Go! Petland

If someone had told me 50 years ago that I would be loudly cheering for a pet store chain I would have had to ask them what they were talking about. Who knew from chain pet stores then?

If someone had told me 40 years ago that I would call a chain pet store the good guy, I suspect I would have told them they were crazy.

If someone had told me 30 years ago that I would call for everyone to support a chain pet store I would have run them off my property.

But 20 years ago I was starting to wondering about the koolaide being offered up by PETA and HSUS and wondering if the pet stores that sold puppies and kittens were really all that bad.

Just 10 years ago I sat up and realized that the majority of puppies coming to me from training and doing well were coming from the local puppy store. At the same time I noticed that the older dogs coming to me with problems seemed to have all been "adopted" rather than purchased. That is information I am still mulling over. Meanwhile, comes a chain pet store who has what it takes to stand up and fight for their rights, yours rights and my rights. I say, "You go, guys!"

Below is the latest open letter from them to the AR Stormtroopers.

An Open Letter to The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
Print version
January 19, 2009

Dear Humane Society of the United States,

Petland is continuing its stand against substandard breeders. As such, Petland has repeatedly, over the last two months, asked the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to provide information that will lead to the relief of numerous distressed animals allegedly identified by your organization in your supposed report.

If there was an 8month investigation and the last two months of unfulfilled requests for information are included, then this is a period spanning 10 months where animals were suffering and HSUS did nothing. The HSUS has not provided this specific information to Petland or to the USDA.

If information exists, for the welfare of the supposedly identified animals, please supply that information immediately to the proper authorities and to Petland so we may provide assistance. Only with this specific information may assistance be rendered to the animals.

We strongly contend that the HSUS has not reported its supposed findings to the proper authorities because HSUS has no substantive information to provide to the authorities. One cannot report baseless slander as evidence to a federal agency.
Facts are stubborn things. The continuous emotional spin and sensationalized slander by your organization cannot alter stubborn facts.

These are the facts:

Fact: The HSUS has not supplied Petland with any material, other than USDA reports which were already public record. The few USDA reports provided by you are dated and many regard breeders that are on Petland’s “Do Not Buy” list.

Fact: Videos used by HSUS in the slanderous attack upon our good name show dogs in cages that have no connection to Petland, (as verified personally by Stephanie Shain during a phone conversation with Petland Vice President Joe Watson on Dec. 9, 2008), however, the title above the video of the distressed animals falsely says, “Petland Investigation.”

Fact: Videos of breeders on the HSUS Web site, referenced by you as “evidence,” are on Petland’s “DO NOT BUY” list, which means we have identified them as substandard breeders and are not doing business with them.

Fact: Petland has taken a stand against substandard breeders by forcing the closure of substandard breeding facilities and, as a result, have raised the bar for the entire pet industry.

Fact: Through Petland’s “Pets For a Lifetime,” “Adopt-A-Pet,” early Spay/Neuter programs and our Humane Care Guidelines, Petland has a proven history of taking action and improving the lives of pets for more than 41 years.

Fact: Petland has agreed to meet with HSUS once we have received the information we have justly requested.

Fact: The summary of the HSUS “investigation” shows your organization listed Petland stores in states that do not operate stores.

Once we have received the information we originally requested 57 days ago, we will review it as a basis for a substantive discussion.

We genuinely want a solution that is best for the animals.

As Petland is committed to taking a stand against substandard breeders, we welcome all partners in this noble undertaking and urge that the requested information is sent immediately.

Sincerely,
The Petland Family

Also Breed-Specific Laws, Pet Limits, Tethering Bans

Been laid low by some health issues the past couple of weeks. Will try to get some more cool pictures up in the next couple of days. Meanwhile, the article below, written by John Yates is yet another piece of very important information that needs to be read, talked about and acted upon by as many good people as possible. Have you talked to your 50 yet?

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What Can You Do If Spay/Neuter
Mandate Comes To Your Town?

Also Breed-Specific Laws, Pet Limits, Tethering Bans

by JOHN YATES
American Sporting Dog Alliance
http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org
asda@csonline.net
This report is archived at: http://eaglerock814.proboards107.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=15

It can be a terrifying experience for dog owners when animal rights legislation surfaces in the municipality where they live, and it’s a pretty sure bet that someday soon it will happen to you.

