Eh, I don't think most vets are quacks or that they are anything but people who take care of animals day in and day out. I understand how frustrating it must be to see day after day unwanted cats and dogs and know that they are just dying in shelters.

It's an interesting climate on this forum. I am a member of dog lists and forums and horse lists and forums and people in each group think about breeding quite differently than reptile breeders. Basenji breeders are extremely closed to backyard breeding of any sort and are pretty darned tough on breeders that seem often to be doing a good job. There is a real sense of accountability-- why are you breeding? What good qualities does your stock have? Health, temperament, genetic diversity-- as a whole the breed fancy is really really tough about breeding for the 'right' reasons and breeding ONLY when you have all your ducks in a row.

Horse people are a bit more lenient in general. You'll hear them talk about breeding a mare because they want a baby out of her. Some breeders are super stringent but there are more mellow, breed whatcha want breeders in that group.

Here, I see the most mellow breeding attitudes of all. It may be all related to how many animals are in desperate need of rescue in each group. Ball pythons are NOT filling the humane societies across the country.

So, anyway, I am writing a little book here-- but it is just interesting. As a dog breeder, I would encourage any dog owner to really think long and hard about keeping a dog intact. Keep a dog intact IF that dog has qualities that its breed NEEDS. Another cute dog-- well, let's face it. Cute dogs die every day for lack of homes in this country. Take a look here:
http://www.dogsindanger.com/

I have bred basenjis. Every time it was an ethical battle. Does the world need another basenji? What is this breeding doing for basenjis? I do think my breeding choices were sound (at least at the time). But if it is NOT an ethical battle for you-- maybe you need to think longer and harder. Know what you are doing and really examine your reasons. Breeding more dogs should not be casual. I do not mean to offend anyone-- I have bred dogs and I would do it again. But I hope that anyone thinking of keeping a dog intact will really think very long about the implications of adding to that gene pool and the dogs already out there who need homes.