Thursday, December 31, 2009

Busy day

Well, this time Sam beat me to it when it comes to posting pictures and video about what is going on around here. To make matters worse, grind salt in my wounds and all that sort of thing, while they were in the training studio having so much fun, I was so tired I had fallen asleep and missed it all.

On the one hand I'm mad that I got left out. On the other hand I'm so proud of all of them I could just about bust. Does that qualify as being in balance?

Go here to see what I'm fussing about:
http://misterrugby7.blogspot.com/2009/12/where-do-i-even-start.html

And now with a toast from the past I bid you all a Happy New Year and may it be healthy and more prosperous than last year.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The Mighty Maltese

Sometimes a person just has to do what a person must do. In this case, Sam, Rugby and I got together and shot this quick video as a protest.

Yep! That's right. We are all protesting the misconception people seem to have about toy breed dogs and perhaps Maltese toys in particularly. Sam ordered a dumbbell for Rugby and had to deal with being told what she was ordering was too big. It wasn't.

Several months of hard use later it broke. One of the bells just fell apart during a training session. Since Mr. Rugby has also been taught to retrieve all sorts of things besides the dumbbell he "borrowed" a dumbbell from his friend Ellie the Yorkie. Meanwhile, Sam ordered not one, but two new dumbbells, thinking to have one to use and one for a spare. Again, she was told the size she was ordering was too big. Shoot, it wasn't too big the first time around and it sure isn't too big now.

She complained to me about the problem. I found I was most annoyed about this issue. See, just a couple of months ago I ordered a dumbbell for Ellie only to have the wrong size sent to me because what I had ordered was "too big". Not so.

Sam and I both filed a protest and Rugby's new dumbbells are on the way. Meanwhile a guy's gotta keep on training. So Rugby asked Sanity if he could borrow her dumbbell. She said yes. Here is Rugby, hard at work. As you can see, he's no shrinking violet, hot-house, sissy, purse dog. Nope, this is a serious working dog that just happens to come in a very small package.




I don't know about you, but I think Rugby is one super and very special, not-toy, dog. Wonder if his diet of raw, meaty bones has anything to do with his jaw and neck strength?

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Rescind HSUS' tax exempt charity status

Subject: Please join the campaign to rescind HSUS' tax exempt charity status

PERMISSION TO FORWARD and CROSSPOST is granted!!!!

I apologize to any who have already received this message but feel it is critical to reach everyone at this time.

As all of you know, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is perhaps the largest and most powerful anti-pet breeding organization that we face. They are behind much, and possibly most, of the adverse pet breeding legislation on the state and federal level throughout the United States. Those of you involved in Illinois pet ownership and breeding issues this past year know that the IL chapter of HSUS was directly supportive of legislation - and even helped in drafting several bills - that would have taken away our rights to own and breed our pets, such as HB 198 and SB 53, as well as other bills very harmful to our cause.

HSUS performs this heavy lobbying and legislative activity by masquerading itself as a 501(c)3 charitable organization and soliciting donations based upon this tax exempt status.

Under IRS regulations, lobbying, while not prohibited entirely, is heavily restricted for organizations receiving this tax-exempt status. HSUS has gone far beyond this boundary. It is time that we expose the HSUS for who they truly are.

With that in mind, there is a drive spearheaded by Mr. Frank Losey of Missouri Professional Pet Breeders Association that will put pressure on the IRS to thoroughly investigate the HSUS' tax exempt charitable status, and we are hopeful that such an investigation would have the result of removing HSUS' tax exempt status.

Mr. Losey is a long-time professional lobbyist in Washington DC, who represents animal ownership interests (in other words, us!), and has a very strong knowledge regarding what is - and is not - allowed in professional lobbying activities. He has amassed this information in the comprehensive and well-researched document entitled "Overview Summary of the Scope and Magnitude of the Lobbying Activities of the Humane Society of the United States, a Tax-Exempt Public Charity" (see link below to article below at which you can access this document.)

