The Plight of Domesticated Animals

Throughout recent history, humans have concerned themselves with controlling the world 
around them. Meddling with natural reproduction within the animal kingdom is one example
of such control. Even before Charles Darwin suggested how species originated, people were
selectively breeding domestic animals to recreate desired characteristics. What started as
just a bit of reproductive tinkering would become a huge industry. Genetics research and
techniques of artificial reproduction have become commonplace. It seems that nature itself
has been nearly eliminated from the entire process - replaced by test tubes and 
microscopes.

The success of such reproductive programs raises a number of ethical questions. For
example, as a result of a large demand for purebred dogs, so-called puppy mills in the
commercial dog breeding industry practice a combination of overbreeding and euthanasia to 
produce well-bred dogs in high numbers. All of this comes at a time when the Humane
Society is begging people to have their pets neutered or spayed to combat the already
rampant overpopulation of dogs. In addition, many purebred dogs exhibit genetic
weaknesses as a result of generations of gene pool dilution. 

In this example, there are two major problems. First of all, intentionally breeding dogs that
are likely to have health problems is, to many, an unacceptable practice. In addition, groups
like the Humane Society would argue that until every homeless dog has an owner, nobody
should be breeding more dogs. This is also an injustice since the overbreeding of dogs leads
to increased instances of neglect.

In any case, we are certainly not letting nature run its course when it comes to breeding.
This is evident with the creation of hybrid animals such as the mule and liger. The mule is
purely a result of humans' want of an animal for labor. They bred horses with donkeys to
produce a creature that does not occur in nature simply for convenience. Other hybrids
have similar stories, some are created because they make good pets, like the cockapoo, 
a cross of cocker spaniel and poodle purebreds. Others, like the liger, are created in an
artificial setting such as a zoo. Often the two species will not reproduce on their own, so
this leads to practices of artificial fertilization. Hybrids are usually sterile because, simply
put, they have two sets of genes so different that they weren't intended to exist in the
first place. Such tampering is often viewed as a violation of animal rights.

As with many other things in life, there is economic motivation to much of what is done in
the world of breeding. Cows are bred to produce more milk, bulls to mature faster for 
slaughter, horses to win races, and dogs to have pedigrees. As long as there is money to
be made, chances are that these practices will continue. This is why many animal rights
advocates believe laws are necessary to prohibit these practices.

Above all, in order to understand human obligation in the realm of breeding and genetic 
research for species manipulation, we must attempt to determine whether or not we have
the right to make these alterations to a species simply because we can. As long as the
economy depends upon animals to such a degree, breeders and researchers will continue to
create the most profitable animals possible. As it turns out, these are usually not the ones
that occur naturally. So is this manipulation justified, and does it actually produce enough
of a negative effect on animals to be considered a problem? This debate shows no signs of
a unanimous resolution, and perhaps we will never reach agreement about what is the right
ethical thing to do.

The links below provide furtherinformation about the processes involved in breeding, as well
as the controversy involved.

History:
Article on History of Animal Breeding
A Brief History of Genetic Improvement of Farm Livestock

Information sources:
Farm Animal Breeding and Society
Veterinary Genetics Service Aims to Eliminate Inherited Diseases in Purebreds
American Kennel Club Tips on Developing a Healthy Breeding Program
Selective Breeding in Farmed Rainbow Trout
Thoughts on Responsible Breeding
American Kennel Club Looking Out for Dog Welfare
Problems with Purebred Dogs

News articles:
Negative Effects of Pop Culture on Animal Treatment
Facts About Puppy Mills
Reasons for Breeding and Breeding Practices
Miniature Cows Bred to be Pets
Struggles With Stray Animal Populations
Overbreeding Kills Horses

Pro:
Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics
Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit

Con:
Companion Animal Protection Society
Against Animal Breeding for Vivisection