[ London Times ]
This newspaper, most correctly known simply as The Times, began publication in 1785 and continues to this day.
The July 13, 1825 edition of The Times carried a letter from a Times reader regarding purity of breeds:
Having, Mr. Editor, in the days of folly, bred some of the best dogs in the country, my attention has been naturally led to their species, and I have been frequently surprised at seeing the streets, especially thronged poor neighbourhoods, loaded with what the fanciers term curs — that is, dogs without breed. The mastiff, bull, Newfoundland, grayhound, terrier spaniel, pointer, sheep, and hound dog, comprise all that is useful, and possess qualities peculiar to each breed, which qualities are preserved or destroyed as mixed together. The old contempt-of-death fellow, John Bull, may be crossed to advantage with a terrier; but the same dog with a spaniel would produce a mongrel, or cur, that is without any essential quality to recommend him, and which no fancier or judge would keep even for pay. This ignorance of breed has filled our streets with hosts of ugly and useless curs, who remain in the undisturbed possession of their owners, not being worth stealing, propogating, to the great scandal of the "Society for the Suppression of Vice," their filthy species in the most indecent and unbounded manner in all our highways."
The author of this letter, which is signed only "S. M.," goes on to claim that this preponderance of "no-breed curs" contributes significantly to the prevalence of rabies in dogs, to say nothing of "the infernal noise and filth of such vermin." He then suggests, quite seriously, that the government collect all such "curs" as it can find, even paying owners of mixed-breed dogs to surrender them, and use their skin for footwear, "and thus a filthy, ugly, and dangerous animal may be converted into utility."