Stop Breeding Genetically Vulnerable Wolfdogs for Profit

Target: Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

Goal: Restrict breeding of wolfdogs prone to illness, abandonment, and euthanasia.

An abandoned Rhode Island wolfdog’s quest for a new home reignited the debate about ownership and care for these animals, who are typically hybrids of wolves and domesticated dogs. Several states ban having a wolfdog as a pet or put restrictions on the practice. Reasons cited include the presumed aggressive nature of these animals and the special enhanced care they require. But these regulations do not truly get at the heart of the problem: the intentional breeding of these beautiful animals for profit.

Mating between wolves and dogs in the wild is uncommon, so most wolfdog breeds were created by human design. Some were bred for work purposes, while others were bred just for the aesthetic. The result: inexperienced would-be owners are attracted by the exotic and wild look of these animals and purchase them. But once they realize the intensive care (special diets and exercise routines) and space wolfdogs require, as well as possible difficulties in training them, the pet parents abandon or even euthanize their new pets. This tragic fate befalls thousands of wolfdogs every year. Further, evidence suggests that the breeding process may leave wolfdogs vulnerable to certain health conditions affecting key areas like the thyroid and the heart.

Sign the petition below to urge enhanced safeguards against exploitative wolfdog breeding that is putting countless animals at risk from the day they are born.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

Targeted animal cross-breeding conducted by humans has become an increasingly dangerous game of who can create the most exotic creature. While breeders reap the profits, the animals ultimately pay the price. The wolfdog controversy is the strongest evidence of this unfortunate result.

These animals have been born with health ailments because of their chromosomal abnormalities, abandoned due to their high energy and high-care needs, and even euthanized because the human beings who created them ultimately cannot handle them. They are yet another humanity vanity project discarded when reality crashes into expectation. They deserve better.

The patchwork of ownership regulations and restrictions that constitutes American law is not enough. We ask that you, as the leader of the agency tasked with the welfare of animals, give these dogs needed protections and the safeguards against irresponsible breeding.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Pandora