Thursday, December 18, 2008

Death of Obedience Trails as we know them

I have been working on a piece about the death of dog ownership, then that morphed into a piece about the death of my own special love, Obedience Trials. Of course no sooner did I start writing about the slow death of obedience trials than my mind jumped to the slow death of dog shows in general.

The following piece by Linda D. Witouski so very clearly says pretty near everything I have been trying to say. So I give it to you readers now and will save further comments for after you have read what Ms. Witouski has to say to you.

"Potentially Dangerous Animal Owners" - Linda D. Witouski - November, 2008

At a recent show, I couldn't help but notice the availability of space. Not only was the parking prime, but the space around the rings inside the building was incredible. There were dozens of empty chairs ringside - a commodity generally not so available. It was at that moment that I looked around the building and a queasy feeling crept over me. Not only was this building bare, but the people in attendance were mostly my age. That age where you hope you can begin your downward decent into living in peace and quiet after having been involved in this sport since the crib, and looking forward to those "twilight" years or a dirt nap, whichever.

I reached for the judging schedule to see how many Juniors were entered. Nine. Only nine. I realize that the economy could very well have a definite impact on our sport, however, there are other factions that have a hand in it.' It hit me like a brick ! When Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of the United States said, (1993), "One generation and out. We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding," it dawned on me that he wasn't only referring to the animals - he was talking about US.

ONE GENERATION AND OUT IS CLOSER THAN YOU
THINK

The animal rights movement pressed into school systems and devised an educational program for every animal venue. Farming, exhibits, zoos, wildlife, environment, veterinarians,companion animals - no stone was left unturned. It doesn't matter what we do,it's surely not in accordance with the animal rights activist groups. Looking around at the very few young people at dog shows,and the lack of newcomers of any age,it's become quite clear that the meaning of "one generation and out" wasn't only meant for the dogs.

The animal rights activist movement has taken over the media, veterinarian,public & private schools, animal control & training of those animal control officers as well as lobbyists and legislators. They've infiltrated every thread of what we hold dear. Working together,they have managed to convince everybody and anybody that they are "THE" experts and anything that we do is wrong and a disservice to animals.

Young people that we should have taken under our wings have turned to assisting the movement and most unfortunately, will never know the joy of our sport. They will never learn what animal husbandry truly is nor will they ever understand the pride of having bred, loved, cared for and promoted something that upholds the standards that reputable breeders honor. They'll never know that special bond that develops nor will they learn to distinguish between the joy of victory and the agony of defeat.

Worse, they may never learn that people are supposed to be able to make choices that best suit them - before it's too late. It's up to all of us to take back what has been stolen from us and to learn, quickly, to work together as one. If we don't take the time to reach out and touch someone now, our sport, our animals and our rights
are doomed. If we don't make every effort to bring new people into our fold, who will take over for you when you hang up your leads? Who will preserve and continue to improve your breed and your standards? What difference will all of the health research mean when the results are returned - too late - because you are no longer permitted to have animals or the ones you do have must be spayed & neutered?

How will all of that research help when breeding is no longer permitted or the monetary expense to breed far outweighs logic? Are you content to see it all fall by the wayside knowing the only animals the future will see will be in museums or books? The animal rights movement is taking away our future, and we, the majority of the showing populace,are dangerously & extremely close to being -
One generation and out.

ENTICING NEWCOMERS or SHOOING THEM
AWAY?

A great majority of the showing populace has always had an attitude, particularly when a new person would approach them at a show inquiring about their breed or the dogs being shown. This anomaly existed way back when and it still exists today. Looking back, it's clear that this attitude that some still carry with them, is a great part of the problems today.

We actually shooed people away, thinking that our world would never come to an end and there would be plenty more opportunities to advance our 'lines.' The showing fancy wasn't thinking about the future and judging by some still existing attitudes, still aren't realizing the bleak future of our sport confronting us. We live in America and we can do what we want, can't we? Dog shows will always exist...won't they?

Worse yet, there are still those individuals that just cannot seem to get along with their own club members and those within their own breeds, insisting on making life difficult for others by continuing to add fuel to whatever fire some disgruntled person started for no apparent reason other than their own agenda. Some would suggest that those reasons include selfishness, jealousy and just plain hatred for anybody that might be doing better in the sport than others or those really dangerous persons that think that "they know it all" without having the experience of those before them whom they should be learning from.

All of these factors are nothing more than additions to the animal rights movement. If you are one of these, you might as well join forces with the opposition and stop hiding behind your animals. If you believe that your actions against others will keep you safe, be forewarned that you are not exempt from that knock on the door. Every person within your club or breed that you destroy, demean or otherwise terrorize, adds another nail to the coffin we are all facing.

What kind of message are you sending to younger people or any other persons that might have an interest in our sport when they discover that those who have been in the sport 'forever' seem to be hell bent on destroying each other and that they are incapable of working together or helping each other? How in the world can you educate or assist a NEW person interested in the sport or your breed when you can't seem to find the time to stop fighting amongst your peers and become that helpful educator?

IT DOESN'T AFFECT ME - WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT

I actually have grown fond of this ridiculous comment because it gives me the opportunity to explain what it actually means and why those who use this lame
excuse are definitely closer to being one generation and out than those who
understand the circumstances. Let me set the record straight using a few of the popular "reasons" I have been given over the years.

Everything that goes on in the animal world, especially legislatively, affects everybody. Cropping and docking. You don't crop or dock, either by choice (while still available) or because you don't have a breed that requires or prefers it. That doesn't mean that you should sit back ignoring that ban, law or ordinance and not assist those breeds that DO, for rest assured, along with that cropping/docking issue, another issue will follow that WILL affect you and your breed. By not assisting, you are allowing for your own loss of freedom of choice.

Mandatory spay/neuter laws. You don't live there so it doesn't affect you, but if you don't assist that area,it surely WILL affect you in short order for it will continue to spread like a California wildfire if everybody continues to believe that 'it doesn't affect me'. Maybe not today, but what will tomorrow bring to your neighborhood, state, city, town or county?

BSL, breed specific legislation. You don't have "one of those breeds". Are you sure? It wouldn't take more than an animal hating neighbor, mailperson, meter reader, delivery person or some unruly kid from up the street to report your five pound, barking, snarling, fence running 'potentially dangerous dog' even if the dog wasn't lucky enough to get a bite in ! The next thing you know, officials are at your house and you are subjected to defending yourself and trying to get your dog out of protective custody all at great expense. It IS important for everybody to work together for make no mistake, it will come to you just like it came to the other guy. You remember him - the one that kept saying that it didn't affect him? So, those of you that use the old 'it doesn't affect me' excuse, think about it before you say it or come up with something better.

Of all the emails I receive, the most common is "What can I do about it? It's just the way it is." This is not true and you are only deceiving yourself if you believe that. You, we, are the only ones that CAN do something about it. We are the ones that
are losing our integrity, pride and reputations and the irony is that it's being taken from us by those who don't have near the 'expertise' that we have.

What they do have is talent in "marketing, promoting and fund raising". It's up to all of us to become astute in these same areas, reverse the current trend and take back what is ours. Need a few common suggestions? Here, let me help you out ...

  • Advertise for new club members,
  • start a kennel club/breed club blog,
  • hold fun events for the public,
  • stop by that place that you are 'sure' is a puppy mill,
  • visit that commercial kennel - get to know them before you make any
    comments, offer tips and suggestions, help them, listen to
    them, befriend them, educate them and be educated in return -
  • go over to Farmer Bob's, step over those cow paddies and talk to him, ask
    him if he knows his right to farm or raise livestock is endangered,
  • go to schools and ask to speak to the children,
  • make arrangements to take dogs with you,
  • get media attention by working with children -
  • sponsoring adoption days (purebred or otherwise)
  • or turning your club classes into a class to teach responsible animal
    ownership and safety around dogs and invite parents as well as senior citizens,
    get them to help with fundraising,
  • stop by your town hall and ask for the meeting agenda,
  • check for any agenda subject animal related and attend the meeting,
  • talk to churches, hunters, any sportsmen,
  • call a special kennel club or breed club meeting of those members that are
    still active (before they hang up their leads or take that dirt nap) and discuss
    ideas, research your towns and participate in events offered,
  • check with girl scouts, boy scouts, invite them to your shows or public
    events,
  • attend council meetings, introduce yourself, (invite them to your events
    & shows,too), and
  • get involved with rescue work in your breed.
  • Pure breed rescue is one of the biggest problems that we have - every time
    one shows up in some shelter, every breeder is accused of putting it there - the
    fingers don't only point to the irresponsible breeders.

