Fad Dogs

More proof that a passing thought can reveal something horrible comes from Matthew:

Thanks for commenting on the plight of fad dogs. As an Akita lover, I was a little surprised to see you show Akitas as a “missing” breed. Perhaps I’m just so tuned to look for them, I still see them everywhere! And there are still far more being bred than people actually want to keep. Our organization only covers three states, and we get about 500 calls ,per year from people wanting to give up Akitas.
I have two theories to offer as to why fad dogs disappear so much more quickly than biology would suggest they should (I mean, two besides idiots who dump them when they are no longer faddish):
1 – older dogs need, and get, less exercise. They spend more time indoors, and go on fewer walks. Owners also get tired of walking the dogs, and start just letting them into the backyard instead. So many are still alive and in loving homes, just not as visible.
2 – when a breed becomes popular and expensive, a lot of nimrods get into the breeding business for financial reasons; the result is a lot of dogs with health and/or temperament problems. By the time you are seeing a breed “everywhere”, most of them are of very poor breeding. Temperament issues are compounded by many of the owners having no idea how to raise a dog. After a couple of years, the problems show up, and the dog is either euthanized, or taken to a shelter (and probably euthanized).
I thought the juxtaposition of Akitas and school lunches was interesting. During World War 2, conditions in Japan were so bad that nearly all Akitas were killed for food and pelts, despite the breed being a “national treasure”. It just made sense – a bit of food, some warmth, and one less mouth to feed. Yet another horror of war.
And although I have not heard of euthanized pets going into school lunches, there is quite a bit of evidence that some actually do end up in pet food.