I think there is a very common misconception here, and it is very prevelant. Let me see if I can clarify it.
People ... like myself ... who are opposed to "designer dogs" are opposed to the
act of intentionally breeding mixed breed dogs. We are
not opposed to the dog itself. I have a whole house full of dogs ... about half of them purebred dogs, and half of the mixed breeds. I have nothing whatsoever against mixed breed dogs.
Adopting a mixed breed dog from a shelter because it is a sweet loving dog that needs a home is a WONDERFUL thing to do. It saves the dog's life. But purchasing a mixed breed dog for an high price from a backyard breeder who is just trying to make a buck is a very WRONG thing to do. Yes, the dog gets a home. However, you are putting a lot of money into the pocket of someone who is only breeding dogs for money. They are not trying to better the breed, like a responsible breeder of purebred dogs does, because there IS no breed. They are not doing genetic testing, they are not certifying eyes, hips, etc. They are sticking two "cute" dogs together and selling the mixed breed puppies for a lot of money.
They could care less WHY you are buying their puppy. They WANT you to feel sorry for it. Just so they get the money in their pocket, they don't care if you bought it to "save" it or not. And when they sell a litter of whateverapoos, they are just going to breed another litter. Just so the money keeps coming in. Buying from a backyard breeder or puppymill or "designer dog" breeder to "save" the puppies is funding their industry. Good intentions or not, every dollar they get going to motivate them to breed more and more dogs. And while you may have "saved" one puppy and given it a home, you can't "save" every puppy from every litter from every breeding dog they have, every year. What about the mothers of these puppies? They don't get "saved", ever ... until they die. Far better to stop providing these people money. If no one is buying their "designer dogs" they are going to quit breeding them after a litter or two, instead of breeding thousands of litters.
Here is just the latest example of the kind of people whom we give our money to when we buy "designer dogs" and pet store or puppy mill puppies.
What makes this especially sad and wrong is that there are far, far too many dogs in the world. Tens of thousands of dogs die horrible deaths daily for the simple reason that too many dogs are bred and there are not enough homes for them all. If someone buys a "maltipoo" or whatever for $1,000 from a backyard breeder because it's cute and trendy and their kid wants one after seeing them at Build-A-Bear, that means one less home available for a shelter or rescue dog and one more mixed breed dog in the world. That means somewhere a dog is dying because it has no home. That potential home was just filled with designer breed, promoted by Build-A-Bear or Monopoly or whatever.
As soon as people start saying, "Well, nothing I can do.", "Can't be stopped. Can't be fixed.", "It's going to happen anyway.", etc. that is when bad and wrong things increase and go on. Everyone must make small choices that are right and good. Every small choice that is made by one person adds up. If enough people in the world stop giving their business to Build-A-Bear or wherever, if enough people stop buying puppies from pet stores, if enough people put pro-spay/neuter bumper stickers on their cars, a change will happen. It will happen slowly, but it will happen.
All great, large wrongs in the world are corrected one small, personal right at a time. What if everyone would have said, "Oh, nothing we can do. Can't fix it. Can't change it." about school segregation, equal rights, toxic waste, car seat laws, etc. etc? Every positive change in the world starts with one small, brave action on one person's part.