We are all affected and the time has now come to be effective rather than affected.

USE THAT TOOL THAT'S ON YOUR
SHOULDERS

The AKC has many informative brochures, flyers and pamphlets that can be placed in assorted locations and they have educational programs that can be used in school systems. They can provide you with CD's, DVD's, classroom workbooks for teachers and a large assortment of other publications that can be used for just about any venue, including legislators. Take advantage of them.

Utilize the tools that are available to you, especially that one that sits on your shoulders... and get creative. We are losing everything that we've worked so hard to achieve. We're losing our 'expert' title, our rights, our freedom of choice, our animals - and it just keeps coming with no end in sight, except our demise. There are many other organizations, pet law lists, and breed legislation lists that are jam packed with good information that you can use. All you need to do is ... DO IT - before it's too late to do, and my friends, that time is quick approaching. The plane is circling the airport for a landing and we need more people standing on the runway....!

THE CHALLENGE

The dog fancy is generally not very laid back and those that I know will fight to the bitter end about any subject We've always had the spit 'n' fire to strike back. Where is that aggressiveness now? For those that have told me that they fear some sort of retaliation,know that the more visible you are, the less likely you are to be targeted. With that said, how many of you will step up and start working toward reversing the travesty befalling us? How many of you will make an effort to stop using derogatory terms or take the time to educate? How many will prove that they are part of the dedicated fancy and work together to make a difference?

And, last, but not least, I don't want to forget about those in the sport that I mentioned earlier who are still intent on being vicious towards their comrades. Those who can't seem to get past making their own breed and club members miserable and those who can't stop complaining about or accusing their peers of some heinous crime, hi volume breeders or commercial facilities. You have a "special gift" and it's time for you to put it to better use against those who would see you dog-less, or just let us all know when you fall off the fence into the AR pit so we can start working on a "potentially dangerous animal owner" law.

Linda D. Witouski
AKC Judge & Delegate
AKC SC Legislation
Representative
Legislation Chair, BOD & Delegate - Myrtle Beach Kennel
Club, Inc.
Legislation Chair - Minature Pinscher Club of America,
Inc.
Legislation Chair - Yankee Miniature Pinscher Club, Inc.
SC Camo
Coalition Steering Committee
SC Assembly of Sportsmen's
Caucuses
Legislation Editor & Investigative Reporter - National Pet
Press/The Dog Press Co-Author - Monthly National Legislation Report - http://mnlreport.typepad.com/the_monthly_national_legi/
Owner:
DogLegislation@yahoogroups.com
Owner:
MinPinInReview@yahoogroups.com
Owner: SC Animal, Sportsmen & Wildlife
Voting Coalition

It's been almost 2 years since I last entered the obedience ring to earn a Companion Dog (CD) title on my newest Doberman. As I sat in the car, sitting up on a slight rise and waiting my turn to go in the ring I was struck by one thing that made me so sad I just wanted to cry. What was that thing?

Like Ms. Witouski, the thing that struck me most forcefully was the lack of YOUTH. The judges for the most part all appeared to be in their 70's or maybe even older. The exhibitors were in their late 50's and 60's. There were exactly two younger exhibitors and they were both students of mine. Gone are the "rat pack" younger kids who used to work the clean-up duty. Gone were the older kids competing for High Scoring Youngest Handler, or High Scoring Junior.

Gone are all the fun classes I so fondly remember. When was the last time you saw versatility being offered? When was the last time you saw Team being offered? Shoot, when was the last time you saw a Veterans class? When was the last time your local obedience club was even ALLOWED to hold a match or trial at the local park and the event was attended by lots of people who didn't even own a dog?

Know what I remember? I remember when obedience training matches were sponsored and put on by the Knights of Columbus, the Boys and Girls Club, a Girl Scout Club, the American Legion Post, Kiwanis and an entire host of other groups. Each sponsored a match during the spring, summer or fall months as a fund raiser for their organization. In looking back, it seems to me that one year we could choose to attend a match almost every single weekend or when we were ready head off to a trial. And then the very next year there were NONE. Not a single match be be found in any parks or hosted by any group.

I remember actually calling a few people I knew who had headed up committees to put these matches on. I asked them what happened? How come there was no match this year? Now mind you there had never been a single reported dog bite, dog scratch or even dog scuffle, much less fight and yet I was told that the insurance companies had decided the event was to dangerous to be allowed to continue. And that was sometime in the 1990's. Coming up on twenty years later and very few people even know what a trained dog looks like.

There are many things we can do about this. Are you willing to step up to the plate and make a difference?

Monday, December 15, 2008

Is there a hole in the bucket?

For those of you who requested I share some video footage of Sanity working on retrieving large, awkward items, here are there examples of her work. In the first one we are doing the first practice retrieve of the day. When we first started out working on this retrieve a couple of weeks ago the bucket still had a bail, but it got used and abused by some of the "help" around here and when I went to use it today I discovered the missing bail.

During earlier training sessions Sanity was making use of the bail to either turn the bucket over or to carry it. With the bail missing, she sort of had to start all over again.



This next clip was taken after she had done four retrieves, so this will be the last one in this set. Since all went well there was no need to do any more of this type. Notice that she pays no attention to the other dogs at all and if they get in the way will actually use the bucket to bang into them. They move pretty quickly.

I have always believed that it is the ability to do the more difficult tasks that gives the top dog in the yard all most, not all, but definitely most of their status. They all seem to understand that some work carries more credits than other work and the higher your status, the more credits you rack up, the easier it is to always have the best place, be the first in line.




Since she was able to successfully retrieve the bucket five times, this next clip shows her being tested and passing with flying colors. In this test the bucket was knocked off the side of the porch and it then rolled out into the yard a bit. She was not in a position to actually see the bucket when I sent her.

Because of the positioning, I chose to use a "place" command to sent her down the steps and away from me just enough that once she sat she would be in a position to be able to see the bucket. She was not sure exactly where I was signaling when I gave the command the first time and so I moved closer to the rail and signaled as I gave the command a second time. That time she looked where my arm was pointing, spotted the bucket and, well you can see the rest for yourself.

So while there was no hole in the bucket, it was missing the bail.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

The Naked Truth


I've been meaning to say something about this totally cool new calendar for several days now. If you have already gotten yours, good for you! If you have heard about it and just haven't gotten around to ordering your copy, DO IT NOW!
And now for those of you who don't have a clue as to what I am talking about, here's the scoop.

A group of well known AKC judges, handlers and breeders have come together and put out a wonderful, no make that delightful, or maybe the word is entertaining calendar for 2009. The name of this wonder is: The Naked Truth: Exposing HSUS and PETA. This wonder is being brought to us by California Responsible Pet Owner's Coalition and their goal is to raise money to fight the creep of the black death known as the animal rights/animal protection movement.

This group have taken to calling themselves "Gloves Off" and the wonderful, courageous models include:

Michele Billings
Dany Canino
John Connolly
Judy Donière
Michael Faulkner
Shirley Indelicato
Bernard McGivern, Jr.
Paula Nykiel
John Ramirez
Patti Strand
Donavon Thompson
Susan Vroom
Gary Allison
Kenneth Griffith
Loran Morgan
Doug Price
Bruce Schultz
And a few more…

The calendar has been dedictated to a truly great dog woman, Miss Dorothy Nickles, who’ll turn 99 in April. Happy Birthday Dorothy!

Taking a page from a British "naughty" calendar put out by the Labrador Club this calendar doesn't stop with some great, yet tastefully teasing in the buff shots. Every single page also has all sorts of information about the AR/AP movement and the goals they don't want you do know about.

