Designer Dogs: An Exposé (Inside the Criminal Underworld of Crossbreeding)

Designer Dogs is the shocking exposure of the dangers of continuing to make our dogs tinier or funnier looking, more "Instagram worthy," and presents startling new revelations on why this threatens French bulldogs, pit bulls, and other favorite breeds with extinction.

Ever heard of a labradoodle, a goldendoodle, or a puggle? How about a cockapoo, a pomsky, or a spoodle? You or a friend have certainly been enticed by a "hypoallergenic dog" and smiled at a "teacup." These are not dog breeds that nature created; these are the results of the forced mating or genetic engineering of different breeds, or inbreeding, and popularized by social media and celebrities.

In Designer Dogs, Madeline Bernstein, one of the country's most respected animal welfare crusaders, reveals our culture's obsession with new types of dogs—engineering puppies that keep getting smaller or sillier looking—and the horrifying health consequences of this on those we claim as our best friends. She also provides extraordinary revelations on how this has led to a world of "disposable pets"—puppies and adult dogs abandoned when their medical expenses become too costly and added to the 6.5 million animals entering shelters each year, or put on the street—and informed insight into what's ahead: made-to-order puppies; hybrid animals; shorter life spans for dogs; and even the extinction of breeds like French bulldogs, pit bulls, King Charles spaniels, mastiffs, Skye terriers, bloodhounds, and more. And Bernstein calls out those responsible for the savagery, both domestic puppy mills and backyard breeders, and also an international dog trafficking ring that she's been on the front line exposing.

In the vein of Peter Singer's groundbreaking and best-selling volume Animal Liberation, this one-of-a-kind book is one of the most important industry exposés ever published. Bernstein's game-changing and unforgettable text, ripe with ethical questions, is a public window into a new and fast-growing industry, and destined to cause outrage and save lives in the process.