07/31/2026
Wanted to get something off of my chest this morning, and I figured some of you can relate.
â˘â˘â˘ this was borrowed, now I can't find the original post.
Every time someone says, âBreeders shouldnât make money,â I canât help but wonderâŚ
Should veterinarians not make money caring for our dogs? Should pet food companies provide food for free? Should trainers, groomers, boarding facilities, reproduction specialists, and emergency hospitals donate their time because they love animals?
Of course not.
The truth is, every ethical pet professional, whether theyâre a veterinarian, trainer, groomer, nutritionist, or breeder, is working toward the same collective goal: improving the lives of animals. We may all play different roles, but weâre on the same team because we love dogs.
If working with animals was about getting rich, weâd all be in the wrong profession.
There are far easier, less stressful, and much more profitable ways to build wealth than dedicating your life to living, breathing animals. Animals donât clock out at 5 p.m. They donât wait until Monday when thereâs an emergency. They require weekends, holidays, middle-of-the-night emergencies, heartbreak, and constant responsibility.
We donât choose this life because itâs easy.
We choose it because the dogs are worth it.
Because preserving and improving a breed matters.
Because every generation deserves to be healthier, sounder, and better than the last.
Because we believe these animals deserve our very best.
Responsible breeding isnât just about producing puppies. Itâs about preserving health, temperament, structure, and purpose while accepting lifelong responsibility for every dog you bring into this world.
What many people donât see are the sacrifices behind the scenes.
They donât see the years spent studying pedigrees and genetics before a breeding ever takes place. They donât see the dog that fails testing or ends up being infertile. They donât see the purpose-built facilities, the endless cleaning, the late nights, the sleepless whelping watches, or the tears when things donât go as planned.
They donât see the specialized veterinary care, health testing, premium nutrition, training, insurance, or the thousands of dollars invested in equipment designed to keep dogs safe, including crash-tested travel kennels and reliable vehicles capable of transporting them safely.
They donât see me arranging childcare so I can rush a dog to a specialist, travel for health testing, attend a dog show, or make a breeding happen that Iâve spent years planning.
They donât see the puppy that needs round-the-clock care, the family I talk through a medical scare years after they brought their puppy home, or the dog I willingly take back because I promised to be responsible for every life I produce.
They see the price of a puppy.
And they assume thatâs profit.
The truth is, being fairly compensated isnât about becoming wealthy. Itâs about making it possible to never have to choose between whatâs best for my dogs and whatâs cheapest.
Itâs about being able to say yes to the specialist.
Yes to comprehensive health testing.
Yes to premium nutrition.
Yes to safer equipment.
Yes to continuing education.
Yes to raising puppies with intention instead of cutting corners.
Yes to the best professional handler.
Because corners are expensive to cutâŚand itâs the dogs who pay the price.
Not everyone has the same budget, and thatâs okay. But something being outside of someoneâs budget doesnât make it overpriced, and it certainly doesnât make the person providing it unethical.
We should absolutely condemn neglect, puppy mills, and anyone who puts profit ahead of animal welfare.
But we should also stop treating the ability to earn money as though itâs incompatible with loving animals.
The people who dedicate their lives to dogs deserve to be compensated. Fair compensation allows ethical breeders to invest even more back into their dogs, their breeding programs, and the future of the breed they love.
At the end of the day, none of us got into this because it was the fastest path to wealth.
We did it because we fell in love with a breed.
Because we believe these dogs are worth preserving.
Because we want to leave them better than we found them.
And thatâs a mission worth supporting. Especially when it comes to bringing home a new family member.