Who knew I would ever be trying to sell naughty calendars, much less for someone else. This isn't just a worthy cause, it is one we all must support in every way we can. So with that thought in mind now would be a good time to get that order in. Don't be left out. Do it now.

Here's how: http://www.carpoc.org/ will take you to the place where you can make use of your Paypal account or if you don't have such an account then get out your checkbook and write them a check.

Make the check out to: CaRPOC (the cost is $20/each with $5 for shipping)

Mail it to:
California Responsible Pet Owners' Coalition
11301 W. Olympic Blvd
#121-596
Los Angeles, CA 90064

Buy more than one and give them as Holiday gifts for special people on your gift list.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Sometimes you just have to stop and play

For the past week I really have been a most uninteresting sort of owner. Sleeping just about round the clock, grumpy and whinny when awake. Now that is not a pretty combonation, is it? So this afternoon when Sanity started bugging me about the fact that she was bored, bored, bored I figured she deserved some time.

First we spent a bit working on the old fashioned doodles. Meaning I called out the commands in a very random order, come, back, stand, down, sit, down, stand, come, back, back, down, stand, etc. Then we both got tired of that at about the same time and so this is what we did next.

I confess, she never did manage to master the stand, flip, catch bit. All that means is we still have something to play with on another day.

No more meat?

Now I've gone and done it. Probably cook my goose by getting on some watch list or another, but I swear I just can't seem to be able to sit back and watch the march of the AR/AP and do nothing.

Read this first: http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=E947C639-B7D7-C7CE-1F34DDEA5D3E0E70

It just seemed like the last straw and so I did what they requested and this is what I wrote:

Sirs:
Secretary Schafer is quoted in the June 25 release by saying,
"I look forward to continuing USDA's work with both the Humane Society and the
cattle industry on addressing inhumane handling of animals, and I again thank
them for their efforts."

Hard as I try, I am simply unable to understand why the Secretary of Agriculture would actually want to do anything with the Humane Society of the US other than help lock up the leaders for the terrorists they are and the damage they have done, are doing and are planning on doing. HSUS had made its goal very clear.

"We have found that civil
disobedience and direct action has been powerful in generating massive attention
in our communities ... and has been very effective in traumatizing our targets."
JP Goodwin, Committee to Abolish the Fur Trade, National Animal Rights Convention '97, June 27, 1997, now employed by the Humane Society of the United States

"My goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture." JP Goodwin,
employed at the Humane Society of the US, formerly at Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade, as quoted on AR-Views, an animal rights Internet discussion group in 1996.

“Whatever it takes to stop someone from abusing animals is certainly
morally acceptable.” Jerry Vlasak in answer to a question about animal
research, “Is murder on the table as an option.?” Utah KUTV, April
26, 2008.

and finally:

We have no ethical obligation to preserve
the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding ...One
generation and out. We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals.
They are creations of human selective breeding. Wayne Pacelle, President,
HSUS, Animal People News (May 1, 1993) - Animal People News (May 1, 1993)

Please, help me understand what the goal of the Secretary of Agriculture is, if
it is different from the persons who represent HSUS.



So am I foolishly attempting to tilt with a windmill? Perhaps. Will you join me in this, cause I do know that if enough of us hop on that horse and ride it into town someone is bound to listen.

Friday, December 12, 2008

How we all should answer

I keep telling you about one dog owner after another, one small time hobby breeder after another and one old woman wanting to retire commercial breeder after another who are being robbed and then destroyed by those who claim to be on the side of the law.

Well, here is the story of yet another one. This time I have permission from the author of the letter to post the entire thing here for your education and enlightenment. Please read on...

Background for the email below:
http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/new_river_valley/article/63_dogs_seized_from_home_in_hillsville/21263/
http://www.lcni5.com/cgi-bin/c2.cgi?055+article+News+20081202163816055102
http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/187215
=============================
Bob McDonnell
Attorney General
Commonwealth of Virginia
via e-mail

Dear Attorney General McDonnell:

I have received your letter of the 5th asking for a contribution to your campaign for governor. I'm a lifelong conservative and nearly always vote Republican so I would be a logical supporter of your campaign.

However, I'm also a lifelong dog lover and because my wife and I breed whippets as a hobby, I've been studying pet animal laws both in Virginia and across the country for several years now. That hasn't been fun and it hasn't given me a very good impression of animal law enforcement across our country. However up until the last couple of years, we've had few problems in Virginia.

The Dave Winesett case was rotten from the start. Here's the relevant
Code:
§ 3.2-6569. (Effective October 1, 2008) Seizure and impoundment of
animals; notice and hearing; disposition of animal; disposition of
proceeds upon sale.

A. Any humane investigator, law-enforcement officer or animal control
officer may lawfully seize and impound any animal that has been
abandoned, has been cruelly treated, or is suffering from an apparent
violation of this chapter that has rendered the animal in such a
condition as to constitute a direct and immediate threat to its life,
safety or health.

Seizure is to be used only in cases where no lesser measure will protect the animal(s). Abandoned animals, a violently abusive owner, animals that are so sick or badly injured that urgent veterinary care is needed and the owner cannot be depended on to provide it, and so on. For cases that are simply non-adequate care, citations (with follow up if necessary to assure timely correction) are safer for the animals, far cheaper, and respectful of owner civil rights. When the violations warrant, a court can subsequently order forfeiture of animals and payment of costs, along with other penalties.

Indeed, Mr. Winesett had been visited by an animal control officer on November 7th. Local officials deny that their officer sought further action.

What do we hear of the Winesett animals? Some grooming problems (matting, nails needed trimming), some animals said to have foot problems, one elderly toy dog with the bad teeth typical in this situation. We're told that conditions were 'deplorable' but of course that's a subjective term and not justification for seizure.

Most animals were expected to be ready for adoption almost immediately after the hearing of December 2. Few to none of them could have had issues requiring seizure on November 13th.

Conservatives believe government should leave citizens alone; we REALLY don't like 'under color of law' support of a private agenda such as that of the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS), represented in this case by the Virginia Animal Fighting (or Animal Cruelty) Task Force (VAFTF). These are hard-core animal rights organizations whose purpose is making money and gaining power by attacking animal ownership and breeding.

As I expect you know, HSUS itself focuses on enacting anti-animal ownership laws. They routinely use proxies like the VAFTF to promote abusive enforcement actions. We conservatives can do better supporting an average Democrat than with a Republican who hangs out with this crowd.

The seizure was carried out by seven state police sergeants and a captain. The state veterinarian's office was represented. At least three state vehicles would have been needed. At least two representatives of your office were present at the hearing of December 2nd, case preparation would have required some tens of hours, and of course operating a courtroom isn't free. The bill for all that would be somewhere in the $200,000 range, wouldn't you say?

Now we learn that you're appealing the dismissal of the seizure hearing. That'll add what -- another $25,000-$50,000 or so to the cost? Of course those 'Angels' folks are running up a tab caring for the animals: The state may well end up paying that, too.

Conservatives don't like it when government flushes our tax money down the toilet. But that's probably not how you see it: Because the case itself is so weak, getting a seizure hearing is critical to your strategy for winning.

Gosh I hope this stuff makes your skin crawl just a little bit. AGs always talk 'tough on crime' but the people on whom these animal cases are dropped are almost never what you'd call criminals.

The way I read the tea leaves, this case couldn't have developed as it has unless one or both of you and Governor Kaine were trying to make points with HSUS by being 'tough on animal cruelty.' The photo-op with Robin Starr hangs a tag on your jacket.

This sort of behavior is more like 'disgusting' than 'conservative.'

Walt Hutchens
(Address)

Each and every one of us needs to set fingers to keyboard and write letters of this sort to our elected officials and let them know exactly how we feel about what amounts to illegal search and seizure by pseudo law enforcement types who have managed to gain real law enforcement backup. Do continue to sit back and let them strip all our freedoms away.







Thursday, December 11, 2008

Tis the Season of Giving

Traditionally this is the major season of giving. Giving to those you care about, your family, your friends, people you work with and some charity. Money is tighter than we have seen for many, many years and that means we must be very, very careful about where our charity dollars end up.