The first step for the plan to disarm the HSUS is for each of you to write a letter to the IRS asking that this be done, if you have not done so already. Also please write a letter for any groups that you may represent. Be certain to send a separate letter for each adult member of your household, as well!

The letter can be very simple - just ask the IRS to investigate HSUS' activities with regards to their 501(3)c tax exempt public charity status, based upon evidence you have seen showing that this tax exempt status is not justified. A sample letter is as follows:

Dear Tax Fraud Investigator,
We (I) respectfully request that you investigate the Humane Society of the United States ( tax identification number EIN 530225390 ) for their excessive lobbying using charitable donations.

Please keep the identity of my company ( or my identity ) private.
Thank you for your consideration in this urgent matter.

Respectfully,
(Sign your name or company name)
Type your name or company name
Address
  
Please place in a separate envelope for each letter sent, and mail to:

Internal Revenue Service
Fresno, CA. 93888
(No street address or box number is needed)

Please mail this CERTIFIED MAIL. You will get a receipt from the post office when you send by certified mail. Please make a copy of the certified mail receipt and e-mail, fax or mail to:

Frank Losey
2029 Tampa Blvd.
Navarre, Florida 32566

or fax to: 1 (479) -299 - 4417

Mr. Losey MUST have copies of the certified receipt plan. If the IRS fails to act, Mr. Losey will go above them and demand that an investigation take place. It is vital that we follow the steps provided so that Mr. Losey has evidence, through the certified mail receipts, of the importance and urgency for the IRS to take action based upon public interest in this matter.

Please take this action by January 1, since we want a flood of letters to be received by the IRS during a short period of time.

Mr. Losey informs us that there will be additional steps to be taken in this campaign to remove HSUS' tax exempt status, so stay tuned for future reports on this subject.

The Cattle Network has information on this campaign which they are distributing to their members. This article has links to additional information on the SAOVA website, including the great amount of evidence that Mr.Losey has accumulated against the HSUS. You can access the Cattle Network article here:
"New Campaign Investigates HSUS Lobbying Activities" (Dec 23 2009)
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/New-Campaign-Investigates-HSUS-Lobbying-Activities/2009-12-23/Article_HotTopics.aspx?oid=969967&fid=VN-HOT_TOPICS
 
http://tinyurl.com/ybs36oy

Will this campaign work?

Does my letter count?

Below is an item off the national pet-law list, written by the list moderator Walt Hutchens, who asked just these questions of a tax expert. After reading it, you will see the importance of participating in these efforts yourself. (This item may also be forwarded and cross posted, as well.)

Thanks

The following was just posted on pet-law by the list moderator, and may be crossposted.

If you haven't gotten that letter out to the IRS, please do it today!
crossposted message below:

I expect some of us are wondering how worthwhile it is to do this. I
can answer that question.

As it happens, we have a contact, a professional who is an expert on
exactly this issue -- the tax status of non-profit corporations. Trust
me, this person KNOWS how these things work.

We asked this individual about this campaign. Here are paraphrases of
the responses to several specific questions:
============ ========
Q. Does the IRS care about these things?
A. Yes, ABSOLUTELY. EVERY complaint about abuse of the tax code must
be investigated.

Q. Isn't it enough to just poke the IRS once or twice and let them
take it from there?
A. NO, that isn't a good approach. With one or two complaints it can
be like cleaning up your bathroom closet: You know you ought to do it,
but if you don't get to it today, nothing ter rible will happen and
you've got more important stuff to do. But then tomorrow, some other
crisis comes along ... maybe you'll never get to hanging up the toilet
brush and picking up the Tidy Bowl bottle at all ....
The more letters the IRS gets complaining about a specific problem
corporation, the more likely they are to take action.

Q. So more complaints means more certain and faster action.
A. Yes. But it goes beyond 'more certain and faster.' The more
complaints there are, the higher the level at which the problems will
be considered.

