, be sure to take them to the local shelter on euthanasia
day so that they can witness the reality of death for the scores of dogs who have
no homes. This mindset, along with the anti-neuter belief, contributes thousands
of puppies and dogs to the shelter system each year.
TRANSITION: While this is one of the most significant issues that comes with
breeding, it is definitely not the only one. My next point outlines the harder-todetect issues with professional breeding.
II.

Breeding practices are dangerous and inhumane.

A. Several websites insinuate that breeding is a business of experimentation, under
the guise of breed betterment. On Cindy Moores website k9web.com, she
makes a statement claiming that inbreeding, or the mating of a father dog to a
daughter and likewise, is a powerful tool in weeding out recessive genes. Moores
entire explanation of these breeding styles is very clinical, and she addresses the
possibility of putting down any defective animals with a disturbingly casual tone.
B. This kind of close breeding continuously produces animals with more and more
similar DNA. A study from the Imperial College in London analyzed the DNA of
ten Kennel Club breeds. Nine of the ten showed evidence of severe inbreeding,
with a group of 20,000 boxers having the genetic diversity of only 70. This means
many of the boxers were inbred. Aside from the unethical behavior of breeding
related dogs, the practice increases the chance for any given litter to be rampant
with life-threatening diseases or deformities. The entire process of betterment
breeding is very experimental, and the end goal is always an aestheticallypleasing, show-worthy dog, even at the expense of puppies lives. I will qualify

Alexis Vasquez-Morgan
April 18, 2016
*Work is the property of Alexis Vasquez-Morgan and should not be posted or distributed
without a source.
my statement by saying that many breeders do seek a healthy show dog, but the
result may only present itself after many failed generations.
C. Some of the diseases and physical mutations of these popular breeds have become
so commonplace that they are seen as a natural occurrence instead of inbred
diseases that have been passed through generations.
D. Overbred German Shepherds experience extremely sloping backs that lead to joint
problems like hip dysplasia, and ataxia, which is an eventual loss of limb control.
This trait is preferred among many breeders, because of how it looks, but not how
it affects the dog.
E. An article from ScientificAmerican.com explains that the appearance of a
Dalmatians spots is directly related to increased levels of uric acid in their urine,
leading to blockages known as kidney stones. As people bred this dog for its
characteristic spots, they were also breeding a trait for painful urination.
F. Basset Hounds and Doberman Pinschers are victims of a disease that makes it
difficult for blood to clot, similar to hemophilia in humans. This can cause
hemorrhaging and eventual death.
G. Breeds like the Rough Collie and King Cavalier Spaniel are bred to have smaller
and smaller skulls to keep with show standards. This disorder is called canine
syringomyelia, according to ScientificAmerican.com.
H. GSD, Great Danes, and Dobermans have been shown to die suddenly from
cardiac disease; and bone cancer is prevalent in Great Dane, Rottweiler, Labrador,
Golden Retriever, Greyhound, and Saint Bernard breeds. Dogs bred to be giant
are more likely to form leg tumors, and can struggle to keep their bodies cool.
Tiny toy breeds have issues staying warm, and suffer from patellar luxation,
which causes frequent dislocation of the kneecaps. All of this information was
gathered from a pbs.com article from 2010, and Caen Elegans website
dogbehaviorscience.wordpress.org.
I. These issues make it difficult for a dog to live its life to its fullest potential, and
many purebred dogs experience these mutations and physical deformities as a
result of the experimental breeding carried out by breeders. Some traits are even

Alexis Vasquez-Morgan
April 18, 2016
*Work is the property of Alexis Vasquez-Morgan and should not be posted or distributed
without a source.
desired for appearance by American Kennel Club standards, despite the obvious
health problems associated.
TRANSITION: This brings me into my next point, that much of animal breeding
is done for a beautiful dog versus a healthy one.
III.