You will feel powerless. You will be very scared. You will feel like a victim of violence, and that is precisely what you are. The law is a loaded weapon, and you know it can be pointed at you and the animals you love. You also know that animal rights extremists want to point that gun at you and your dogs, and pull the trigger.

No dog owner can feel safe from these legal attacks. Within the past year, animal rights ordinances have arisen in communities as diverse as affluent Santa Barbara, rural Greene County, TN, small towns and farm country in Ohio, and inner city Chicago. It is fair to say that proposed ordinances that will harm you and your dogs will come to your community in the very near future. There is no escaping it.

This report is meant to be a clear and concise guide to defending yourself. Protecting your rights won’t be easy, but it can be done. I speak as a dog owner, professional dog trainer, and as an experienced activist working to protect dog owners’ rights.

However, I am speaking mostly from the background of 20 years as a reporter and editor on daily newspapers. During that time, I watched hundreds of local political issues rise and fall. I learned what works, and what doesn’t. I have seen how small special interest groups can impose their will on an entire community, and I have seen what people can do to stop them. I also have learned the kinds of political mistakes people have made that have allowed special interest groups, such as animal rights groups, to win. I have seen what it takes to beat them.

The first thing you must understand fully is that you will have two strikes against you by the time you even learn about impending animal rights legislation.

Animal rights groups are pros. They know exactly what they are doing. They have the backing of powerful, wealthy, skilled and experienced national organizations, such as the radical Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which has nothing to do with local humane societies and exists only as a political weapon to push for the elimination of animal ownership in America. These groups are very well organized, have money to burn and have been working behind the scenes for several years in your community.

By the time you realize that something is happening, the animal rights groups will be close to the goal line. They will have the ordinance drafted, with guidance from HSUS. They will have formed a “citizen’s committee” that has had the ear of local officials for months, if not years. They will have controlled relevant data that officials need to make an informed decision, and carefully hidden any inconvenient facts. They also will have made alliances with local news reporters, and the press is likely to be against you.

While there may be only 50 or fewer animal rights activists involved in most communities, they are truly dedicated to their beliefs. They write letters. They show up at meetings. They contact elected officials. They have money set aside. They have contacts with many other groups in your state and nearby communities, and can turn out 100 people at a meeting masquerading as locals to create the illusion of public support.

In contrast, you and other dog owners are alone. Only a few of you know about what’s happening, and many of you will be afraid to step forward. You are not organized. You have no effective means of communication. You do not have access to facts and statistics that tell the truth. You don’t know how to reach elected officials, have been iced out of the phony “citizen’s group,” and you don’t have contacts in the news media.

If that isn’t enough, you will be portrayed as pure evil. You will be lied about, slandered and accused of things you would never even dream of doing. While you will be innocent of all of the accusations, you will find yourself on the defensive. The most difficult thing for a person to do is to prove her or his innocence, even if the allegations against them are completely absurd. The accuser always has the upper hand.

It sounds hopeless, doesn’t it?

But it’s not.

You have one ally that the animal rights groups will never have. The truth is on your side. Your job is to find the truth and communicate it effectively to local officials.

Six Absolute Rules

Here are six absolute rules that I have learned from 20 years of journalism, and an equal amount of time as an activist on animal and constitutional issues:

· You have to do it yourself. No one else will do it for you. No national or statewide organization can win your fight, including our organization. We can help you. We can give you information, statistics and research findings. We can help you organize and network with other local dog owners. We can tell you about the experiences of other communities. We can give you many bullets to take to the war. But only you can do it. Our job is to stand behind you and support your efforts.

· Local officials care only about one group of people: Local residents. They care about the people they represent and serve, and they couldn’t care less about outsiders. They care about the people who can actually vote for or against them. In local issues, only local people count. You must stand up and be counted. You need to bring together other local dog owners who also are willing to stand up and be counted.

· To bring people together, you must completely set aside your personal insecurities and biases about race, ethnic heritage and economic status. Every dog owner in your community is in this together. If you don’t hang together, you will hang separately. Never forget that a key part of the animal rights strategy is to divide dog owners from each other, so that all can be conquered. There is no room for elitism of any kind when an animal rights ordinance is introduced.

· You need friends – lots of friends. That means that people who actually live in your community must show support, even if the issue doesn’t directly affect them. You need people who have only one or two dogs, but respect your right to raise dogs. You need people who hate dogs, but respect your decision to love them. You need local veterinarians and the owners of local feed and pet stores. You need local businesses that rely on people who travel with pets. You need people who love freedom, and know that an attack on your freedom paves the way for an attack on their own.