If you want to give a donation to help some dogs in need, then give to your LOCAL Animal Rescue group or Shelter. Whatever you do, do not give to H$U$ or PETA unless your goal is in keeping the the ideals of eliminating all domestic animals, the bulk of the human population or domestic terrorism. Harsh words about a soft topic? You bet, and will good reason. See below for something I didn't write, but that I truly believe every dog, cat, or other animal owner needs to read, think about and then pass on to at least 50 other people. Now that would truly be in the best spirit of giving.


Full page ad in the NY Times today, page A39. Contents as follows.

Why is the Humane Society of the United States Helping a Terrorist Group Raise Money?

On Saturday, a Humane Society of the United Stats vice president will deliver a keynote speech at a fundraiser for an animal-rights terrorist group.The Humane Society of the United States claims to oppose violence in the name of animal rights. But on Saturday it's helping raise money for the Humane League of Philadelphia, an organization allied with a vicious, violent gang of convicted animal rights terrorists.

The Humane League of Philadelphia was founded as "SHAC Philly," a chapter of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). The FBI calls SHAC a "terrorist" group. It's tactics have included death threats, violent assaults, blackmail, and arson. In 2006, SHAC was convicted on federal terrorism charges. It's national leaders remain in federal prison. Also in 2006, the Humane League of Philadelphia's president was convicted of Making Terrorist Threats against an employee of a drug company.

According to media reports, he threatened to kill her children. Judges have issued three different restraining orders against the Humane League of Philadelphia and its president, in order to protect biomedical research companies and their business associates from violence, vandalism, stalking, and identity theft. The Humane League of Philadelphia is required by law to post these restraining orders on it's own Internet home page. (Following is a diagram with boxes and arrows, showing the evolution of the Humane League of Philadelphia.)

2001 Violent American animal-rights radicals start "SHAC USA," basing their operations in Philadelphia.

July 2002 Philadelphia SHAC activists establish a local chapter called"SHACE Philly."

Nov. 2002 SHAC Philly changes its name to "Hugs For Puppies."

Mar. 2006 SHAC USA and six of its national leaders are convicted on federal terrorism charges.

Nov. 2006 The president of Hugs For Puppies is convicted of Making Terrorist Threats against the children of a pharmaceutical company employee.

May 2008 Hugs For Puppies changes its name to "The Humane League of Philadelphia."

Nov. 2008 The Humane League of Philadelphia announces that a Humane Society of the United States vice president will keynote its Dec. 13 holiday fundraising gala. The Humane Society of the United States claims to be a mainstream, peaceful advocate for animals. Why is it helping a terrorist group raise money? There's a lot you don't know about the Humane Society of the United States.Learn more at http://www.humanewatch.org/.

Please give to a local animal welfare group you know and trust. Remember, "friends don't let friends give to HSUS or PETA" or groups that are affiliated with them.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Spiders

I know I have already done a post for today, but I just received this and considering how much doom and gloom I have been posting I just felt it was necessary, no, make that mandatory that I share this link with you.

Spiders, indeed.

http://www.geekologie.com/2008/11/good_idea_man_submits_drawing.php

Are you next?

In my inbox this morning was an email asking me for any help I could muster for a Doberman owner in APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA. This is a story of an OWNER and a very small time breeder who appears to have done everything right, but for one thing. That one thing being her failure to put up a privacy fence so people couldn't see into her back yard.

This is a link to another blog site. A site owned by someone who knows the person in question. Knows and is vouching for her. See I'm not going to just post any and everything I'm sent. I actually attempt to do a little due diligence and make sure the story can be verified before sending it on. This one is true, true in all its horrible ramifications. It should also serve as a warning to every single one of you who owns even so much as one dog.

http://pinkbunnyears.com/?p=1155

After you read what is happening, you also need to know that this owner/breeder is not the first one to have this happen. Because of the way the last election went every single animal owner, bet it pet or farm, is now in serious danger of losing all they hold dear to them and maybe even more.

I realize that many people like nothing better than to call me Chicken Little. Well, guess what? You can call me anything or nothing, just so long as you wake up to what is going on and get a backbone. Stand up and be counted. Don't let this sort of thing happen in your town or county. However, if you were asleep and not bothering to protect your freedoms, then the very least you can do is start to fight NOW. Find someone who is planning on running for office in the next election, make sure then know H$H$ for the evil it is. Make sure they understand the difference between animal welfare vs. animal right or as they are now calling themselves animal protectionists. Please don't continue to sit on your hands until it is too late and there are no more animals.

If writing, calling or email are your thing, here are the addresses to APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA CITY OFFICIALS:

Mayor
John Insalaco
Phone: (480) 982-8002 Fax: (480) 982-7018

Chief of Police
Jerald Monahan
Phone: (480) 982-8260 Fax: (480) 474-5489 EMAIL: jmonahan@ajcity.net

Community Relations Manager,
Mr. Pat Brenner
Phone: (480) 474-5080 Fax: (480) 474-5110 EMAIL: pbrenner@ajcity.net

City Manager,
Mr. George Hoffman
EMAIL: citymanager@ajcity.net

County Manager
Mr. Terry Doolittle
EMAIL: terry.doolittle@pinalcounty.gov.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Louisville KY

Now I realize that I did promise some of you that I would go back to dog training stuff and honestly I have every intention of doing just that. However, (you knew that was coming didn't you?)I am having a very difficult time convincing myself there is any point to worrying about training dogs if there are to be no more dogs.

For your reading education I am including something that is currently going on in Louisville, KY. Home of one of the most dangerous animal HATE laws currently on the books.

URGENT NOTICE:

For those living in Louisville, KY: Metro Animal Services now has in place a Task Force which is operating under color of law, illegally seizing animals. A member of the Task Force contacts people who have advertised puppies or kittens in the Courier-Journal, on www.Louisville-pets.com, LouisvilleMojo.com, or craigslist.com (and possibly other sites). This member, a Louisville Metro ACO, poses as a puppy buyer, and when granted access to the property in that guise, does an inspection. Then, immediately upon leaving the property, the ACO signals to the other members of the Task Force (which inexplicably include Louisville Metro Police Officers), who then arrive on the doorstep demanding entry and threatening to seize the animals.

Up to this point, ACOs have been granted access and animals have been seized. Those animals are not returned to the owner without extortionate fines (well over $300 per animal), and penalties including spaying/neutering of the parents and vaccinations of the puppies regardless of age.

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THIS SITUATION: Do not panic! REFUSE ENTRY to police and ACOs alike UNTIL A SEARCH WARRANT IS PRODUCED, describing your property and the probable cause upon which the warrant is based, and signed by a judge. CONTACT AN ATTORNEY!

Contact information for a local attorney with understanding of dog/cat issues:
Pat King 585-5763
730 W. Market St
Louisville, KY


Follow-up. The above information was posted on the Louisville craigslist.com site and someone protested its presence. It was then removed. Mind you, I’m an outsider, but it would seem to me that many polite yet strongly worded protests should be sent to craigslist in protest. Slipping in information about what is happening could also be done each time a person places any announcement on that list. Just some random thoughts on this cold Sunday morning.

Don't think it won't happen anywhere else. The necessary laws are in place in many places now and that "change" so many of you voted for, well it is now starting to happen.

From RPOA Texas Outreach and Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
"Animal welfare, not animal 'rights' and, yes, there is a difference."
Permission granted to crosspost.

November 14, 2009
San Antonio, TX, passed an animal ordinance requiring a Litter Permit in December of last year (2007). It is now being enforced. Animal control staff scan the Classified Ads and call the phone numbers listed that do not include a Litter Permit Number. Breeders are told that their animals will be confiscated if they don't buy the Litter Permit. To date, we're not aware of any animals actually being seized. Reports are that Louisville, KY, is actually illegally seizing litters under the same situations.


How many who voted for "change" thought to actually ask what that change would be and what it was going to mean?

Sunday, November 02, 2008

General Eisenhower Warned Us

The following was sent to me as an email. I actually intended to send it on as an email. Then I thought better of that idea and decided it needed space in my blog. In just a few more days we will be called to the voting polls to vote not just for a new President, but on the very fate of this great country. Like it or not but this election is most likely to go down in history as one of those "turning points".

