People with far too much money, making commodities out of things they shouldn’t, is nothing new. But the Lilac Dog craze is a particularly absurd and cruel stretch.
According to an informative and humorous piece by The Guardian, a Lilac Dog is a pedigree bred specifically to be an unusually colored showpiece — basically, arm candy, but dogs.
Their fur can be shades of lilac, silver, charcoal, or tiger-striped, and the breeding causes a whirlwind of health issues for the dogs, all so some rich and bored person can appear interesting, and as The Guardian put it, “accessorize your soft furnishings.”
Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.
It does make someone both absurd and cruel for spending upwards of $12,000 in order to make some kind of fashion statement out of animal cruelty or “a monstrous Frankenstein figure who must be stopped at any cost,” as aptly suggested by The Guardian.
Where Did The Lilac Dog Craze Come From?
This new breeding trend comes from American dog breeders, sadly.
Back in the 1980s, American breeders began crossing Labradors with Weimaraners, which resulted in the first Lilac Dog. After that, it was officially registered as a pedigree.
Once the craze caught on, breeders began using the DNA findings to streamline and cash in. After they had the breeding of Lilac Dogs down, they went for silver, charcoal, and tiger-striped varietals.
An Inhumane Breeding Trend
Now, hopefully, you’re not thinking that sounds cool. It’s not.
Dogs who are put through this kind of breeding suffer from various skin disorders and hair loss, all so that someone can strut their rare-looking, and likely deeply tormented, pup around like a prized fur coat.
In recent years, the price inflation and propensity of this breeding have increased. That has spurred the Kennel Club to launch an investigation.
An organization who once came under heavy fire, themselves, for allegedly advocating for dog eugenics, they’ve since disassociated with the practice, entirely.
Positively, however, due to that history, their involvement has raised the right brows in regards to awareness over the Lilac Dog Craze. One can only hope that with the right kind of exposure, these breeders will be put out of business by public outrage.
Unfortunately, though, that doesn’t often discourage a fat wallet.
As always, DogTime advocates for adopting dogs whenever possible. By adopting, you will have a loving companion without supporting cruel breeding practices. You can check out DogTime’s adoption page to find your new best friend!
What are your thoughts and feelings on the Lilac Dog crazy? How do you think we can end these cruel breeding practices? Let us know in the comments below.