Breeding standards are harmful. AKC encourages certain physical traits that lead to
medical problems.
A. Tail docking and ear cropping are popular and inhumane. Despite what prominent
breeders say, Australia's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(RSPCA) explains that even young puppies experience the extreme pain that
comes from the procedure, which is done without anesthesia on 2 to 10 day-old
puppies. This procedure is flagrantly inhumane, and limits a dogs ability to
communicate effectively.
B. Celebrities indirectly endorse the breeding of animals for looks. Many people
regard their purebreds as accessories versus companions. This leads a lot of new
dog owners to purchase a breed because it is just, So cute! and fail to realize the
effort required to take care of a pet. According to thedodo.com, Paris Hiltons
Chihuahua Tinkerbell led many of her fans to adopt their own Chihuahua
accessory, only to abandon it and put Chihuahuas above Pit Bulls as the most
abandoned breed.

CONCLUSION: Today, my goal was to convince you guys, at the very least, to come over to my
side and support me in my views, but my true dream is to persuade you all to adopt a pet from a
shelter instead of a breeder. Youll walk away with a companion and the feeling that you did the
right thing. I hope you to think of your own beloved and amazing pets, and encourage you to
speak out against breeding, if not for the gross overcrowding in our shelters, but at least for the
inhumanity of the experimental breeding practices carried out for profit.

Alexis Vasquez-Morgan
April 18, 2016
*Work is the property of Alexis Vasquez-Morgan and should not be posted or distributed
without a source.

Works Cited

Alba, M. (2013, June 1). 10 Terrifying Facts About Professional Dog Breeding - Listverse.
Retrieved March 19, 2016, from http://listverse.com/2013/06/01/10-terrifying-factsabout-professional-dog-breeding/
Animal Shelter Euthanasia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2016, from
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/stop-animal-abuse/fact-sheets/animal-sheltereuthanasia.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
Dr. Becker. (2014, July 09). Why Does the AKC Remain Staunchly in Favor of Tail Docking?
Retrieved April 19, 2016, from
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/07/09/tail-dockingdogs.aspx
Beuchat, C., PhD. (2015, March 29). Health of purebred vs mixed breed dogs: The actual data.
Retrieved March 19, 2016, from http://www.instituteofcaninebiology.org/blog/health-ofpurebred-vs-mixed-breed-dogs-the-data
Collie Club of Maine. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2016, from
http://www.collieclubofmaine.info/standard.html

Dunbar, D. (2008, August 20). Diversity Dilemma in Dogs. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from
http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/diversity-dilemma-dogs
Elegans, C. (2012, September 29). 100 Years of Breed Improvement. Retrieved March 16,
2016, from https://dogbehaviorscience.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/100-years-of-breedimprovement/
Gallagher, L. (2008, August 15). Extent of inbreeding in pedigree dogs revealed in new study.
Retrieved April 18, 2016, from
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_1
5-8-2008-12-22-2

Alexis Vasquez-Morgan
April 18, 2016
*Work is the property of Alexis Vasquez-Morgan and should not be posted or distributed
without a source.
Maldarelli, C. (2014, February 21). Although Purebred Dogs Can Be Best in Show, Are They
Worst in Health? Retrieved March 16, 2016, from
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/although-purebred-dogs-can-be-best-in-showare-they-worst-in-health/
Milton, S. (n.d.). TO BREED OR NOT TO BREED THAT IS THE QUESTION. Retrieved
April 19, 2016, from http://www.dogstuff.info/to_breed_or_not.html
Moore, C. (n.d.). Breeding Your Dog. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeding.html
Pet Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from http://www.aspca.org/animalhomelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics
Puppy Mills Research. (2015, June 30). Retrieved March 16, 2016, from
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/publications/whitepapers/puppy-mill-research.html
Selective Breeding Problems. (2010, September 16). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/dogs-that-changed-the-world-selective-breedingproblems/1281/
Statistics & Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2016, from
http://www.thedogrescuers.com/statistics--facts.html