Well, i think neutering your pet is not cruel.. in fact it might be cruel if you dont neuter them... I hav ferrets, in fact ferrets can die if you do not mate them when they are in heat, They female will die a slow death. That is my main motive to neuter my daughter. The male will have better temperment after neuter, and they will live longer, less prone to health problem. So i think if you are not a professional breeder and just wanna breed for the heck of it, then i label you as cruel. As you know animals risk their life during pregnancy and laboring, you are actually putting your lovely pet in danger everytime you breed them.
I do not breed dog so i m in no position to say anything. But as a normal human, i sometimes do pity stray dogs and cats, they are full of health problems, mange, infested wounds, out in the rain, cold, no food, famished... abused by other humans... Its so sad... I think the problem starts with why should i neuter my pet... Many ppl just wanna breed coz puppies is cute but wat happen when they grow up? will you continue to feed 8 dogs? walk them 1 by 1? Or just let them out by themselves? If they run wild, they will breed again... This is a never ending cycle. We are not the one who suffer, its them who suffer. You might hav a pure bred dog... but how many will you be able to keep? You might wanna sell them out after the gave birth, but wat if you cant sell and even if you manage to sell them all, you might not earn anything as the matter of fact, you might be loosing money. You will need vet fee, food, time to care, and all the hidden cost that you might not see right now. I know a freind who have alot of dogs, but they devote all their time for them. That means no long term vacation, no movies, no yam cha... If you are able to do like them then, i would agree with you. If you were to breed, pls plan for things to come. If you hav a child of your own, i dont think you just wanna bring them in to this worl right, you will need to think of university, their future, their health. Its the same of breeding your pet...