I’m all for selectively breeding crops. It’s selectively breeding animals where it gets ethically murky for me.

Should we be supporting the breeding of snub-nosed dog breeds, for instance, considering the respiratory issues they have? What about broiler chickens that can’t stand up and are prone to cardiac issues? What about egg-laying hens that commonly develop osteoporosis, egg yolk peritonitis, and cloacal prolapse? Cows bred to produce so much milk they display severe discomfort and are prone to mastitis?

Like I said, the lines get blurred quite a bit when you have to also consider the health and comfort of animals.