Do you think that some kind of legislature could ever be enforced that would place control on pet buyers, meaning they enter into some sort of contract that binds them into performing certain obligations and essentially forcing them into being responsible owners. It'd also be a way to dissuade people from buying dogs when they know they can't meet the necessary requirements? I realize this would be a monumental effort, but do you think anything can be done?
This will never happen. Look at the members of this forum and the opinions they each have. The problem is everyone is an expert and everyone is right when you are dealing with an issue like this. Either that or they use an outside consultant, who is then misinterpreted and everything ends up totally fucked up. There will always be someone who refuses to take esponsibility for what they themselves did---ALWAYS.
In addition, do you ever think they could make spay/neuters mandatory for any dog that isn't going to be for show/breeding/working purposes?
I can see this happening, especially in the advent of disease outbreak---for example if avian influenza every hits the US, I feel for all of the stray cats out there. It will be a slaughter in some areas. I have no doubt about it after having dealt with the monkey pox outbreak and the hamster disease issues there. The government will order death first as ameans of "saving lives" and there will be little questioning it. This will also lead to mandatory spaying and neutering, I have no doubt about that.