If there is a serious problem, you WANT high level attention because
that's where the big decisions get made. Get those top managers on
board with thousands of letters and if the complaint is found to be
justified, the top levels can and will do more.
It is the IRS's job to collect taxes. Nothing pleases them more than
to find a real tax cheat, turn him upside down and shake. Top
management shakes a lot harder than lower levels.

Q. Do we have to get our contacts (letters, etc.) exactly right?
A. The IRS are professionals. Tell them about the problems (in this
case your view that a corporation claiming to be a charity is nothing
of the sort), give them whatever you have, and they will take it from
there.

Even stories are good, as long as they describe significant actions by
the corporation that do not represent a valid charitable purpose. When
telling stories, DO focus on the specific corporation and be as clear
as you can about what they're doing, but DON'T feel that if your
format isn't perfect or a word is misspelled, they'll toss your
complaint.

Q. What if I don't have any new facts?
A. Then just tell the IRS that in your opinion this corporation does not
meet the guidelines for a charitable exemption. Again, NUMBERS COUNT.
One letter ought to be enough to get basic checks done, someday.
Thousands, however, WILL get a serious investigation started.
============ ======
SEND THAT LETTER, folks. Do it now. If you can't or don't want to
write your own letter, then go to:

http://www.saova.%20org/SpayNeuterHS%20US.html

OR

http://www.adoa.org/documents/overview_summary_excessive_lobbying.doc

http://www.adoa/.org/documents/cover_letter_irs_fraud_division.doc

And print and send the 'cover letter' form letter -- second item on
both lists, above, edited to provide your personal information.

Frank Losey says: "The most important priority is for letters to be
sent to the IRS Office in Fresno,CA (The two line address is the
address - - no street address.)

"Ideally, the letters should be sent by Certified Mail, and a copy of
the certified mail receipt should be sent to me by E-Mail or to 2029
Tampa Blvd, Navarre, FL 32566 or FAXED to 479-299-4417. "



Finally, please FORWARD THIS INFORMATION to other lists

Thursday, December 24, 2009

More Snow Daze


















Sanity starts a hunt.

So how is she doing it? Scent or hearing? For sure it isn't sight. Not unless the "look of eagles" means X-ray vision.



Sadly or not so sadly, just depending on your point of view, she never did manage to catch whatever it was under all that snow.












Wednesday, December 23, 2009

A December snow day

We really do have lots of snow on the ground. I had to pay a guy to come in with his snow plow and plow out the driveway and a big section of the old parking lot just so the dogs would have a place the "go" that wasn't butt high or over your head high.

Rugby had never met Black and Blue until now. Never mind Rugby's size since he seems to be of the opinion that somehow he is in-charge. Most of the time he turns out to be a wonderful icebreaker and then there are other times when he runs into some minor glitches. This is one of those glitch times.

Black and Blue are more than a little bit puzzled as exactly why this strange creature is trying to get them to do something. Anything. Some of the problem seems to be that Rugby's accent is different.
After all, they were here long before this strange looking snowball.He really should show more respect toward his elders.

Not to be deterred in the least Rugby continues to invite them to join him in a wonderful game. Blue just wants him to GO AWAY and Black isn't sure what to make of the entire matter.

Finally, Rugby gives up on them and heads off looking for someone else to play chase and be chased. Because he didn't stay around to coax them, they are just curious enough to follow him.

Sorry you two, but I'm outta here.

That's Ellie up ahead. Hurry! Hurry, Hurry! Gotta fly.

Hello, sweet thing. Chase or contact sport?

That's great! Contact sport it is. And Blue stands there wondering what on earth is going on.

All photos by Sam Daley. Thank you, Sam.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Shell Game Continues

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about this before. Well I'm going to do it yet again.

I really was going to do my own research and write my own opinion, but the truth is someone else has already done a bang-up good job and I am a hardcore believer in never, ever wasting time trying to re-invent a perfectly good wheel.
So go here: http://ar-hr.com/2009/10/29/paving-the-way/and read what E. Saunders of Animal Rights or Human Responsibility (AR-HR) has to say on the topic.