· Some of the best friends you can have are local and statewide organizations for sportsmen and firearms owners, even if you don’t hunt and won’t own a gun. These groups will have dozens if not hundreds of local members, and they already have set up excellent communications channels for their members and supporters. They will be on your side. Sportsmen understand the real agenda of animal rights groups, and gun owners understand the link between animal rights and gun control. In rural areas, alliances with farm organizations also are very important.

· And you must always take the high road. There is no substitute for honesty and integrity. Always speak the truth. Never resort to dirty tricks. If you stay on the ethical high ground, you will quickly set yourselves apart from the animal rights groups, which rely on lies, distortions, secrecy and innuendos. Many political battles are won by the side that displays the most credibility, and credibility is based on honesty and integrity.

If you keep those six absolute rules firmly in mind, you are well on your way to protecting your rights as dog owners in your community. In every community in America where animal rights groups have won a political battle, dog owners have broken one or more of those rules.

What To Do?

Given those rules, what should you do?

The first step is to reach out to other local dog owners, both to inform them and also to ask for their assistance. Here’s how:

· Call everyone you know who owns a dog, used to own a dog, or who hunts, fishes or owns firearms. Specifically ask them to help, ask them what they are willing to do, and write it down. Don’t be shy. Get on the phone and burn leather.

· Search the Yellow Pages and Internet for local kennels, breeders and pet services. Contact them. Local kennel clubs and field trial clubs often provide good contact information for officers, members, breeders and judges. Write, email or phone club secretaries and ask them for help.

· When you get a few good people committed, organize a local dog owners association. It doesn’t have to be formal or highly organized. Simply put together a basic structure, and invite people to join. Membership should be free. If you occasionally need a little money, “passing the hat” works fine. Organize your group quickly, without delay. A local organization will be heard more easily than individual people going off in different directions. You don’t have to incorporate or become a non-profit. This is still America, and citizens have a right to form and participate in political groups. Just do it, and do it now.

· Create a website for your association with one of the free services, such as Yahoo Geocities or Bravenet. You don’t have to know anything about building websites. They have “paint by numbers” templates. On the website, describe the organization, write about what is happening, and add a blog or message board for breaking news. Get a free email address from Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail or other services. Use it.

· Publicize your website by posting short articles on Internet message boards that cover your area, dogs, hunting and guns. Ask people who read these message boards to pass the word along to their friends who live in or near your community, and to crosspost your announcement on other boards.

· Get the word out in the community. Create simple posters with contact information (copy paper will do) for supportive businesses to put in their windows. Don’t be shy about asking for help or asking people to contact your organization. Hang posters in stores and veterinarians’ offices. Hang them in every part of town, and in every neighborhood. Post them on laundromat and grocery store bulletin boards, in union halls and fraternal organizations, and in churches and libraries. If you can get some help, pass out a few hundred in the local Wal-Mart parking lot or at community events.

· Pass the hat (or dig into your own wallet) and run inexpensive classified ads in your local newspaper or swap sheet. Ads in the pets or announcements sections are appropriate. A fifty-dollar-bill can reach thousands of people this way. Also, see if your community has an online classifieds board, and use it. Many are free.

· Support and work with a national and/or statewide dog owners’ rights organization. Most importantly, ask them to help you. National organizations can be invaluable sources of advice and counsel, know what has and has not worked in other communities, have access to important documents, studies and statistics that can help you, and have a large number of contacts in every state. They can help you get the word out, gain support and locate local dog owners. Consider these organizations as valuable resources to support you. Good organizations exist for the sole purpose of helping you.

· Look specifically for local veterinarians and attorneys, especially if they own or raise dogs. Ask veterinarians to write letters opposing the proposed ordinance (many will refuse, but probably most will not). Ask attorneys to offer their services without charge to review the legality of the ordinance, and put their comments in writing. If any of you are members of the local Chamber of Commerce, formally ask for their support (remember that pet owners pour a lot of money into local businesses. It is an economic issue, too.). Tourism organizations also may be appropriate, if your community hosts visiting hunters, or dog show or field trial participants. For tourists, it is important to have the image of being a “pet-friendly” community.