I think it is fair to say that each of us will carry into the voting booth our own personal beliefs as to just what the word "free" means. Of course that also means that what some will label as free others will label as "unfree", "bound", "restricted" or a host of other labels used to describe a loss of freedom. May all the Joe the Plumbers of this great land get out there and VOTE!

Read and heed... and be forewarned...

General Eisenhower Warned Us

It is a matter of history that when the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight Eisenhower, found the victims of the death camps he ordered all possible photographs to be taken, and for the German people from surrounding villages to be ushered through the camps and even made to bury the dead.

He did this because he said in words to this effect:

'Get it all on record now - get the films - get the witnesses - because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened'

This week, the UK debated whether to remove The Holocaust from its school curriculum because it 'offends' the Muslim population which claims it never occurred. It is not removed as yet. However, this is a frightening portent of the fear that is gripping the world and how easily each country is giving into it.

It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended. This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the,6 million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians, and 1,900 Catholic priests

Who were 'murdered, raped, burned, starved, beat, experimented on and humiliated' while the German people looked the other way!

Now, more than ever, with Iran , among others, claiming the Holocaust to be 'a myth,' it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets.

This e-mail is intended to reach 400 million people! Be a link in the memorial chain and help distribute this around the world.

How many years will it be before the attack on the World Trade Center .. 'NEVER HAPPENED' ...because it offends some Muslim in the U.S. ???

Do not just delete this message; it will take only a minute to pass this along.

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE... SOMEONE HAD TO PAY FOR IT!

If you can read this... thank a teacher. If you can read this in English... thank a veteran.

God Bless America !


Please share the above quoted email with everyone you know. It is something to think about as we all prepare to go to the polls on Tuesday and vote as our consciences dictates.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

May you live in interesting times

It seems like all I post these days are things other people have written and this time isn't any different. However, I feel I at least owe myself an explanation about why I am doing this.

Well, here goes. There is an reputedly old Chinese curse that goes something like this, "May you live in interesting times; May you come to the attention of those in authority; May you find what you are looking for". I feel as if we are all living in the middle of that curse. Certainly books will have some interesting reading about this period in history.

Which leads me right back to the reason why I keep posting things written by other people. I'm a dog trainer. I've always been a dog trainer. I earn my living working with dogs, writing about dogs. My days are spent training, playing, hanging out with and just in general totally immersed in things related to, for, with and about dogs. Hummm...to a non-dog person I guess that must sound very unbalanced, I however, find it to be a very balanced life. I know I am not alone. I know there are others who live the same way and the article to follow tells about some of them.

So my real question is this, "Why are the majority of people in this country, all of whom own at least one animal, allowing a small, loud, hateful group of beings to take their animal from them? Not just take your animal, but kill it and then make it impossible for you to have another animal.

Understand one thing, this is a thing written in stone and will never change. The animal rights movement is not about animals and it certainly isn't about rights. It is all about getting rid of animals. It is all about forbidding any interaction between humans and animals. It is about taking away you fourth amendment rights which say:

Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure. Ratified 12/15/1791.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Think I don't know what I'm talking about? Check out what is happening in New Mexico, California, Florida, Texas and dozens of other places around the country. Those new animal control ordnance's that you haven't bothered to pay any attention to have been written to trample your fourth amendment rights in the mud. And now on to doing away with more jobs at a time when jobs are tight and getting tighter.


Greyhounds – What’s the real story??

The Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners got a call from both Greyhound tracks in Mass. They wanted us to come see their operations, their dogs and how the dogs are treated. The Mass. Federation is made up primarily of dog show people, dog club members, dog trainers, dog experts, dog training clubs, pet owners but no Greyhound racers. I have raised, owned and loved dogs for over 50 years. I am a senior conformation dog show judge with the AKC. I know more than a little about how to care for dogs, bond with them, handle them, encourage them. I have attended many dog related events but of course I was curious to see first hand the intimate and behind the scenes workings of the track, especially in light of the multi-year campaign by animal rights groups who have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to end Greyhound racing in Massachusetts.

Mass Federation Members toured both tracks. Here’s what I saw at Raynham. I saw dogs in extraordinary physical condition. As a dog person, I know how much time and proper exercise it takes to get a dog in top condition and muscle tone. Professional athletes would be impressed by the conditioning of the dogs. This doesn’t happen by ignoring the dog. It means getting the dog a great deal of exercise and spending a lot of time with the dog. We went to the restricted area where dogs are kept before a race and saw a room full of contented dogs waiting to go out to race. When a race was called, the dogs going out got very happy tails. They knew they were racing and were excited. The young employees of the track that put racing numbers on the dogs were gentle with them and handled them with obvious affection. Watching the dogs chase the mechanical rabbit was amazing and a pure joy. It was so exciting watching as this is the culmination of centuries of careful breeding and selection to produce these amazing athletes.

I was also taken to the restricted area where the dogs come after a race. This is right behind the track vet’s office. When dogs come off the track after a race, they are rubbed down, their feet are washed of sand, they have eye wash in their eyes on the chance they may have gotten dirt in an eye. They get a big drink and a look over. Some get a wet down on the spot. They are cooled down and tended too. There are hugs for dogs and “atta boys.” There are more happy tails.

We met two of the veterinarians that share duties at Raynham, Dr. Durniok and Dr. Caldwell. We asked about all the reports being broadcast of injuries and cruelty. They had no knowledge of any cruelty. They did say there are some injuries. In the event of injuries, there is a vet there. Most injuries are not serious. Dogs with an injury are almost always rehabilitated. No adoptable dog is destroyed. The track has an office inside the entrance where people can inquire about getting a retired racer as a pet.

Injuries that occur you could see in many professional sports. We know of the injuries in Baseball, Football, Hockey, Basketball. People and dogs engage in sport for the pleasure it provides. Given their choice, the Greyhounds would, I am sure, prefer to chase live prey. But they are cheerful enough to chase a mechanical rabbit. Their greatest joy is running and chasing. They have strong built in prey drive. They are hard wired that way. That’s because they are dogs. They aren’t four footed people engaged in ethical debate about whether they would choose to chase a mechanical rabbit, kill prey or whether they enjoy it. They do what they do with joy, determination and instinct.

Henry Chin, a breeder, trainer and owner of Greyhounds escorted us to the restricted area where the kennels are. Henry has assistants and we met a charming young girl whose affection for the dogs was obvious. She loves her job and she loves the dogs. The kennel was mostly quiet when we walked in. There were contented dogs in extremely deep shredded paper bedding all denned in. They were doing what my dogs do most of the day – snoozing in comfort, digesting a good meal. When they stood up, it was apparent their cages were much larger than many boarding kennels would use. They were a happy and contented lot. We saw boxes and boxes of dog biscuits everywhere. We saw big, roomy outdoor exercise areas. We met one dog recuperating from a leg injury. This happy guy popped out of his pen and greeted us happily, ran about a bit and voluntarily jumped back in his pen. I tried calling him out and asking him to get back in. He didn’t know me, but happily obliged, then promptly snuggled into his bed. All the dogs had buckets of water. All the cages were clean. The whole kennel was clean. We asked about reports on how often dogs got out. He said the dogs are out at least six times a day, which is more than many pet dogs get out. The dogs are in their pens but they all can see each other. They can be social. The girls go out together and the boys go out together but in different pens. Any dog that is not social with other dogs goes out separately. The dogs are never out unless someone is watching them.

Henry said he has tried inviting people to come see how racers keep their dogs. He said only two groups prior to us had come. The rest of the people listen to people who don’t come. So I am writing, as a dog lover, to tell you how it is. I asked Henry what he would do if racing ended in Massachusetts. He wasn’t sure. It’s what he knows. I thought about the hundreds of people who would lose their jobs, including the nice young people I met. I wondered if voters care more about purported animal cruelty claims they don’t examine or about the hardship on people who love dogs and who will lose their jobs in a depressed economy.

