Hello everyone.
I'm posting this as a new topic as my original one has 80 replies and will not let me reply which is why I haven't replied to any of you.
I don't think I explained myself when I said my Afghan was put to sleep. I got Ethan at 4 years old. He was a retired show/stud dog. All I was told when I got him was that he hated the show ring. He has always hated anyone going near his mouth, lifting his feet etc. He had never heard a washing machine or a hoover, never left his kennel except when going to shows. Ethan was shy and nervous when I got him but after about 18 months he really enjoyed life to the full, even though he never liked people he didn't know which didn't matter to me as I only live with my husband. I live close to some lovely enclosed fields. He would race round chasing my collie's for hours on end, he would sleep at the end of my bed each night keeping my feet warm. He was the most wonderful dog I've ever met. He started fitting a year ago, although he was happy enough in himself. He had to go to the vets every 3 weeks so the vet could give him a check up etc. These caused him so much panic and worry, he would shake continuosly and sulk for the rest of the evening when I got home. Gradually as time went on, his fits got worse. They occured more often and seemed to get worse. About a month before he was pts he had 3 fits in one week. He was distressed all the time and when I had to take him to the vet it was a battle to get him and me there in one piece as he would guard himself with his life to try and prevent himself from going to the vets. When I said in my last post he didn't have much else wrong with him that was correct. He still loved going for his walkies, didn't have arthritis and wasn't going blind/lame/deaf etc. The vet advised me that his fits would get worse and so would his stress level. This was when we were at the vets with Ethan led on the table with a muzzle and 2 vetinary nurses holding him down. These visits to the vet were as some of you may imagine, very upsetting. It was then, after the vet had given me several options that I decided to have Ethan pts, I still don't regret it as I think I made the right decision although I wish I could of had him when he was a pup. My orginal post suggesting elderly dogs to be pts I must admit, I didn't put hours of thinking into it to come up with that, but it makes me so mad and angry to see them in rescue. Ethan would have destroyed himself in kennels and I'm sure some of these dogs go into severe decline. But what seems to be a common reason for older dogs going into rescue is that the owners are getting a new pup or have got a new pup and the older dog doesn't like it. Surely if these breeders weren't able to advertise so easily and had to have a liscense as to how many litters they can have each year would enable there to slowly be a decrease in the number of dogs we have in rescue.
Please do not consider me a "troll" or a bad owner. I don't feel that I am but if you still do feel that way then it is up to you, but there is nothing I can do about it.
Char.

Most reputable breeders limit themselves to a litter or two a year, or some only breed every few years to replace one that has died. These breeders deal themselves with any dog that they have bred that needs to be rehomed.

The vast majority of rescue cases come from the commercial and whim breeder, who has no interest in the welfare of th4eir pups once they leave their premises. Also let us not forget the sometimes feckless owner in this equation.

Unfortunately the law sees the breeding and sale of dogs as purely a lewgitimate commercial enterprise, o9r in a small scale a hobby. society has no interest on placing limits on consumerism. Easy come easy go. Make way for the newest model of everything.

I sympathise with your story about Ethan - it is a personal decision to make. However I think people assumed you were a troll because of the unsympathetic views on dogs in rescue. For example - why do you think crossbreeds should be put to sleep? And why should there be an age limit on who's entitled to live, and therefore have the chance of a happy home, or die? Pedigree dogs aren't the only ones who deserve a good and forever home. I personally would take a crossbreed from a rescue 10 times over before I would buy from a breeder. And, I'd like you to bear in mind, I have had 2 elderly (14+) rescues in the past. No, they didn't live for very long after I got them, but what little time they had left was being cherished and loved, and they were very very happy. One of these dogs was a pedigree (a Beardie) and one was a cross, both of whom if you had your way, would have been PTS due to age or breed. Your views were not only uneducated but offensive to most people who read them. I suggest the real problem with the amount of dogs in rescue is from irresponsible breeding (backyard pedigree breeding or otherwise), owners letting their dogs stray, and puppy farms. The way to lower the amount of animals in shelters is by educating owners about spaying and neutering/not letting their dogs out - not by killing innocent animals. I hope the views expressed in reply to your thread have changed your mind about what you said.