Also go here: http://petdefense.wordpress.com/2009/12/19/hu-pretends-to-be-police-expose-by-carrol-cox-show/

And now for the skivvy on the latest H$U$ and their version of "The Art of Stealing under Cover of Law".

Since I watch as little TV as I possibly can I personally haven't seen any of these commercials on Fox, but I am willing to trust those who are reporting on having seem them.

First came two commercials, complete with sobbing music, sad puppy eyes, sick animals and the plead to care enough to donate to the Humane Society of US along with a web page address for where to send you money.

Couple of days pass and the same Fox News commercial appears only this time it has the ASPCA listed as needing your money. A web page address is list telling you where to send your money.

Couple of days pass and, you guessed it. The very same commercial appears yet again. Only this time the web page address listed is for Rescue Animals Now.org. Confused yet?

The all three web page addresses are owned by, you guessed it: Humane Society of US sometimes also known as H$U$)owned per the domain registration:
Registrant Organization:The Humane Society of the United States
Registrant Street1:2100 L Street, NW Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Washington
Registrant State/Province:District of Columbia Registrant Postal
Code:20037 Registrant Country:US Registrant Phone:+1.2024521100
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:hsusdomain@HSUS.ORG

The registrar used is godaddy.com.


A poster to pet-law@yahoogroups.com as this to say about what H$U$ in all its hundreds of different dresses is actually saying:

Perhaps we're going about this all the wrong way. Instead of working towards educating the public and being the voice of reason, we should just pretend to be PETA and HSUS supporters and really get out there in the public and demand things that we can prove they support:

  1. Taking away your Constitutional rights to own pets
  2. Legislating your pet-related business out of existence
  3. Insisting that lab rats are more valuable than the life of your sick child
  4. Destroying the American economy by ending all livestock farming, ranching, animal or animal product transportation, the sale of any animal product or by-product, the regulation of all food industries including groceries and restaurants.
  5. The mandatory enforcement of veganism regardless of whether or not it is a healthy lifestyle choice for you
  6. The extinction of ALL domestic animals (from cats to cows).
  7. The closing of all zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks and circuses
  8. Mandating the immediate end of all hunting, trapping and fishing.
  9. Making it illegal to harm any animal for any reason whatsoever, including striking a deer with your car when it runs out on the road, killing a wolf, bear or wild boar that's taken up residence in your yard and is now trying to gain entrance to your home.
  10. Rewriting the bible, torah & koran to insist that all the leaders of the world's major religions were really vegans.
  11. Gaining full legal rights for all animals, which will then (logically) be able to vote, hold jobs and be elected (having the benefit that you'll finally know the politician you're voting for is a real ass BEFORE you cast your ballot).

Vegan anyone? Not me. My dog votes and so do I. We really must start working on voting all the bums out and voting in some people understand the difference between welfare and rights.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Rugby Photo shoot

All of these pictures and the video is brought to you by a person who NEVER allows a dog on her quilts. Now all I have to figure out is just how Rugby managed to get that person to waive the law for the length of time it took for this photo shoot.





Wednesday, December 09, 2009

After thought

This is an example of what sane, thoughtful, caring animal owners are up against.
http://nathanwinograd.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/expo2006.wav

I don't even know what to say in response to that sort of crap. And yes, that is the nicest thing I am presently able to say.

It's like losing a filling in a tooth and you just can't seem to keep your tongue out of the hole, I just can't seem to let this bit go. So for those who would like to read more about what is really going on I recommend you head for this blog: http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=2318

What is a Puppy Mill?

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed(and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." -- H.L. Mencken

A reader says,

"I personally will continue to support groups that spread the awareness of puppy
mills."

To which I am forced to reply, "and what pray tell, exactly is the "puppy mill" clamor to be against?" Is it the breeder who has 25 dogs of which 5 are retired seniors and neuters, 5 are being shown, 3 are being used for breeding, 2 are puppies from previous litters that were returned as adults and 5 are puppies in training. This breeder produces or used to produce one or two litters per year. Is that the puppy mill?

