The dog pictured here is reportedly a "Chorkie." The website where this one was offered describes it as a cross between a "purebred AKC registered Yorkie," and a "purebred AKC registered Chihuahua." OK, but then it goes on to state: "Our Chorkies are 2nd and third generation Chorkie to Chorkie breeding so your pup will exhibit characteristics of both breeds." So, which is it? Chihuahua to Yorkie, or Chorkie to Chorkie? To me it looks like there was a Queensland Heeler in the woodpile, and it just so happens that this hump and dump, backyard breeder offers that breed as well sired by her "red speckle stud dog, Bandit."
Good news! This dog can't be registered by the AKC, but it can be registered with the American Canine Hybrid Club, which offers these handy links:
- Find a Chorkie breeder
- Place an ad
- Rescue a Chorkie
- List your rescue
In descending order, the club illustrates exactly how we have come, in this country, to the extraordinary circumstance of killing upwards of 3 millions dogs each and every year. Read it again people, 3 MILLION DOGS KILLED, Dead, Life ended. A trend is established, in this case "designer dogs." Greed motivates people to exploitation. Ignorants buy and abandon. Rescue is necessitated and benefits a lucky few. The rest end up on the receiving end of a euthanasia needle, all because an ignorant human just had to have a dog with a catchy name. Speaking of which, here are a few more:
Bullweiler, Aussiedoodle, Labahoula, Labradinger, Malti-Pin, Schnoxie, Mini-Schnoxie, Papi-Poo, Pek-a-Pom, Rustrailian Terrier, Ttoodle, Taco-Terrier, Wauzer, Westie-Poo, Woodle, and the list goes on...and on...and tragically on. And how many dead dogs do these "hybrids" represent? Roughly 900,000, or 30% of 3 million, which is the estimated effect of pure-bred and hump and dump breeders on dog over-population in the United States of America.
So, just who got it all wrong? Well, besides everyone involved in breeding, buying, owning and promoting these designer dogs du jour, an old friend of mine. He called to say "Hey, I got a new dog!" "It's a Chorkie and you can go online and see a picture of her." "I'm going to breed her and make some money!"
I hate to say it...but I think we have shelters and vets to blame for "chorkies". They've been pushing "hybrid vigor" and "mixed breeds are healthier and more intelligent" than purebreds for so long to help place very good dogs (which I am totally for) to help stem the tide of poorly bred dogs, that they actually created a new market for so called designer breeds. It's a shame really. Hindsight being 20/20 I wonder if they would have put a different spin on things.
ReplyDeleteYou are probably right to some extent, but the preponderence of the guilt falls squarely on the shoulders of backyard, hump & dump and otherwise greedy individuals, (imo,) who will cash in on a trend when they see one.
ReplyDelete