So why have the animal rights people so attacked the Greyhound industry?
Some people don’t like gambling in any form. But they won’t be ending casinos or other gambling forms. Other groups just want to end the purposeful breeding of animals and any use of animals by humans. It would seem if, over a long period of time, you call something cruel, people will begin to presume it is true. They won’t go to the track; they won’t examine the truth of the matter. When a group like MSPCA says it’s cruel, by George, isn’t that the case? The fact is that the Greyhound industry is highly regulated. Any problems that might have been there in the past aren’t there now.

The Greyhounds are well cared for, valuable and valued. They are well conditioned, happy athletes.

To me it is clear; a vote NO on Question 3 is a vote for the Greyhounds. It is a vote to preserve this ancient breed. It is a choice against extinction of these wonderful dogs.


Charlotte McGowan

Please cross post to Mass. residents



So if you live in Mass please vote NO on Question 3. To vote yes just puts you that much closer to being forbidden the ownership of a dog of your own. Then again, if you have bought into the "pet parent" or "guardianship" title you have already given up your rights of property and once the greys are gone your dog will be next. That's not a threat, that's a promise.

And I'll end with a couple of quotes to keep you company.

"It is time we demand an end to the misguided and abusive concept of animal ownership. The first step on this long, but just, road would be ending the concept of pet ownership." Elliot Katz, President "In Defense of Animals," Spring 1997


When asked if he envisioned a future without pets, “If I had my personal view, perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don’t want to see another dog or cat born.” Wayne Pacelle quoted in Bloodties: Nature, Culture and the Hunt by Ted Kerasote, 1993, p. 266.
And they don't reproduce by breeding, but through brain washing:

I'm not only uninterested in having children. I am opposed to having children. Having a purebred human baby is like having a purebred dog; it is nothing but vanity, human vanity." Ingrid Newkirk, PeTA's founder and president, New Yorker magazine, April 23, 2003
Actually I suspect their chosen lifestyle has rendered them all sterile.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Something to think about

Wouldn't it be wonderful if instead of thinking and doing nothing the entire country were to actually step up and make this change? Or would it be?

This is an article written by Charlie Reese, a former columnist for the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper. Very interesting perspective on the state of our Nation!



545 PEOPLE

By Charlie Reese



Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.

The House of Representatives does.


You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House?
She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present f acts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hireand whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation,' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses provided the voters have the gumption to manage th eir own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!


--Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.



What you do with this article now that you have read it is up to you, though you appear to have several choices.

1. You can send this to everyone in your address book, and hope they do something about it.

2. You can agree to vote against everyone that is currently in office, knowing that the process will take several years.

3. You can decide to run for office yourself and agree to do the job properly.

4. Lastly, you can sit back and do nothing, or re-elect the current bunch.



Is it even possible to do a clean sweep and elect all new?

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Student and longe line



This clip of one of my students doing first day longe line work with her dog is just to fine to not share. This is her second dog, so she is not a new comer to longe line work. What we are watching was taken toward the end of the lesson and the dog is really showing some nice focus. The only part I am unhappy with is that while you can hear me ask her why she did the about turn when she did, unfortunately you can't hear her response. Suffice to say, that she gave the correct answer to my question of why?

I don't think there is any way I can explain why it is so very important to do longe line work as the precursor to any and all training. One of the most important things it does is to give the dog a chance to "buy into" the idea of learning. The other thing of importance it does is to give both human and dog a chance to learn each other's rhythm in a non-confrontational manner. When the longe line work follows time spent doing the "sit on the dog" exercise both students have taken the time to find their center and are ready to focus on learning. What a great combo and a solid foundation for all that follows.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

I have permission to post this and it is something that everyone interested in dogs needs to read and think about and then ACT.



The Truth be Known

Linda D. Witouski
September, 2008


Recently, I was confronted with a comment regarding the distribution of information regarding legislation to the dog loving populace that actually set my hair on fire. I'm sure it was intended to be quite innocent, however, with all of the information flowing across the internet highway, I found the comment to be most degrading to those that have been working in the trenches with legislation issues across the country, protecting those that won't protect themselves and felt it was a worthy comment to respond to. The simple comment that had me talking to myself for several hours was "The animal rights activists seem to be the only people out there with the resources to inform the public. Somebody needs to let the public know what's really going to happen to mans best friend!" So, for all of you out there that have this same thought in your mind, this is for you.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

There are many of us, but not near enough, that have been preaching, writing articles, educating and literally begging for people to see what is going on around them, since the early 80's ! The onslaught of information has been escalating over the years and only recently, has anyone decided to actually pay attention. Kennel Clubs across the country have and continue to use the media and the internet to disseminate information - organizations hold seminars regarding the issues confronting the dog loving populace - the AKC sends out alerts, but not near as often as other groups that work in the legislation trenches.

Those alerts are non stop, daily and up to date. The internet is agog with information. There has never been a withholding of information or warnings - ever. It isn't the lack of information from our side - it's the apathy of the people who refuse to believe that the possibility of the demise of dog showing, breeding, and ownership could possibly exist.

It's those people that, when legislation is mentioned, respond with, "I don't get involved in that." or "I don't have time for that and it will never pass anyway." Those people that say, "I'm sure somebody else is taking care of it." "That could never happen here," are only kidding themselves and in all actuality, are assisting in endangering their passion and sport as a whole. The worst response being, "I don't believe any of that stuff" clearly indicates that people are not taking advantage of the information available to them and these people who simply refuse to believe or get involved, are a large part of the problem.

It's ironic that those very same people who don't have time - seem to have time to be on the computer in some chat group, discussing where the majors could be, or how many dogs they finished so far this year, or how many champion get their dogs have produced, and even go so far as talking about some other breeder in their breed, (especially if it's some rumor) but, they don't have time to take an interest in something that will eliminate all of the discussions on those chat groups? All of that - "stuff" - won't matter if everybody doesn't take the time to get involved in the movement to save their passion and sport - to save their right of choice - to save their dogs.

Laying the cards out on the table and holding nothing back

It's the inability of the dog people to work with others who share the same feelings, whether they are a hobby breeder or a hi volume breeder. It's the attitude and elitism that keeps those who share the concern to "save our rights" from working together on issues that could save our dogs, rights and our sport. It's the refusal to set aside issues of husbandry, breeding practices and selfishness that will cause the demise of the very sport that people are so passionate about. It's the constant use of animal rights phrases and descriptions such as "puppy miller" & "back yard breeder", names that were coined by the animal rightists to use against us, yet our own people use those same animal rights names for those who are their fellow breeders !

The animal rights crowd loves the fact that the dog owning, showing, breeding fancy can't seem to live in peace and harmony - it's one of their greatest weapons, created for just the purpose it seems to serve. How many times have we seen a fellow dog owner become engaged in problems, whether it is too many dogs or too many litters and need assistance (for a variety of reasons such as age, health, loss of job, confiscations, et al) yet, people, and people in the very same breed, don't bother to help - in fact, they sit and talk about it and refer to those people using animal rights terms and have even created their own AR term of "show millers".

We're supposed to help each other, not assist in running our fellow dog owners and breeders down. You may not agree with something they do or the way they do it, but they are still our fellow breeders and if they need help, in order to preserve our OWN integrity and rights, we should help as much as we can (and keep quiet about it) - but people don't.

The issue (and story) becomes compounded, (to the delight of the rightists) by spreading it further. They'd rather agree with those that are fully intending to get to your dogs at a later date, rather than help the poor soul whose dogs need help. We may not agree with their practices, but that is something to be considered later, once we have managed to solidify our position to continue to do what we do. All else will cease to exist if we don't start working together and put aside feelings.

People that know me, know I have been passionate about the subject for more years than they care to remember. and in those years, I have learned that there are those that simply choose to remain uninformed. It's not because the information is not available to them - they just don't care to become involved and don't believe it could happen to them or it "won't affect them". Others are concerned but don't know what to do or perhaps they really don't understand the severity of the problems, yet when offers are made to help educate people and assist them with truly understanding, nobody seems to want to participate. It is impossible to force people to be involved for they do have a right to make a choice...for now.

