The Dalmatian Club of America (which is endorsed by the American Kennel Club) advocates killing any dalmatian found to be deaf. Here's their position on the issue:
I find this so horrifying I can't even find the words for it. There are a number of petitions circulating against this. Here's one: Stop the Murder of Deaf Dalmatians - ForceChange and you can find more by googling "deaf dalmatian petition." I also sent an email directly to the Dalmatian Club contact Darlene Chirolas (chirolas@uiuc.edu) and cc'd the AKC communications dept (communications@akc.org) and the New York Times (letters@nytimes.com).
Edited for brevity, read the whole thing here: Dalmatian Club of America Position on Dalmatian DeafnessWith the rising popularity of the Dalmatian breed, there has been a rapid increase in the number of deaf Dalmatian pups showing up in homes, pet shops and Humane Societies across the country. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM.
Responsible breeders NEVER knowingly sell, place or give away deaf pups to pet homes. Deaf pups should ALWAYS be humanely destroyed by a veterinarian. In the event that a deaf pup is inadvertently placed, it should be replaced with a hearing pup. Many breeders have their deaf pups put down at three to four weeks, though some choose to wait a few weeks longer. Dalmatian pups normally start to hear at fourteen to sixteen days of age, and hear by five weeks of age if they are going to hear.
The Dalmatian Club of America Board of Governors feels very strongly that deaf pups should NEVER be sold, placed or given away, and most certainly should not be bred from. Deaf Dalmatians are hard to raise, difficult to control (they are often hit by cars when they "escape") and often become snappish or overly aggressive, especially when startled.
IF YOU ARE A VETERINARIAN, please advise your clients to put down any deaf pups they may have bred. PLEASE do not make it any more difficult for your client by suggesting that perhaps a "special" home might be found. With the enormous surplus of unwanted dogs in this country, there is no need to preserve dogs with problems such as deafness.
I find this so horrifying I can't even find the words for it. There are a number of petitions circulating against this. Here's one: Stop the Murder of Deaf Dalmatians - ForceChange and you can find more by googling "deaf dalmatian petition." I also sent an email directly to the Dalmatian Club contact Darlene Chirolas (chirolas@uiuc.edu) and cc'd the AKC communications dept (communications@akc.org) and the New York Times (letters@nytimes.com).
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