Or is it that breeder who has 100 or more and really is commercial in nature? With the majority of canines being bitches being bred, in whelp or nursing? Is that your puppy mill? After all they actually raise and sell puppies as a cash crop. When did it become illegal or immoral to earn a living doing something you actually enjoy doing?

The real rub comes when the "anti-puppy mill" bill that calls for a limit of 50 dogs is passed and then a couple of years later that limit is quietly lowered to 25 dogs and the following year is lowered to 10 dogs and the next goal will be 5 dogs and finally the true goal is reached. Zero dogs.

From asking for a legal definition of "puppy mill" I jump to this quote:
"Laws against inhumane treatment never bother those who do not act inhumanely."
To this I am forced to reply, "HUH?" And then I say please go back to http://sanityshome.blogspot.com/2009/11/murder-hollow-basset-pack-update.html
and
http://sanityshome.blogspot.com/2008/11/are-you-next.html
or how about
http://www.animalcontrolwatch.com/?p=3

There is yet another problem with the word 'puppy mill'. The loudest squeaky wheel just happens to be H$U$ along with it's various minions. Their repeatedly stated goal for dog and cat breeders continues to be stop them all:

"Producing animals for sale is a greedy and callous business in a world where there is a critical and chronic shortage of good homes for dogs, cats, and other animals, and the only "responsible breeders" are ones who, upon learning
about their contribution to the overpopulation crisis, spay or neuter their
animals, and get out of the business altogether." - PETA, "Animal Rights
Uncompromised: There's No Such Thing as a 'Responsible Breeder'

One generation and out. We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding." Wayne Pacelle, Senior VP of Humane Society of the US, formerly of Friends of Animals and Fund for Animals, Animal People, May, 1993


"Breeders must be eliminated! As long as there is a surplus of companion animals in the concentration camps referred to as "shelters", and they are killing them because they are homeless, one should not be allowed to produce more for their own amusement and profit. If you know of a breeder in the Los Angeles area, whether commercial or private, legal or illegal, let us know and we will post their name, location, phone number so people can write them letters telling them 'Don't Breed or Buy, While Others DIE.'" "Breeders! Let's get rid of them too!" Campaign on Animal Defense League's website, September 2, 2003.
Meanwhile, in the interest of speeding up the removal of our pets,

From July 1998 through the end of 2005, PETA killed over 14,400 dogs, cats, and other "companion animals" -- at its Norfolk, Virginia headquarters. That's more than five defenseless animals every day. Not counting the dogs and cats PETA spayed and neutered, the group put to death over 90 percent of the animals it took in during 2005 alone. And its angel-of-death pattern shows no sign of changing.



How about this? A breeder is just that, a breeder. Makes no difference whether there is one bitch bred once in 10 years or 200 bitches who are bred every season until they are 7, a breeder is a breeder. To that you might add the adjective commercial, hobby, pet.

Oh, my! Now there is a call for defining those three terms. Well how about this? A commercial breeder is someone who earns their living breeding and selling dogs. Numbers don't count. A hobby breeder is someone who doesn't earn their living breeding and selling dogs.Again, numbers don't count. And that brings us to the pet breeder. The pet breeder breeds one or two litters over the course of the lifetime of one bitch and never does it again, because they just learned how expensive it is and just how much work is involved. Let us not forget that Snoopy was born at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm and that was originally considered to be a good thing.

This is just an interesting afterword:
Snoopy had been born and raised at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. His father used to run with hunting dogs, but would secretly run ahead and warn the rabbits. His mother is famous for her tapioca pudding, and in a 1990s Peanuts strip, came over on a World War I-era troopship to visit Snoopy and Spike, who had been ill with the flu. Out of all his siblings, Snoopy's brother Olaf was sold last. Before they were sold, Snoopy and his brothers and sister made a band and one by one each was sold. Snoopy's original owner was a little girl named Lila, who had to return him to Daisy Hill after her family moved to an apartment where dogs were forbidden.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoopy

I think it also shows us just how far down a twisted path leading to the death and loss of all our pets, H$U$/PETA has taken most of us. Pink Koolaide, anyone?

