Broken by Breeding

When Corners Cut Deep: The Hidden Cost of Backyard Breeding

Some stories are hard to tell—but they need to be heard.

This one starts with Sandy. A gentle soul with eyes full of love and a heart that only knew how to give. Her human, Chela, did what many of us would: she opened her home to a dog in need. But what she didn’t know was that Sandy was carrying something deep in her DNA—something placed there long before she ever found safety.

Degenerative Myelopathy. A disease that slowly robs a dog of their ability to walk, then their ability to live fully.

Chela and I met when she reached out for help with leash reactivity and a lack of follow-through with her dogs. She signed up for training and showed up consistently—Chela is the kind of dog owner every trainer hopes for: patient, involved, and committed.

So when she canceled a session one evening, I knew something was wrong.

The next day, she told me what no dog owner wants to say: Sandy wouldn’t be able to continue training. She had started showing early symptoms of DM. And this wasn’t the first time Chela had been through this heartbreak. She’d already lost Benji—another dog from the same litter—to the exact same disease.

Now she’s watching it unfold again. And it gets worse: Sandy is the fifth dog out of six littermates to develop this devastating condition.

This isn’t just bad luck. It’s a consequence of breeding gone wrong.

A Pattern Born from Negligence

When we talk about backyard breeding, we’re talking about people who breed dogs without taking the proper health, genetic, or ethical precautions. It’s not always malicious—sometimes it’s ignorance. But whether it’s done for quick cash or just carelessness, the outcome is the same: suffering.

Backyard breeders often skip genetic testing, ignore bloodline compatibility, and offer no support once the pup is sold. Many don’t even know how to recognize the risks they're passing on. And some simply don’t care.

When breeders don’t screen for hereditary diseases or responsibly pair mates, they roll the dice with a dog’s future. And with DM—once those odds are set in motion, there’s no undoing them.

What Degenerative Myelopathy Steals

DM is a progressive neurological disease that targets a dog’s spinal cord. It starts subtly—maybe a stumble, a weak back leg—but it always ends the same. Paralysis. Loss of control. Euthanasia.

There is no cure. Only management, and eventually, heart-wrenching decisions.

Right now, Sandy is still in the early stages. She can still walk, still play. But the signs are there. The disease has started its slow, silent march. And Chela is doing everything she can to prepare—to manage the symptoms, to maintain Sandy’s quality of life, and to give her the best final chapter possible.

But she can’t do it alone.

It Doesn’t Just Hurt the Dog—It Breaks the Human

People don’t always think about what comes after the adoption fee or Instagram post. They don’t see the midnight bathroom trips, the therapy sessions, the thousands of dollars spent just trying to slow the inevitable.

Chela’s story isn’t just about dogs dying young. It’s about a human doing everything right after someone else did everything wrong.

She didn’t just adopt two dogs—she inherited a time bomb, unknowingly planted by a breeder who either didn’t test, didn’t care, or both.

What Responsible Breeding and Adopting Looks Like

This isn’t about shaming people who buy dogs. And it’s certainly not about discouraging adoption. If anything, this is a rallying cry  for both paths to be walked with eyes open and hearts full.

To the people out there rescuing dogs—especially those who walk into a shelter knowing they may be taking on someone else’s mistake: you are heroes.

Chela is one of those heroes. She took in Benji. She took in Sandy. And she gave them both the kind of love and care every dog deserves.

But love alone shouldn’t be asked to carry so much weight.

If you’re adopting, ask questions. Choose organizations that vet thoroughly and disclose what they know. If you’re buying from a breeder, make sure they’re transparent, health-test their dogs, and are in it for the welfare of the breed—not the profit.

Rescue and responsibility must walk hand-in-hand.

Support, Share, and Speak Out

Chela didn’t ask for sympathy—she asked for awareness. She asked for people to care. To see what this kind of breeding does to real families. To real dogs.

We’ve started a GoFundMe to help support Sandy in her final days—with vet care, physical therapy, and a little comfort where we can offer it. But this fundraiser is more than just financial. It’s a message:

We’re not going to let this keep happening.

And we’re not going to stop celebrating the people who do the hard thing—the people who adopt the broken, the scared, the medically fragile. The people who see a life worth fighting for, even if the path is uncertain.

Because the only way we make change... is together.

They Deserve Better

Sandy and Benji didn’t choose this path. They were born into it. But we, as a community, can choose to be more responsible, more informed, and more compassionate.

Whether you rescue, adopt, foster, or simply speak up—we all have a role to play.

Let’s honor Sandy—not just by helping her, but by making sure her pain wasn't for nothing.

Because cutting corners may save money—but it could cost a life.

You Are Not Alone

To those who have lived through stories like Chela’s—you have a safe space here.

We understand the weight of loving and losing. We believe that no one should have to walk that road alone. That’s why we’ve created a community space: a subreddit where you can share your story, connect with others, and find support from people who truly understand.

Whether you’ve lost a dog, a cat, or any beloved animal—you are welcome. Your voice matters. Your grief matters. Your love matters .

👉 Join the conversation at our subreddit r/PawsOfHope.
 Where healing—happens together! 💙🐾