Relax - Somebody will tell you what to do

It's unfortunate that the choice may come down to having animals....or not. Without the concern & assistance from the dog owning, dog loving, rights loving, freedom of choice loving, competitive people, (and I do mean each and every one) - rest assured, somebody will soon be relieving the burden of your inactivity in legislation issues for they will be telling you how many dogs you can have, if any, what kind, where to get them, how many times you can breed a dog, if at all, what vet to use, how many permits you will need to own/breed a dog, at what age your dog has to be spayed/neutered, the type of living arrangements required, what kind of records you must have and who gets copies of them - the list will go on, making it impossible - monetarily, mentally and physically impossible - to consider owning any animal.

How will you feel when somebody knocks at your door and tells you that you must "get rid" of all but 3 dogs - which ones will you choose to keep and how will you feel watching the others loaded into a truck dispatched for some shelter? How will you react to five or six people going through your home, inspecting every corner and crack, because somebody called in a complaint about your dogs? How much can you afford for citations, lawyers fees, shelter costs and how will you ever recuperate from the heartache?

Forewarned is forearmed - sooner or later, somebody will be making your choices for you and when that happens, there is nobody to blame but yourself. The information and people to help you become involved are out there!

Supporting Legislation and AKC

I just returned from the AKC Delegate meeting and it's dismal. At this time last year, registrations were 1.5 million and currently, for this year, they are 750,000 and continuing on a downward spiral. The AKC has acknowledged that the future is becoming dim and the possibility of them remaining the reigning registry of the world may soon be history. Though that may not mean much to some of you, it should.

If the AKC continues to lose ground, they will also lose face in other areas, including having "clout" regarding legislation. The word of AKC and AKC breeders will mean nothing to legislators or the general public and AKC pups will be worthless, right along with AKC dog shows, titles and awards. Although some profess that they don't want to be "thrown in the pile with those other breeders", it's ironic that because of apathy, you will become just what you dislike. The end of the sport, and your passion for same, will be visible on the horizon. The choice will have been made for you.

Dog people tend to be their own worst enemy and sadly, doing a good job of it. You still have the freedom to choose to make a difference. I, and all the others that have been working to protect all dog owners in this country, hope you'll make the right decision.

The cards are on the table. Bet, Call, Raise or Fold - the choice is yours.

Linda D. Witouski
AKC Judge & Delegate
AKC SC Legislation Representative
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Wednesday, October 01, 2008

1933 Law on Animal Protection

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind, don't matter,and those who matter don't mind." Dr. Seuss


First you need to know that the artists want to stay anonymous out of fear of AR reprisals. You have permission to cross post.


Now having gotten that part out of the way I am going to cover a bit of history just to help pull the entire thing into perspective for everyone, please bear with me while I put on my history professor hat.

NAZI GERMANY AND ANIMAL RIGHTS
http://tinyurl.com/3urnt9
1933 Law on Animal Protection
(Signed into law, 11/24/1933)
It is also wise to remember to keep the 1933 Law on Animal Protection in its context with the other laws that were being passed as the same time and doing just a small amount of additional research shows that the Nazis did not just elevate animals to be on a level with humans, but actually higher than all but their Aryan race.

That same day (11/24/1933) the Nazis passed a Law against Habitual and Dangerous Criminals, which allowed beggars, the homeless, alcoholics and the unemployed to be sent to concentration camps.

And by 1939 the Nazi ovens would not stop burning for five years, eight months and six days. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana (1863-1952) The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905 and "A generation which ignores history has no past and no future." Robert Heinlein (1907-1988) The Notebooks of Lazurus Long.

There is a major difference between animal welfare and animal rights. It is wise to never forget the difference between the two. Today it is even more important to question just exactly were is this AR movement taking us. It certainly isn’t just about dogs and cats as pets. It never was about them. They are just a stepping stone on a path leading to what?

One thing is sure, the movement has now gotten strong enough and bold enough to take the next step. What is that, you ask? Our very food sources, is what. Our farmers, the source of all our food are now under attack. If they fall, just where do you think your next meal will come from and what will it consist of, or maybe I should just ask you if you are ready for a vegan life style? http://www.safecaliforniafood.org/node/9

The animal rights movement isn’t about animals and it sure isn’t about rights. For those who haven’t figured it out just yet, here it is, plain and simple. The movement is all about POWER. POWER in the hands of a very, very few and neither you nor I will be in that group.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Best Bailout Idea of All

A friend just sent this to me and I just have to share it will everyone. What better way than to put it on this blog. Read it and see it you don't agree.

This works for me ! ! Something that makes good sense.I’m against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.

Instead, I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend.

To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+.

Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00. My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.

Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let’s assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000.00.

What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family? Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved.

Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads Put away money for college – it’ll be there

Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs.

Buy a new car – create jobs

Invest in the market – capital drives growth

Pay for your parent’s medical insurance – health care improves

Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehmann Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we’re going to re-distribute wealth let’s really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( “vote buy” ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we’re going to do an $85 billion bailout, let’s bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+! As for AIG – liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.

Here’s my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn’t. Sure it’s a crazy idea that can “never work.” But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party! How do you spell Economic Boom?

I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC .

And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam. Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

Kindest personal regards,

BirkT. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic

PS: Feel free to pass this along to your pals as it’seither good for a laugh or a tear or a very soberingthought on how to best use $85 Billion!!



What a wonderful dream, if only it would/could come true. Don't know about you, but the very first thing I would do after paying off all my bills would be to get myself new knees. Oh, yeah!!!!!



What does the AR movement really want?

I do have permission to post the following article. Please read it carefully, then go back and read it again. The author is saying things I have been saying for years. The most important point of all is to realize exactly what the AR movement is truly all about. I'll give you a hint...it sure isn't about animals.


We went, we saw, we learned.

We listened to Dr. Carmen Battaglia for 2 1-hour sessions on breeding better dogs. Learned about his "stick dog pedigrees" - an awesome tool. Later in the day he was hanging around and we had the chance to talk with him for maybe 30 minutes or more and pick his brain further. If you'd been there, you might have had that opportunity too.

I missed Andrea Ball-Morawa on Enrichment and Socialization for Adult Breeding Dogs, and Dr. Paul DeMars on Immunization-Parvo - Enteritis. And I wanted to hear Dr. Jerold Bell on Ways for Breeders to Improve Health in their Pups, but instead I ran into Patti Strand, who I'd never met but have corresponded with some and we chatted for about 1.5 hours. Neat lady. Scary stuff she has to say too. (More on that a bit later.)

In between each "headline speaker", Hunte Corp staff veterinarians gave "mini" lectures on various topics from parasites to vaccines to any number of other topics. There were also grooming demonstrations. And booths - food, equipment, toys, CLOTHES (for both humans and k9s.) various registries - AKC, APRI, and a couple of others. I picked up two cases of the Bil Jac mini treats that my dogs are wild for at an even better price than I bought them for in March. HA! My girlfriend got some Frontline for 40% off. (She had the patience to wait in line and I didn't. *G*)

On Saturday we did hear Dr. Bell speaking on Common Genetic Disorders and their Prevention. He had alot of good, basic information and I was impressed with the level of the questions he got at the end of his lecture.(He ran overtime because of the questions, but nobody seemed to mind.) We got a list of these,along with the breeds that have tests available for the disorder, where we don't have tests, where they think it's not just simple dominant or recessive but polygenetic or perhaps even environmental. Ya know what? I'd never seen that information presented that way (but I'm truly just digging further into genetics myself) and I was impressed with how many breeds can now breed away from some of their issues just by knowing who is a carrier and who is not - affecteds are pretty easily diagnosed. This is *simple* stuff. I'm fortunate to have a breed that doesn't suffer from a host of genetic issues, and the things we do have - umbilical hernias for example, are...minor when compared to say PRA or VwD, or liver shunts or other things that truly affect quality of life, or even,living at all. I suspect a test for carriers of umbilical hernias isn't gonna be showing up anytime soon so we'll just have to keep guessing when we breed...but more and more genetic answers are being found and eventually we'll probably be able to test for this too.