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

The new naughty words

Take the time to watch the video before you read what I have to say about new naughty words.

We all know what the old naughty words were. They were the Anglo-Saxon expletives that are now heard routinely on TV, in the movies, on the streets and in the schools. They have become so common the only way a person can voice a complaint is when the speaker uses the same two or three of them over and over again to the point where it isn't possible to ascertain what, if anything, the speaker is trying to say.

Those are not the words I write about. The new naughty words are words like:
work
discipline
drill
memorize
leadership
submission
correction
contention
compulsion

The reason why or even how those eight words became the new profanity is totally beyond me. If you watch the above video all the way through and you pay attention to what is really going on there are some things that should jump right out and slap you in the face during the first viewing.

What? The extreme attention the dog is giving the trainer didn't happen through the use of food, toys, games, special training collars or prayer. That attention was earned with hours of hard work over a period of several months. That work didn't just include all of the bad words in the list, it also included both time and duration.

The dog is now at a point where he can concentrate with that level of intensity for up to 10 minutes. By this time next year that will have been pushed to at least 3 times that amount of total focus on the handler, with no lose of attitude. I'll say that part again just in case you missed it the first time. There is no loss of positive, good, upbeat, happy, confident attitude.

Why? Because during his training he was taken to the point of contention and helped to move beyond that point. On the other side of contentiousness lies self confidence, confidence in the trainer, trust, safety, pride of purpose and an entire host of other feelings and sensations that are only experience by those who are willing to practice make full use of all those naughty words and what each of them means.

Pride of purpose means knowing and understanding what the purpose is for starters. Pride of work is the strongest and most powerful reward of all. No food treat nor toy nor game will satisfy a dog who has been lucky enough to join with a trainer that understands leadership, work, discipline, and yes, compulsion.

Now, go back and watch the video a second time. See if you can spot the number of times the dog is corrected for making a mistake. Remember, there are no cookies, no toys and no leash. Then take a look at the background. In the upper left side of the frame you will see two other dogs. They spend some of the time watching and some of the time playing. They are not tied nor restrained in any fashion. When it is their time to work they will come out on the floor with the very same upbeat attitude seen in the Lab.

For those of you who may be wondering, yes the Lab is Pete. Under the table waiting their turn are Rugby and Ellie. Sam is the trainer.

Monday, December 07, 2009

Just a bunch of randoms

I started collecting the quotes used in this blog several weeks ago. Had fine, high-fluting ideas about writing a deeply thoughtful, insightful, monologue on where we stand at the close of this year of Two Thousand and Nine CE. The first problem I ran into was that every single time I would start to write this amazing opus my mind would simply go blank. When I would finally come back to myself I'd be playing Solitaire.

Now I ask you, how is a well-meaning, reasonably thoughtful person like I thought I was supposed to write anything of worth when the blasted computer switched to Solitaire in such a sneaky fashion?

My final solution is what I am now offering you. The entire, current collection of quotes. They are well worth thinking about. They are offered to you with the hopes that you, my reader, will be led into doing some research on your own. I don't know about you, but I know I wouldn't have a life worth living if it was bereft of animals.

In my case, with my current living situation that means dogs, dogs, dogs. I want to continue to train them the way I have always trained them. I want my right to care for them as DOGS! I want to continue to be the owner and to use what is now a unPC term, I want to be the master (well in my case, I guess I need to say mistress).

I don't want to lose them. No, I don't want to be a dog mommy. No, I don't want to have the state allow me guardianship over a group of fur children. No, I'm not willing to live with a bunch of "little people in fur suits". I'm not willing to prevent my dogs from learning the joys of real work.



