JUNK REGISTRIES

Why those registration papers are usually worthless

I'm always puzzled when someone asks me if a dog we offer for adoption is registered. First of all, all of our dogs are neutered prior to placement and cannot be bred. If you're not breeding dogs, registration hardly matters, does it? I suspect many people still feel that registration is an indication of quality. This is not true. In fact, unless you buy from a reputable breeder, your registration papers are  worthless as an indication of quality, no matter which registry they're from. These are some of the characteristics which distinguish a reputable breeder:

• Breeds no more than one litter a year from any bitch.
• Waits until breeder dogs are appropriate ages to breed them.
• Retires the bitches after two or three years.
• Requires that all "pet quality" dogs and retired breeder dogs be neutered.
• Provides appropriate living conditions and veterinary care for all breeder dogs.
• Screens applicants before allowing them to purchase any dog.
• Never breeds any dog with a genetic defect.

Expect to pay a premium price for a dog of this quality. A quality breeder will allow you to view the living conditions of their dogs, and will have one or both parents of puppies on the premises. Beware of breeders who want to meet you somewhere, or who will not allow you into their breeding facility.

The American Kennel Club has developed some new rules aimed at deflecting some of the criticism they've received for supporting puppymills. AKC dogs must be microchipped before they can be sold at auction. AKC requires DNA specimens on prolific males. AKC inspectors have pulled dogs from auctions for not meeting these conditions. Why are they doing this? Because of rampant fraud and deceit committed by disreputable breeders who are destroying the sport of the purebred dog. No, these measures are not sufficient.

As long as the AKC continues registering litters from commercial breeders (puppymills), their registry is no more a guarantee of health or quality than any of the junk registries available. At this time, they still register puppymill litters, which generate a significant portion of their income.

The Continental Kennel Club  will register your dog as a purebred as long as it is registered with any other recognized registry for $12. The CKC's list of "recognized registries can be viewed here, and includes practically everyone, including the APRI (see below). A dog can also be registered if two witnesses attest to it's purebred pedigree and three photos of the dog are submitted for perusal. DNA testing is not a requirement. I was recently told that the CKC refused to sponsor the Missouri Pet Breeders Association because they feel this organization is detrimental to breeding standards. I would appreciate any information that could prove or disprove that statement.

The American Purebred Registry
The American Purebred Registry was founded in 1979 to assist folks with "Lost registration papers". To register a pup or dog with them, they require that you submit the usual information, i.e., name, sex, breed, color, B/D, etc., then sign an application attesting to the validity of information provided.  Again, all pertinent information is provided by the owner or breeder of the dog. In their own words, "When an application is received by our office and accepted, we issue a registration certificate. From that moment on the animal is considered a registered animal." Cost: $12.00, check or money order.

America's Pet Registry, Inc.  America's Pet Registry, Inc. frequently has a table set up at puppymill auctions so you can drop in and register your sad, overbred dogs before you head home for a mere $10 each.  They recently acquired Academic Kennel Records (you won't find much info on their site - it requires a password to keep out us crazy people who oppose animal cruelty) and American Pet Records (a small Arkansas-based registry), both of which appear to be even worse junk registries. Want to hear the thing that infuriates me the most? They love handing out ink pens with Bible verses on them. FYI: Real Christians don't make a living off the suffering of helpless animals.

ALL REGISTRIES: Here Is The Bottom line...

When you buy a "registered  puppy, you are relying on the breeder's integrity. How reliable is this? Read the following excerpt from a Missouri Pet Breeders' Association (MPBA) chapter in Lebanon, Missouri, right in the heart of puppymill country. It was written by a member and addressed to "My Fellow Pet Breeders":

"One huge problem looms large for the pet industry with the change taking place.  We have all heard of the stupid abuses performed by breeders in the past, switching registration papers, putting papers on dogs which 'look right'.  Breeding poodles into cockers to enhance that wavy hair coat.  Breeding Shih tzus and Lhasa Apsos to get bigger litters of the smaller dogs, and since they look so much alike, who can tell?...Not keeping track of which sire was with which female, combining litters of puppies on one registration to save a penny or two...We all know what we have been accused of, and we all know somebody who has committed, or who has been accused of committing at least one of these LITTLE (my emphasis) lies....  If you have not read the breed standard for the breeds you own, READ THEM, and do away with each and every dog which is too big, too small, wrong-colored, crossbitten, bad-kneed, bad-hipped, kink-tailed, or which otherwise does not comply with the breed standard...If you hear of somebody not being honest, please, by any means, kill them and destroy the evidence."

In the words of a fellow rescuer, "...if they stop the LITTLE LIES and get rid of all
the dogs that don't fit the breed standard, and kill the breeders that aren't being honest...well by-golly, we really will have no puppy mills!"

For those who want to buy a quality puppy, I recommend you look for a breed club and ask them to give you the contact info for a reputable breeder. A reputable breeder NEVER sells to a pet store. A reputable breeder will interview you to be certain you are qualified to purchase one of their pups. A reputable breeder wants every pups they produce to improve the quality of the breed. No, they don't kill and destroy rejects, but rather they neuter them and place them as "pet only". You may to get on a waiting list but, if you must have a puppy and are concerned about quality, you'll be willing to wait a bit. Whatever you do, don't support bad breeding and animal cruelty by buying from a pet store. By all means, consider adoption as an alternative.