Then we listened to Patti Strand on Managing the Animal Rights Challenge. She told us that she believes if we don't take back control of the media from the Animal Rights faction in 10 years we will not own dogs. And I *believe* her. Not that I didn't think we had a problem you understand, but when she lays out her presentation and shows you step by step how the situation we face today came about...well, if you have any brains at all you get the shakes. She is a fascinating lady, and after the seminar on Saturday evening we went to dinner with her and had the chance to further discuss the issues. If you'd been there, you might have had that chance too. How many of you believe this fight is about animals? (It's a trick question...see if you can figure it out before I get to the end. *G*)

We listened to Dr. Chelsea Cohorn of Oklahoma State College of Veterinary medicine talk about the Herpes Virus and Brucellosis. Now *there* is some scary stuff. And just as an FYI - Brucellosis is zoonotic. IE, humans *can* catch this disease from dogs. (I knew that, but maybe some of you didn't. It's rare, but it's happened.) Dr.
Cohorn came with some pretty graphic pictures of what happens to puppies "born" to an infected mother...I'd call this the "horror" part of the seminar, but it really emphasized what a really horrid disease this is. ALSO as an FYI - our show dogs are at greater risk of infection than dogs who stay home. And there is no treatment, and no cure. Your ONLY choice to protect your other dogs (and maybe not even then if you aren't extremely lucky) is to euthanize the dog. And it takes 3 months of testing to clear your dog. ONE test is NOT enough. And because most of the tests have a fairly high rate of false positives...I began to wonder just how important that CH title was for me vs. losing my dogs. How many of you require a brucellosis test prior to breeding? And how many of you knew that ONE test isn't enough? How many of you will now require 3 consecutive monthly tests before breeding to either a bitch or a dog? And how many of you will effectively quarantine your dogs for those 3 months? No shows, no travel, no "outside" dogs, etc? (Outside means dogs that come in from "outside" your kennel/home, not dogs that live outside...just to be clear.) It was suggested that AI can HELP alleviate the risk...provided you know the DOG is clear before the semen is taken/used...but there again, you have to know for sure.

Again on Saturday the Hunte Corporation Veterinary Staff presented mini seminars between the main speakers.

And all of this was FREE. And if you were there, you'd have had a chance to learn all the things we learned. The professional breeders were there. LOADS of them. And unlike the conference I went to in March presented by MPBA, this one didn't count toward educational credits. This one is purely a voluntary affair with no other benefit to the attendees than the chance to LEARN. (Well, okay, and prizes. I won a
couple of dog toys. *G*) Why weren't there more "Show" people there???? Do you know it all? I tend to be a bit of a "professional student" - I enjoy learning. There's always something new to learn. And I'll take a free weekend anytime. *G*

I learned even more about the Hunte Corporations standards and their commitment to excellence in the puppies they buy and sell. And this ENTIRE two day event was about breeding better dogs. Everything that was presented had that idea at the "root" of it. There was even a display of puppies that Hunte Corporation had refused, along with a sign telling why - inguinal hernias, eye problems, down on pasterns, 1/2 inverted vulvas - the reasons were as varied as the dogs. I asked Mr. Hunte what would happen to the dogs and he told me they would find a good home for the ones they bought anyway so they could have them for the weekend, but some were loaned to them by the breeders and would be returning to them.

I spoke with members of the AKC staff that attended. Got some pretty kewl information from them too. Like...I'm gonna get to register my next litter free. HA. Bet that got some attention. Unfortunately for you guys, you had to attend and sign up. So you missed your chance...maybe there will be another chance later.

Who is more committed to breeding better dogs? I don't know, but I was impressed at the number of professional breeders there taking advantage of the chance to hear these TOP speakers totally free of charge. And I have to wonder that there weren't more hobby breeders there. Why not? Is it that you'd have to mingle with professional breeders? Do you think it might give them some legitimacy or something? Or that you might get "infected" (EUW, COOTIES. *G*) or something like that? Or find out that many of the professional breeders are at least as committed as you are to their dogs? I dunno about the rest of you, but *I* am not made of money and *all* that was required of me this weekend was that I be polite to perfect strangers. It wasn't all that hard. And I've decided to look at it this way:

I'm a car dealer. But I sell Maseratis, not Fords. For most of my family, a Ford is a
perfectly acceptable car - provided it's not a lemon. But for the people who really want a Maserati, a Ford just isn't gonna do it. And this weekend I saw *alot* of people committed to building Fords that aren't lemons (as in, the dogs they produce are healthy) and actually LOOK like Fords. I don't have an issue with this in the least...and I really don't get why anybody else does either. It's the FORDS that are gonna keep the AKC alive because it's for darned sure my one litter every 3 or 4 or 5 years isn't gonna do it, nor is my one or maybe 2 entries a month at shows gonna do it either.

Also, FYI. The friend I went with recently acquired a bunch of AKC Gazettes from the 50's and 50's. And there are a whole lot of articles in them on "How to make money breeding dogs." So if breeding dogs for money is your issue with professional breeding, well, you've got a dirty little secret to hide in your closet now don't ya? Cuz 50-60 years ago, the AKC was ALL FOR IT! You also realize most kennel clubs were started by professional breeders way back when don't you...KENNEL Club??? DUH.

My final comments are these: I know that there are a number of people that aren't going to hear a thing I've said. "Puppy Mills" are bad. Period. But for those of you who can step back from the emotions of the issue (emotions fostered by AR media propaganda), consider the fight we are facing,and can accept that many Americans truly are happy with a "Ford" for a car,well, I hope I've said things that might make you *think* instead of having a knee jerk reaction. Consider this: MOST legal, professional breeding kennels are not only regulated and inspected by the USDA, but also by their states, the AKC,and others. That's *alot* of inspections, more than most of us would be willing to accept. And MANY of them here in Missouri do it voluntarily for their "Blue Ribbon Kennel" program. And if you think keeping a kennel of 100 (or more) dogs is easy, think again. Patti Strand said the biggest issue is that urban America no longer has any connection to animals. 50 years ago 80%of Americans lived on farms. Today it's the other way around - 80% of America is urbanized. I know alot of people have pictures in their heads of the "horrors" of puppy mills - they exist and I'm not now, nor have I ever denied that. The professional breeders don't deny it either. Those of us on the "show" side of the house need to stop denying it exists among "us" too.

I've had this idea in the back of my head for awhile now and discussed it with Patti Strand last nite and she agrees. The AR movement isn't about animals at all. PETA, HSUS, ALF, Bob Barker, Oprah, the RSPCA in England, etc etc, don't give a rats patootie about animals. In fact, they really kinda hate them. This fight is about our PERSONAL FREEDOMS and WHO gets to write the laws governing all of us. Wasn't anybody else bothered by the law in Louisville, KY even PASSING? Not what it contained, although that was surely bad enough, but just how many personal freedoms were violated? And NOT ONE of those supposedly intelligent (I question this, but that's another discussion) people on the Council thought there was a problem WRITING A LAW like that and then VOTING FOR IT! (And thank gawd the law is being challenged in court - I do have some hope yet. *G*) Today we lose our dogs, our cats, our steak dinners. What do we lose tomorrow??? Better keep your eye on the ball here folks, because all those folks we're fighting right now over pets are con artists playing a shell game. The issue is NOT animals. It's just the battleground. And if we lose this battle, the war is surely lost. Either we wake up and fight with every soldier we can lay our hands on, or we lose. Us Vs. Them (where them is Professional Breeders) is no longer an acceptable frame of mind. Nobody is going to make you breed dogs professionally, you aren't gonna get cooties from them. And the few dogs a year we produce in our hobby kennels are no threat to their lively hoods either. NOR are THEY a threat to us. Remember,Fords and Maseratis.

I said it before and I'll say it again. I don't care why the professional breeders attended the seminar and sat through 2 days of educational information. They DID it. And if say 25% of them put some of these practices into operation in their kennels...and next year a few more, and the year after that a few more...there is soon going to be little difference between a hobby breeder and a professional breeder...except the professionals are gonna whup us on experience. You can't compare whelping one litter a year with whelping 20. Or 100. Or whatever the number is. And as they manage to improve their breeding stock both health and conformationally because of the things they learned...you won't be able to tell the difference between their dogs and yours.

Betsy

Betsy & Kevin Cummings
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