"Animal rights is mental illness masquerading as philosophy." Walt Hutchens

I continue to wonder if the real problem is that for one reason or another we now have a huge population of mostly women of a certain age and education level who are all suffering from Munchausen by proxy syndrome (MBPS) and the poor proxy just happens to be whatever animals they have taken a fancy to. These women also managed to raise a generation of young humans who seem to be pretty much neuters, insist their animals be rendered sexless and who are continuing the MBPS with a vengeance. The goal would appear to make the condition the legal norm. May G*d save all of us from such a fate.


"Animal Extremists and Animal Terrorists. The difference is that anyone falling
into those two groups will gladly deprive you of your civil rights, your
property and even your life in order to get what they want (witness the
story about the fur protesters in Morgan, UT who claim that "God hates fur"
and even carried a poster with a drawing of an automatic weapon and the
words "no compromise") ." barbarajhaines

Now that's another thing I just don't get. Here we are, living in a great country. A country founded on a person's individual freedoms. Pride of our civil rights and our right to own property seems to be falling out of fashion. In it's place is what? Socialism? Something even worse?


The solution begins when we spread the word: "When you donate to HSUS, a shelter
dog dies." Loretta Baughan

Now this is something we should all be saying every single chance we get. Money donated to the Humane Society of the US doesn't go to help any animals. It sure doesn't help the lost, broken, cast off dogs. It sure doesn't help the horses or the cattle or the sheep or the pigs or even the chickens. What it does do is help pass yet another round of human hostile, animal killing bills into law. As a certain TV personality is fond of saying, "How's that working for ya?"


To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly
Bill 241 without my signature.

This measure would make it a crime for
any person or entity to own or control more than 50 unsterilized adult dogs or
cats for breeding or raising for sale as pets. I support measures designed to
prevent animal cruelty and that punish persons engaged in the abuse of animals.
However, this measure simply goes too far in an attempt to address the serious
problem of puppy mills. An arbitrary cap on the number of animals any entity can
possess throughout the state will not end unlawful, inhumane breeding practices.
Instead this measure has the potential to criminalize the lawful activities of
reputable breeders, pet stores, kennels, and charitable organizations engaged in
raising service and assistance dogs.

For these reasons, I am unable to
sign this bill.

Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger

When Gov. Schwarzenegger refused to sign CA 241 into law, I was one of a great many who gave a sigh of relief. Sadly that was just one of hundreds of bills presented to legislative bodies all across this great land of ours. Why? What on earth has gotten into the elected officials? They continue to accept bills written by H$U$ toadies and then vote those anti-animal bills into laws. Laws that will do much harm and do no good. Strange behavior, strange indeed.

Animal Welfare or Animal Rights?
Here are some of the differences:
 
As animal welfare advocates. . .

  • We seek to improve the treatment and well-being of animals.
  • We support the humane treatment of animals that ensures comfort and freedom from unnecessary pain and suffering.

  • We believe we have the right to "own" animals -- they are our
    property.

  • We believe animal owners should provide loving care for the lifetime of
    their animals.

As animal rights activists. . .
  • They seek to end the use and ownership of animals, including the keeping of
    pets.
  • They believe that any use of an animal is exploitation so, not only must we
    stop using animals for food and clothing, but pet ownership must be outlawed as well.
  • They want to obtain legal rights for animals as they believe that animals
    and humans are equal.
  • They use false and unsubstantiated allegations of animal abuse to raise
    funds, attract media attention and bring supporters into the movement.
         (The Inhumane Crusade, Daniel T. Oliver – Capital Research Center)

For now I will just ask you to read, think about what you just read and then read it again. I don't know about you, but no way will I ever be willing to believe my dogs are my equals. Well, maybe I could be convinced to change my mind on that matter when the dogs start washing windows. Certainly not before.


The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) spent less than 5% of its
$152 MILLION income directly aiding animals. Most of their money went to
executive salaries, travel and political lobbying.

