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A dog’s blog, by Fritz
I confess: I was flattered when the people from the American Mutt-i-grees™ Club asked me to write this blog for their brand-new website. It’s a real honor, and I’m pretty sure I’m the first Mutt-i-gree to have his own blog. I also confess that I have a few things I’d like to get off my chest.
Hold on a minute: five minute break. I need to go outside. Dog-ear this page and I’ll be back. Okay. I’m back. Where was I?
Oh, right, the beginning. About me: My name is Fritz. Some folks (and by “folks,” I mean my folks, dogs) call me a mutt, but I’ve always preferred “mixed breed.” I’m proud of my heritage. Mom was a pampered cocker spaniel; Dad is half whippet, half mini schnauzer. Don’t get me started about mom’s family thinking dad wasn’t good enough for her. That’s just the way it is.

For some, it’s all about the pedigree, the purebred, the papered pooch. Well, purebreds may have all the big dog shows, but now we’ve got the American Mutt-i-grees Club, and I don’t mind telling you it feels pretty good. I kid the pedigrees, but I love them. We’ve got to stick together if we want to change the world. And make no mistake, when it comes to a dog’s life, the world needs to be changed. But with all due respect to my purebred brothers and sisters, we Mutt-i-grees are truly unique because of our mixed-breed make-up. We’re healthy, and have the delightful qualities of the different types breeds spinning around in our DNA. We’re products of nature, not puppy mills. And there are millions of Mutt-i-grees (I definitely like that better than “mixed breeds”) – beautiful and loving puppy and adult Mutt-i-grees waiting in shelters across the country to be adopted, right this minute.

I feel a bit sorry for my purebred friends these days. They used to have it pretty sweet – don’t get me wrong, I think all dogs should have it sweet. But today, you couldn’t pay me to be a pedigree. And on the subject of pay, there’s always lots of money changing hands with puppy mill and pet store pedigrees. Over the last 30 years there has been an explosion in the purebred dog business. There are still lots of reputable breeders who care a great deal for their purebred dogs and the health and welfare of those breeds. And remember, I have several good friends who were bred through responsible breeders, and are happy and loved.But – there’s another side of the purebred business that has us dogs up in arms – OK up in paws.

The purebred industry run through puppy mills should be called the “cruelty and abuse” business, because that’s what it is for every one of the millions of dogs who pass through those misery mills and into puppy stores each year. We’ve all seen them, what appear to be cute little puppies behind those Plexiglass windows and cages. What a way to spend your formative pup months, huh? Manhandled by shoppers, not allowed out of the box for months, and then sold to anyone with enough cash – and we’re talking a lot of cash! It’s just not right. Especially when millions of abandoned dogs are put to death in shelters every year. “Put to death” isn’t a pretty way to put it, I know, but it isn’t a pretty reality for the 5+million shelter dogs who face death each year. I’m sorry if this blog has made you sad or angry. But, the good news is that there are lots of people who are joining together to help make the world a much better place for mixed breed dogs – us Mutt-i-grees. And if you’re reading my blog – you’re one of them – and on behalf of the 50 million Mutt-i-grees across America – I thank you. I would lick you on the face if I could get through this monitor. So listen, I’ll blog you later. I’ve got a lot more to say about how you can help make the world a great place for us dogs (oh…and no matter what you may read, table scraps are very, very good for us. OK that’s a big fib).