05/13/2026
I saw this post from Brenda Garner Walter about the difference between Backyard Breeders and Preservation Breeders.
Yesterday I was explaining to a friend the difference between ethical preservation breeding and profit-driven backyard breeding. I started showing examples online to help explain why responsible breeders spend years health testing, studying pedigrees, proving structure and temperament, and carefully planning litters.
What we found was heartbreaking.
French Bulldogs being sold with severe genetic defects. Puppies with cleft palates advertised for thousands of dollars. “Rare colors” and “micro” sizes being marketed as luxury pets, even when the dogs themselves are struggling to breathe, walk, regulate temperature, or live comfortably.
And the saddest part is that people still buy them.
Not because they are bad people — often because they feel sorry for the puppy, or because the industry has normalized genetic dysfunction as “cute.” Social media has turned exaggerated features and unhealthy mutations into trends. The more extreme the dog looks, the more attention it gets. And attention makes money.
Ethical breeders do not breed for shock value, trends, or quick profit. They breed with responsibility toward the future of the breed. Health testing, stable temperament, sound structure, longevity, and quality of life matter. Preservation breeders lose sleep over the possibility of producing suffering. Backyard breeders simply move inventory.
A cleft palate puppy is not “rare.” A dog struggling to breathe is not “adorable.” A genetic mutation should not become a marketing strategy.
When people support breeders who intentionally produce unhealthy dogs for profit, the cycle continues. The demand creates more suffering.
We have to stop confusing “expensive” with “well bred.”
Good breeding is not about creating the most unusual dog possible.
It is about protecting the dog itself.
These images were taking off the internet for an example of what a cleft palate looks like.