The History of Dogs in America

Dogs started out as hunters and protectors of American families, that's how they came to be a staple in the typical household. As time progressed they became more like objects to be manufactured for entertainment. During the Civil war era treating canines with compassion was seen as civilized and cruelty toward them was seen as  a visual representation of inward moral corruption. The puppy mill business rose following the second world war and dogs became a cash crop. The Great Depression brought about a new wave of careless disregard when it came to dumping off old dogs that were old and not of use anymore. "By 1970, shelters - overcrowded with adoptable but unwanted dogs and cats - euthanized over 20 million animals."(priceonomics). By 2011, this number went down to about 3 million and the number of cats and dogs had doubled from 80 million to 160 million. The past four decades have brought tremendous change to the treatment of pets in America. New protection and regulation laws, improved societal pet care, and more work towards ending puppy mills and animal cruelty.

Information for this post from: https://priceonomics.com/post/44230885813/how-we-treat-pets-in-America

 For more history: http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/s/schwartz-dog.html

Doggie in the 1920's