· An important tool is the simple fact that a large majority of residents of your community will be on your side. Your task is to prove it. Informal petitions are vital, because it will give you a long list of community residents who oppose an ordinance. These should be presented to elected officials at an opportune time. The petitions do not have to meet the legal requirements for a petition for an election. They simply will show elected officials that a large number of local (repeat, local) people are on your side. People should sign, and then print out their names and addresses.

· And your most important weapon is the truth. The animal rights groups will lie through their teeth to paint a false picture of a community crisis. You must respond with the truth, and have the facts and figures to back it up. Finding and assembling accurate information is a vital part of your arsenal. At this point, you will be ready to take your case to the local news media.

If you follow those steps, you will develop a core group of activists and a list of hundreds if not thousands of local people who are on your side. Local residents who support you will include dog owners, their neighbors, veterinarians, attorneys, business people and community leaders.

What You’ll Face

The animal rights groups will have laid the foundation for a destructive ordinance long before you ever know about it. They won’t play fair. They won’t tell the truth.

Here is what to do:

· Most likely, your community’s animal rights activists will assemble around an existing organization, and may have even taken over the leadership of that organization. This could include local humane societies, rescue groups, and pet disaster response groups. Many of them also will have ties to national groups, such as HSUS, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and radical vegan vegetarian groups. You must learn the identities of local animal rights activists, research their ties to national groups, and then learn about the agenda of those groups. Don’t avoid these people. Meet them. Introduce yourself. Flat out ask them their beliefs and affiliations with animal rights groups. Many of them are proud of these affiliations. The profile you develop will be important to present to elected officials at the right time. Rescue and sheltering organizations also have to learn a hard lesson. Dog owners are their major source of their support, and it is unwise to bite the hand that feeds you.

· Most likely, local animal rights activists will have formed some sort of committee or task force. People who raise dogs will not be allowed to participate. Probably they have been working for years to manufacture a crisis in your community, have met with elected and/or appointed municipal officials several times, have painted themselves as a concerned citizens group to conceal their real agenda, have drafted an ordinance in cooperation with HSUS as a silent partner, and have found at least one sympathetic elected official to support and introduce the ordinance. Your job will be to prove that this group does not reflect the sentiments of the vast majority of residents of your community. You also will be able to prove that this group (and the participation of municipal officials) violates the spirit if not the letter of state open meetings laws or “sunshine laws.” It is an end-run around the concept of public accountability and transparency.

· You will need to be able to counter every one of their allegations with the truth. If they say your community is full of “puppy mills,” for example, you will need to learn exactly how many (if any) commercial kennels really exist. You will need to know how many (if any) have ever been cited for violating any kind of kennel or animal cruelty law. All violations are matters of public record, and the information can be readily obtained. If they claim there is a problem with “pet overpopulation” in your community, you will need to obtain complete animal control statistics for several years, which also are public record. The simple facts will reduce the animal rights allegations to shambles.

· You also need to counter their outrageous allegations with a thorough knowledge of existing animal laws in your state, county and local municipality. For example, if a lot of loose dogs are picked up in certain neighborhoods, they may claim that the solution is a spay/neuter mandate. In reality, your community probably already has a leash law that is not being enforced. You must clearly point out a solution that fits the problem.

· You also must be able to counter the animal rights groups’ propaganda. You need to have access to documentation that similar ordinances in other communities always have increased shelter admissions and euthanasia rates, always have led to a decrease in license law compliance and revenues to operate animal control programs, and always have led to a decline in rabies vaccinations because veterinarians are required to turn over information about each dog to local authorities. In addition, you must be able to refute the animal rights groups’ claims that pet sterilization is completely safe. The bulk of the most recent research has shown increases in serious and sometimes fatal health conditions caused by spaying or neutering, especially at a young age, and the national association for veterinary reproductive specialists has come out firmly against spay/neuter mandates for this reason. In addition, these mandates violate the doctor/patient relationship, and also the veterinary code of ethics in many states.

· The essence of all animal rights legislation is making innocent and law-abiding animal owners pay for the sins of the tiny minority of people who flaunt the law. That is because their goal is not to solve a problem. Their goal is to make it difficult for you to continue to raise or own dogs. You must answer with the facts, showing how existing laws and appropriate enforcement of those laws actually will solve whatever problems your community may be experiencing.