If you really want to give your money away to be used for paying executive salaries, travel and heavy duty political lobbying, hey it's still a free country. It's your hard earned money and you should be free to spend it, give it away, bury it or burn it. In the giving away part, at least know what that money will be spend on. Know it will be spend on eliminating domestic animals. Personally I think that is a really bad idea, but that's just me.

Animal rights laws are another way for government to meddle in your life

We've got way, way too much government as it is, do you really want more?

Even Dobermans enjoy duck hunting and duck eating.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Serious Opinion Needed


I say this is a great picture. I love the expression on both faces. I love the pose. I think the color contrast is nice. Yes, it would have been nicer if Sanity's ear tip hadn't been cut off. Yes, it would have been better if the clutter in the upper right hand side wasn't there. But as dog shots go this one is a keeper for me.

I didn't take it. Yes, I did act as the 'handler' getting the poses, but I wasn't the cameraman. Nope, that skill was left to Sam (Rugby's owner).

Sam's blog is here:http://misterrugby7.blogspot.com/ She has lots of great pictures. Go take a look.

But now back to the voting thing. I already showed you the picture I like the best. Here is Sam's choice and a runner-up. You choose Runner-up



So what say you?

Saturday, December 05, 2009

The perfect dumbbell

I am a "hit and miss" member of an obedience training email group. The reason for my status has to do with my frequent lack of patience and understanding when it comes to the contents of many of the posts.

Recently, this group had a thread running about not just retrieving, but how important the perfectly fitted dumbbell would be to the success or failure of any given retrieve. HUH? I would read one of these posts and all I could think to say was, "Why not train the dog?"

A poster would write, My dog already knows how to retrieve, BUT:

"...DOES chomp on the dumbbell and this is a problem. Can you give me suggestions on how to break this. Do I need to start over from the beginning and ... train her?"
"...only starts chomping when she comes..."
"...has started refusing to pick up the dumbbell some times..."
"...refuses to pick up the dumbbell when it lands in grass..."
"...sometimes drops the dumbbell..."

That is just a sample of excuses/problems that I hear or read about. To one and all, I say, "stop making excuses and train the dog".

So does the retrieve problem show up because the dumbbell is too big? Here is a clear-cut case of that being a problem.

In this case, the dumbbell isn't too big for the dog to handle on a regular basis, it is TOO BIG. The Maltese model who posed for this picture and the following pictures has actually done a retrieve on the flat with this dumbbell. He really does know "fetch" and has the heart and brains of dogs weighing 15 times his size.

Perhaps the refusal to retrieve correctly is being caused by the dumbbell being too small.


Then again, maybe the bit is too long, too short or too thick.

By all means do choose a dumbbell that is a comfortable fit, but not so light, with such a thin bit that the very act of retrieving is moved from useful work to cute trick.









A thank you is due Sam Daley for her great photography skills. And another thank you is due to my canine models, Sanity, Rugby and Jasmine. They are so patient and willing every single time I get the urge to have a photo shoot.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Go! Mink Farmers rock

I had another topic planned for today and decided to shelve it for later. For as long as I can remember I have dreamed of owning a mink coat. At this point in my life I've pretty much given up that dream, BUT it sort of resurfaced when I came across this album posted to Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=130947&id=707803534&l=ac76fdebf8
and
http://www.furcommission.com/news/newsF11t.htm

Suddenly that dream of mink flared up hot again. Who knows? Maybe the economy will finally get better, the bottom line here will get fat and I'll manage that dream coat.

After years of reading about fur farmers being driven out of business by pasty-faced, plastic coated vegans who come sulking around in the dark of the night to destroy, burn and pillage. The wonderful mink farmers and other residents of Morgan, UT came together and showed a willingness to stand up for their way of life. Good for them! I will just keep on hoping this show of solidarity is a part of a greater beginning.

A beginning of the awakening of all Americans who own, live with, work with, farm or just plain enjoy the company of animals in their lives. The very animals who help to make us human, as well as feed and clothe us.

Way to go, Morgan, UT!!!!