We’re all in favor of animal welfare.
We are opposed to “Animal Rights”.
We’re opposed to state and local regulations and inspections of anyone who has over an arbitrary number of dogs. After all, some people are able to properly care for a greater number of animals than are others. And some species and/or breeds take more room and/or care than other so setting those numbers are truly arbitrary.
How do we know when one of our number gets in “over her head” to the point where she cannot provide her animals with the care they need? In my experience with rescue situations and “rescuers” who cross the line to become “hoarders” I note that often they are middle-aged or older single women. I can well understand their situation, as it is often kennelhelp who helps me maintain my balance. The desire to travel and do other than “dog things” has prompted me to recently decrease our number of both residents and litters.
If I lost Tom and lived alone, I can anticipate the craving for love and companionship and thinking that the dogs would help fill the hole. And on 5 acres out of town with few visitors I could easily hide the state the dogs and I lived in unless subjected to a mandatory inspection.
I thought that AKC performed inspections of people with over a certain number of dogs. Or at least I believe that they inspect those who register over 6 litters per year; maybe there is no set number of registered adults. But still that would be of no help to those who collect dogs under the guise of rescue and are not dealing with registrations.
We cringe at the thought of Cardigans (or any dogs) living in filth without adequate food, water, shelter, or medical care.
So I have posed the question, now what is the answer? The buddy system where we all pair up? Well yes, the “corgi commune” would be one solution.
Every time a breeder crosses the line to hoarder and then makes the news, it makes it that much more difficult for the rest of us to defend our right to keep and breed dogs. If we don’t want to lose those rights, we need to find a way to help our own.