· A very common animal rights tactic is to take an isolated bad situation, and then try to convince elected officials that it is the norm and all dog owners need to be intensively regulated. For example, if someone in your community has been arrested for horrible violations of animal cruelty laws, the animal rights groups will claim that this is justification for more and stricter laws for all dog owners. The truth is that the arrest and conviction prove that existing laws are working very well. This is a point you must make repeatedly, until the truth sinks in.

· They will not fight fair. Animal rights groups tend to focus on several communities in a state at the same time. If you start seeing a lot of news stories about alleged abuses of dogs in your state, you will know that this is a coordinated effort to “spin” reality that was probably orchestrated by HSUS. They are trying to paint an illusory picture to cause people to think dogs are in crisis, and new laws are needed. The truth once again is that these sensationalized stories prove that existing laws are working. Arrests are made, convictions are obtained, and the animals have been rescued. The laws work. The incidents are not a justification for laws that harm law-abiding and conscientious people.

· They will lie. For example, they will claim that a large number of dogs entering the local animal shelter are “purebreds,” and that this justifies laws restricting the ability to raise purebred dogs. But they lie by not telling you the full story. The full story is that most actual purebreds enter a shelter because their owners are seeking euthanasia services for dogs that are very ill, seriously injured or in advanced old age. They also won’t tell you that the few purebred dogs that are picked up escaped confinement and were immediately reclaimed by their owners. They won’t tell you that the few purebreds that are surrendered to the shelter are immediately taken by rescue groups, because of the high demand for these dogs. And they won’t tell you that they call a dog purebred if it looks “more or less” like a recognized breed. Many of these are labeled “pit bulls,” which is not even a recognized breed. See for yourself. Simply walk through your local animal shelter a few times. I can guarantee you that you will see few if any dogs that appear to be purebreds.

· They also will talk about shelter statistics as proof of the need for restrictions on purebred dog breeding. They are lying. Walk through your local shelter and you will find few (if any) puppies. There actually is a serious shortage of puppies in animal shelters, because these are the most easily adopted dogs. Sheltering organizations must expend considerable effort trying to talk people into adopting older dogs because of the scarcity of puppies.

· Another way that they will lie is to try to hide the successes of animal control and sheltering programs, in order to “spin” a false picture of a crisis. They won’t tell you that national shelter admissions have fallen almost 60% over the past 15 years, while euthanasia rates have been cut by 75-percent. They won’t tell you that 70-percent of the dogs in America already are spayed or neutered voluntarily by their owners. They won’t tell you that most shelters in the northeast, upper Midwest and on the West Coast already are close to “no-kill” for healthy and adoptable dogs. You need to learn the truth and make the truth the centerpiece of your rebuttals. To counter these claims, make use of your local and statewide open records laws and “sunshine laws” to get the full facts. Sometimes all you have to do is walk into your local animal control office and ask for them. Other times, these reports are filed with a state agency, and you can obtain them there. We can help you find this documentation.

· They will say awful things about you. They will tar you by creating imaginary links between dog owners and dog fighters. They will link you to the drug culture and to people who abuse animals. They will accuse serious and conscientious dog breeders of being “puppy mills” or “backyard breeders.” Someone who raises animals because he or she loves them will be accused of being a “hoarder.” People who sell puppies will be accused of being greedy, or exploiting animals for profit. People who buy a purebred puppy will be accused of causing the death of a shelter dog. These claims are both absurd and outrageous. We can help you learn how to answer them with the truth.

· Never forget the real agenda of the animal rights groups, which is to eventually eliminate all animal ownership. They are trying to make people into the guardians of their animals, rather than their owners. This makes animals into wards of the state, rather than private property. This reduces you to proving to the state that you are a fit guardian, and gives the state ultimate control of your animals. Stand up for American values, including the right to honorably seek profit. Don’t buy into the socialist belief that profit equals greed or that you are responsible to “society” for problems you didn’t create, and don’t be afraid to say that many of the leaders of major animal rights groups enjoy their six-figure incomes and multi-million-dollar facilities. They are as phony as a pile of three-dollar bills.

· And spend time studying the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, and your state’s constitution and bill of rights. Almost all animal rights legislation infringes on human rights by denying due process of the law, equal protection under the law, and protections against illegal searches and seizures. Quite simply, almost all animal rights legislation is anti-American and reflects Marxist principles of state authority. You need to say this loudly and clearly, because it is the truth. In addition, many state constitutions define a right to own and enjoy private property, and many states have laws that clearly say that animals are private property. Learn the law and educate local elected officials.

