300th rescue dog in - think before you breed

Question:
 Well, just got an email from the head of the rescue I volunteer with - we just got our 300th dog in. The rescue was started in 1999. 300 dogs in five years... that is about 60 dogs a year or five dogs a month. Several were thrilled we were able to help this many dogs. I am saddened that we had to help this many dogs. And this is NOT counting the dogs going to the other rescues in the breed locally (there are 2 or 3 local rescues devoted to this breed). Breed does not matter... This happens in all breeds. Where do all the dogs come from? Well, they come mainly from back yard breeders and pet shops. Good breeders do all they can to prevent one of their dogs from ending up in a rescue through tight contracts, keeping in touch with owners, etc. Many sell with a mandatory spay/neuter agreement already and will do a limited registration form for the pup meaning that if iy is bred, all offspring will be inelligable for registtation. But those who are lesser than great breeders are the responsible ones for the majority of the dogs in rescue. Good breeders breed for the right reasons: bettering the breed and getting out and proving that they are bettering the breed. The carefully screen homes and breed first to produce a pup for them and any pups that are not kept by the breeder are placed in carefully screened homes for show, performance and pet. Lesser breeders breed because they have two dogs that they think should have puppies without thought to the long term ramifications of breeding. Where do they all go? Well, the lucky ones end up in a rescue that can devote the time and effort to rehabilitating them (and we have had some real doozies of stories come in), altering and placing. The other lucky ones - well lucky ONLY in the respect that their former miserable existence will end fine peace in eternal sleep. The unlucky ones end up living in miserable conditions because the owners will not do what is best for the dog. What can be done about this? Breeding laws? Well they will only truly affect the good breeders. And good breeders already police themselves. We need to shut down pet stores and BYBs. Mandatory alerting of any animal placed as a pet regardless of if it is through a pet shop or good breeder or rescue prior to going home? Well, this will prevent the breeding of a pet but people would cry foul and that they cannot afford to alter every animal being placed as a pet. Poorer shelters could not afford this and would have to put down even more animals. *sigh* Think about this before you breed. At any time, we will be getting in dog #301... And it better not have come from you... A good breeder also knows when NOT to be breeding...
Answer:
 do you encourage early neutering at this rescue? personally I am coming to the conclusion that it is the _only_ way to stop indiscriminate breeding - contracts are often disregarded, even if breeders and shelters offer money to cover neutering costs. I will be breeding malamutes and/or anatolians in the future, and when i do, I will ensure that only the best stock is saved for breeding - anything less than top show or top breeding quality (and so, most of the litter) will be neutered before it leaves my care.
Answer:
 No animal leaves the rescue without first being spayed or neutered. We are a purebred rescue (Shelties) and altering is a requirement prior to placement - just for this reason! Many rescues locally still are not doing the early altering and I wish they would. But for many it is a financial thing - the money is not there. I have been involved at various levels with breeding, showing, training and rescue since 1982. I am presently lecturing on dog safety and some of the things breeders can do to ensure pet sold pups are not bred - even limited registration and a contract will not stop the determined person from breeding and then registering with one of the bogus registries cropping up that give false credibility to the less than ethical breeder.