FlamboroughToday received the following Letter to the Editor from reader Terry McNamee, in response to New memoir probes the ugly truth behind the quest for perfection in dog breeding:
I just read the article entitled "New memoir probes the ugly truth behind the quest for perfection in dog breeding."
There is so much wrong about this woman's account that it is hard to know where to start! Nowhere does she say that she obtained a registered puppy from a breeder that did all the required health and genetic testing for health issues that affect that breed: Multi Drug Resistance (MDR1), Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA), Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease (MMVD), Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), Copper Storage Disease/Copper Toxicosis, Addison’s Disease, Hypothyroidism, Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), Low Serum ALT Activity, Allergies and Lotus Syndrome. Did she contact the official breed club (https://silkenwindhoundclubamerica.com) to learn all this before she bought a puppy? Did she ask the club about any other problems in the breed or in the breeds used to create the Windhound, which is a newly developed breed?
For her to say purebreds have "levels of genetic inbreeding comparable to ancient Egyptian royalty— with equally catastrophic consequences" is also very misleading— in fact, the only all-breed registry that accepts Silken Windhounds is the United Kennel Club, which marks any inbred dogs as such right on its registration papers. That means she would have known right at the beginning if her puppy was inbred, assuming she bought a registered puppy. Did she ask any questions at all, such as whether the breeder's dogs or puppies from previous litters had experienced other health issues? Asking all those questions before buying are the responsibility of the puppy buyer.
She is painting all breeders with the same brush, and it is extremely unfair and indeed wrong. For the article's author to say that "purity and perfection can be prioritized over health" is extremely misleading. Good breeders spend literally thousands of dollars on health and genetic testing, for getting the test results filed with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and on showing and competing with their dogs to make sure their breeding stock and offspring meet the breed standard for fitness, breed type, working ability and good health. They also guarantee the quality of the dogs they breed and sell. If a breeder does not do all these things, that is a huge red flag for potential puppy buyers. My guess is that she didn't just ignore red flags, she didn't even know they existed, and she paid a heavy price.
Terry McNamee,
Flamborough, Ont.