Divide and Conquer

A favorite tactic of animal rights activists is to divide dog owners so that we won’t stand up and fight for each other’s rights. Unfortunately, many dog owners play right into their hands through a misguided sense of elitism.

Animal rights groups try to make certain categories of dog owners into “untouchables,” so that other dog owners will be afraid to defend them. They also will attempt to exploit racial, ethnic, cultural and economic differences and insecurities, which keeps us apart.

Make no mistake about it, animal rights groups are utterly unscrupulous. Racism is one of their major tools, especially in urban areas. They exploit fears of crime by talking about dog fighters, links to the drug culture and “gangbangers” who own “pitbulls.” What they are really doing is exploiting racial fears and prejudices, sometimes by fanning the flames of naked hatred.

The divide and conquer strategy was a major part of what happened last year in Dallas, which passed a tough spay/neuter mandate, and it is happening now in Chicago, which is considering one.

When animal rights groups say “gangbanger,” they actually mean “Black” and “Hispanic.” They say “dogfighting,” but they mean “Black” and “Hispanic.” They say “pitbulls.” They mean “Black” and “Hispanic.” The animal rights activists are using racist implications to manipulate and exploit fear of high crime urban areas, thus dividing dog owners by race and neighborhood. They reduce anyone who is not like them to “those people.”

When it comes to regulating the breeding of dogs, the animal rights groups usually link “puppy mills” to Amish people, thus encouraging and exploiting ethnic differences. Conservative Christians who live according to the old ways are no longer politically correct, and their religious beliefs forbid them from fighting back or filing a defamation of character suit. Some of the inaccurate and bigoted comments I have heard from animal rights supporters about Amish people sound exactly like what the Ku Klux Klan says about racial minorities. It is hate speech at its worst.

With tethering issues or restrictions on hunting with hounds, they paint a picture of “redneck” white people who fit every possible stereotype of hillbilly degenerates. “Crazy old ladies” are fair game, too, under the label of “hoarder.”

All are reduced to “those people.” They are objectified and dehumanized, which to the animal rights fanatic is a justification to destroy them and their way of life.

They try to divide the world between “people like us” and “people like them.” They know that most people won’t support people that they can’t identify with.

It’s also a dirty trick. It causes too many of us to take our eyes off the ball, which is how the regulations or laws will affect us and everybody else. The animal rights groups say they are targeting dogfighting, puppy mills or hoarders, but read the fine print. It always will come down to targeting you.

A major goal of dividing us is to make some of us show a willingness to “compromise.” By “compromise,” I mean they are encouraging us to sell out certain kinds of dog owners who fail the political correctness test.

There is no such thing as compromise with animal rights groups, because everything they stand for requires us to make all of the sacrifices, in order to give them what they want. They have nothing to exchange.

A true compromise is when both sides give up something in order to gain more important things. Animal rights groups have nothing to trade except the gun pointed at your head. They can shoot you in the heart, shoot you in the leg or simply shoot off one of your toes.

Some compromise!

It is like an armed robber who demands your wallet, takes the cash and offers you a “compromise” of letting you keep your credit cards.

Playing on our fears also means we are not likely to seek support from all racial, ethnic and economic groups. This was a huge reason why Dallas dog owners lost their fight to stop a spay/neuter mandate.

Although a majority of Dallas residents are Black or Hispanic, their assistance was not sought in defeating this ordinance. To put it bluntly, most of the people who fought against the ordinance were white and of well above average means.

They simply were afraid to go into poor neighborhoods, or seek support from Black and Hispanic people.

A majority of the members of Dallas City Council are Black or Hispanic, and represent districts that are predominantly Black or Hispanic.

To put it even more bluntly, the dog owners they saw at City Council meetings were upper middle class or wealthy white people. Most of them raised show dogs, which were portrayed by the animal rights activists as toys for the rich. In contrast, animal rights groups succeeded in portraying themselves as nice people who love animals, when exactly the opposite is true.

Thus, dog owners were immediately branded as elitists.

That kind of label is suicide in big city politics, and Chicago dog owners are falling into this trap today.

