Is much of this the same reason we have Scalpers for Video cards and Consoles?
We have too many people willing to pay too much money for a, dare I say 'Product' ?
If people were not daft? enough to pay £1200? for a PS5 or £3000? for a Dog of a specific breed/look/colour then everyone, including all dogs would be better off.
It's because of humans and greed and must have this thing that this causes the problem.
A bit like the law on some porn stuff, you may say, oh well I'm just buying the final product so it's not my fault. But you buying it, it driving the demand/problem/illegal activity at the other nasty end.
Perhaps I'm alone here, but I've had a number of cats over many years.
One was one that simply found us, wandered into our garden, very thin and poorly, and tatty, looking for a home, we gave her a home and she was wish us for many years including kittens she had a few years later.
After she passed I bought a black generic kitten from a local farm, for I think £15, and again, lovely animal and again with us for many years.
Then most recently went to a cat rescue place and found a lovely ginger boy, who'd probably never had a proper home, and was eager to eat anything which was put down in front of him, and he's now about 13 years old.
I'd not for one second consider paying £300, £600, £!000+ for something specifically bred and perhaps imported from half way around the globe.
If no one was willing to pay these prices and were so fussy about what the simply MUST have, then this problem would simply go away.
Just a personal viewpoint of course.