Strangling a Tradition

There is a tradition.  I don't know what it's called.  The first time I saw evidence of it was when I was 8 years old.  I was visiting a school friend.  Her neighbor had a kitten.  It came over to us in the yard.  The kitten had a string tied and knotted around it's neck.  So it would slowly be strangled as it grew. 
In my neighborhood there are several families that constantly get puppies.  They always put collars on them (without license tags).   Puppies and kittens are seen as toys for children.  The collar is to choke them as they out grow cute.   Backyard breeders, and puppy mills know their target market very well.