A Girl and Her Dogs

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/216274_dogfacelift17.html

You have GOT to be kidding! Not only do we HUMANS refuse to grow old gracefully - but now we won’t let our DOGS do it, either???!!

PEOPLE!! Where are your BRAINS????!!!

It seems a Brazilian plastic surgeon (and apparently a Doberman breeder, as well) actually says that plastic surgery for dogs is good for them! We’re not talking about reconstructive surgery after injury or disease….we’re talking nipple lifts and botox!

But it’s not just the rage in Brazil - it’s catching on here in the U.S. - check out this excerpt from the above article:

“In Brazil, the United States and Europe, pet plastic surgery is increasingly in demand, despite objections from animal rights activists and some dog breeders. The American Kennel Club, which sets the rules for the recognized breeds on the U.S. dog-show circuit, prohibits any surgery that alters a dog’s appearance, other than the cropping of ears and tails to meet breed standards. But the prohibition on surgery is difficult to define and enforce. Two years ago, an award-winning Pekingese in Britain was the subject of an inquiry when rumors swirled that its face had been surgically enhanced. The dog and its owners were acquitted and allowed to keep the award from the 2003 Crufts Dog Show.”

Oh, the scandals that lay in wait for us now!!

And read this - “Brito says animal health is his top concern, but beauty also is important to the animal’s well-being. Brito said that if the owner thinks the dog is attractive, the relationship is better.”

Are we so shallow and one-dimensional that as dog owners we must have a physically perfect specimen in order to feel love for our dog, and in essence, feel better about ourselves?

I cannot tell you how many mutts (and even ‘pedigrees’) that I have had the pleasure of loving and being loved by, that were so ugly it made them cute! Sometimes the uglier ones seemed to love the most fervently! How can we be so critical of our dogs that we force them to undergo the knife just to please us?

Please don’t get me wrong - I have nothing against show dogs at all, or against the desire to look at a beautiful animal (after all, it’s human nature to want to be surrounded by beauty) - but to put a dog through surgeries like this, for no good reason - is just cruel, and in my humble opinion, extremely selfish! Not to mention the money wasted - DONATE it to your local No-Kill animal shelter, pet rescue, ASPCA or dog charity!

Anyway, saw this and just HAD to rant!! OMG! It’s just CRAZY!!!!!!!