At Lucid, we love and advocate for all dogs. With that, we particularly perk up whenever any of the dog world’s breeds or types of dogs are used for the purposes of entertainment, fashion, or advertising. Actions have consequences – unintentional or not. In the situations we’re referring to, the consequences often include children (and others) suffering from bites, shelters becoming further over-run, weakened gene pools, and perhaps worst of all, a previously lesser-known breed quickly becoming a public nuisance or public enemy number one.
It happened to Dalmatians when 101 Dalmatians was brought back in the 90’s. Marley & Me helped make the already ever-popular Lab a “must-have” dog for many who weren’t prepared for the energy that often accompanies the breed. Even Taco Bell and Paris Hilton can claim responsibility for the over-population of Chihuahuas in recent years.
When the movie Max (about a working military Belgian Malinois who returns to the US from Afghanistan to live with his former handler’s little brother) is released today, like many, we are quite concerned that Malinois will also be added to the list of breeds very negatively affected by entertainers and marketers looking to capitalize off of a breed’s unique characteristics.
Recently, we spoke with Monique Balas at The Oregonian/OregonLive about the situation. Parts of our interview with Monique are included in her coverage of the circumstances stemming from Max.
Please read the article and spread the word. Max may very well be a great movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family, but Belgian Malinois are truly a breed intended for a very specific kind of person/family and situation. The last thing our shelters need is to be over-run with Malinois.
PDF of article in The Oregonian: The Oregonian – 6-2015