Inhuman ‘lilac dog’ breeding finds new footing in recent craze

People with way too much money, doing 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 article by The Guardiana lilac dog is a pedigree bred specifically to be an unusual color showpiece – basically, arm candy, but dogs.

Their fur can be shades of lilac, silver, charcoal, or tiger stripes, and breeding causes a whirlwind of health issues for dogs, so a bored rich person can look interesting, and like The Guardian Put it on, “accessorize your upholstery.”

Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

It makes someone both senseless and cruel to spend over $12,000 to make some kind of animal cruelty fashion statement or “monstrous figure of Frankenstein who must be stopped at all costs”, as the rightly suggests The Guardian.

Where does the craze for lilac dogs come from?

This new breeding trend unfortunately comes from American dog breeders.

In the 1980s, American breeders began crossing Labradors with Weimaraners, resulting in the first lilac dog. After that it was officially registered as a pedigree.

Once the craze caught on, breeders started using DNA discoveries to rationalize and cash in. After having lilac dog breeding, they opted for silver, anthracite and tiger stripe varietals.

A tendency to inhuman reproduction

(Photo credit: Firn/Getty Images)

Now, I hope you don’t think that sounds cool. It’s not.

Dogs that are subjected to this type of breeding suffer from various skin disorders and hair loss, all so that someone can strut around like a precious fur coat.

In recent years, price inflation and the propensity for this breeding have increased. This prompted the Kennel Club to launch an investigation.

An organization that once came under heavy fire, itself, for allegedly championing canine eugenics, it has since disassociated itself from the practice entirely.

Positively, however, because of this story, their involvement has raised the right eyebrows when it comes to raising awareness of the lilac dog craze. One can only hope that with the right kind of exposure, these breeders will be bankrupted by public outrage.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t often discourage a big wallet.

As always, DogTime advocates dog adoption whenever possible. By adopting, you will have a loving companion without putting up with cruel breeding practices. You can verify The DogTime Adoption Page to find your new best friend!

What are your thoughts and feelings on the crazy Lilac Dog? How do you think we can end these cruel farming practices? Let us know in the comments below.