a death sentence appeal

Tags

Animals, Cardiomyopathy, Dog Breeding, Dog Breeds, Dogs, Genetics, Great Dane, Health, Heart Disease, Nature, People, Social History

“Headed down the same tragic road of (the Dobermann) with rising rates of dilated cardiomyopathy are Deerhounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Boxers, St. Bernards, Great Danes, Afghans, Newfoundlands, Old English Sheepdogs, and English and American Cockers. They will all need to deal with this. Perhaps they should consider pooling resources and tackle this together.” (Carol Beuchat – Are we watching the extinction of a breed – part 2).

 

The Dobermann breed is dying because people didn’t act. They ignored the warnings. They thought it wasn’t going to happen to them.

 

That is the absolute guarantee it is going to happen to them. People’s apathy. People’s indifference. People’s denial. People’s refusal to take action. So typical of human society. So predictably allowing for the destruction of our beautiful planet, the establishment of tyrannies and the death of innocents.

 

Breeders, owners, exhibitors far more focused in the show addiction that’s massaging their egos, than the imminent death of the breeds they purport to love.DCM prevalence in Great Danes is over 35% and rising. Meanwhile, ‘the fancy’ is preoccupied with color perfection minutiae, how much white is allowed on the chest and toes, threatening judges who dare give excellent to merles and worrying about falling entries at the dog shows. Of course the entries are falling, dammit ! Dogs are dying. The public is abandoning pedigree breeds in droves.

 

I am so sickened by this “parental negligence” so blatantly displayed by our self-declared “intelligent” species, by the so-called dog-loving communities, by the Parent Clubs that are supposed to be the caretakers and safeguardians, by the Kennel Clubs that are so much more keen to promote their circus acts and facilitate indiscriminate puppy farming (as they generate their income), rather than serve their  duty to the health and well-being of pedigree dogs, that I am almost convinced I’m wasting my time – and yours.

 

I have been talking with so many people since this blog took its first steps, and since posts about the rampant DCM prevalence, a veritable death sentence for our breed, were published; what they unanimously had to report was : their Clubs don’t care. Their societies are indifferent. Their trusted institutions are incompetent and unable or unwilling to provide a worldwide-database to get a clear picture about the state of the breed, to help and support their members that are going out of their minds trying to keep the breed afloat. Their registering bodies are reluctant to mention the elephant in the room and draw up conservation plans. Our ruling committees have not yet discovered genetics – and when they do, they only apply it to calculate the percentage of “show-quality” puppies per litter and to determine how many more valuable dogs should be banned from contributing to the gene pool. Our leaders are asleep or negligent, looking after their careers, mindful not to rock the boat and upset the voters. Those who do care and are awake are too few to make a difference and excluded from the executive decision-making. So everyone is waiting for a miracle.

 

Caring, alarmed, even panic – stricken passengers have nowhere to turn to. The crew is not at the wheel. The unprepared ship is sailing, full steam ahead, for the iceberg. The warnings from the other ships are ignored. And at the first class public rooms, people are dancing and singing “for those at peril on the sea”, appealing to their gods or determined to go down with a brave face. Ready to abandon ship altogether or jump to another ship nearby.

 

“So much gaiety” !

please refer to previous posts here and here