Our friendly domestic dogs have come a long way from their wolf ancestors, and it’s all thanks to us.
“Somehow there’s this misconception that dog breeds actually exist — like dachshunds are a natural thing in the world,” Dr. Louise Murray, vice president of the ASPCA Animal Hospital, told The Huffington Post. “We think, there are frogs, and there are chickens, and there are dachshunds. But of course you don’t realize until later that they’re just human constructs.”
We love having dogs around — in fact, between 37 and 47 percent of U.S. households own at least one dog, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. That’s about 70 or 80 million dogs overall. And while estimates differ, between one-third and one-half of those dogs are believed to be purebred, born of incestuous pairings. As a result, many purebred dogs are now facing an abundance of health problems, and many of their human companions have begun to question the ethics of it all.
–
“In my ideal world, we’d just do away with dog breeds and let them be outbred, the way most cats are,” said Murray. “So it’s not cool to have a purebred. Just a dog.”
Graphics by Getty/HuffPost. Sources: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, Morris Animal Foundation, University of Cambridge Inherited Diseases In Dogs, University of Prince Edward Island Canine Inherited Disorders Database, VCA Hospitals, RSPCA, Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.