But it’s not true. The truth is that dog owners, including people who raise, show and compete with dogs, extend across all racial, ethnic, cultural and economic lines. We really are all in it together. If we unite, we can defeat the animal rights extremists. If we fail to unite, we will lose.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance recognizes that dog owners have failed to bridge ethnic and economic differences.. Thus, we are taking immediate and forceful steps to reach out to and support many other groups of dog owners, and have recently added inner city, Black and Hispanic dog ownership advocates to our leadership team.

We have made a formal alliance with a newly forming group called the National Association of Canine Experts (NICE), which is working to break down many of the barriers that separate dog owners. NICE founder Ami Moore now is a member of our advisory board, and I am a member of the NICE board.

Ms. Moore is a professional dog trainer from inner city Chicago who has superb credentials as an obedience and behavioral trainer. She is articulate, exceptionally intelligent and insightful, and passionately dedicated to preserving the rights of dog owners. Moreover, she is streetwise and as a Black person fully understands how subliminal racism is being used by animal rights groups to divide dog owners, as it has been used to divide Black people from their community in many other ways.

Dog owners everywhere also owe Ms. Moore a debt of gratitude. Animal rights groups went after her personally because she uses electric collars in dog training, as do most professional and amateur trainers everywhere. The animal rights groups took her to court, alleging that the use of electric collars is animal cruelty. She didn’t back down, fought back through the legal system and won. All charges against her were dismissed and the use of electric collars as a humane training tool was fully exonerated in Illinois.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance also has dedicated funds to advertise in Chicago newspapers to gain support from urban dog owners to fight against the proposed ordinance.

An important part of the strategy that dog owners must learn to use is to be able to state clearly and categorically that we are the mainstream of America.

A reported 37-percent of American households own at least one dog. National polls from mainstream publications, such as Parade Magazine and MSN/NBC news, show that the vast majority of the American people oppose spay/neuter mandates. Opposition was at 91-percent in the recent Parade poll, for example.

Animal rights groups are the real minority, and probably represent less than five percent of any community, and probably are less than one percent in most places. But they are organized and vocal, and they turn out in droves for meetings before elected officials. This has given them the appearance of being a large segment of the community, when that is purely an illusion.

That’s why local dog owners must organized and get a large turnout of their supporters at municipal meetings.

We are the mainstream. Animal rights groups are the radical fringe.

Elected officials need to know this.

So do news reporters.

Dealing With The News Media

Sooner or later (and probably sooner), every local dog owners’ organization will have to deal with the news media. In many cases, it will not be a pleasant experience.

Animal rights groups have a well-developed strategy of identifying and cultivating friendly contacts in the news media long before an ordinance arises. All news reporters are under intense and continual pressure on their jobs to come up with a steady stream of news stories, and also to come up with stories that will have high sensationalistic appeal to attract readers.

Animal rights groups have learned how to exploit this.

News reporters who are sympathetic to the animal rights groups know that they will be given leads to many stories every year, as long as they don’t work too hard to be fair and objective.

In addition, stories about controversial animal issues tend to cause a strong emotional response with readers, which assures them prominent placement in newspapers or on TV news shows.

Both are important to a reporter’s job security.

The animal rights groups are pros at plucking emotional heartstrings by their portrayals of animal abuse or euthanasia at the local animal shelter, and then in using those horrible examples to further their own agenda against every dog owner.

The finger always gets pointed at us, and news reports often are hatchet jobs on dog owners. Fair and balanced news coverage takes a backseat to sensationalism and emotional response.

Our problem is that good news is inherently boring. A story about someone who takes good care of her or his dogs usually is as dull as lukewarm milk. It lacks drama. It lacks impact.

But the news story about the one dog owner in a thousand who is abusive has plenty of drama, impact and reader appeal.

Dog owners’ first recourse should be to appeal to the sense of journalistic professionalism in some reporters and editors. A worthy news story must be accurate, fair and balanced between opposing points of view. Any story that fails this test is poor journalism.

I strongly believe that dog owners always should take the high road, by advocating what is right and fair. I don’t think we should use the animal rights group strategy of trying to manipulate the news through “tame” or personally biased reporters.

Instead, we should formally object to poor reporting to the publisher, station manager, editors and the parent company of local news outlets.

We also should state our objections in pointed letters to the editor, and try to convince editors to give us space for an “op ed” column or an equal time rebuttal to poor news coverage.

In dealing with reporters, it is essential for us to be armed with the facts. We need to have the correct information, and state our case clearly and effectively. We also have to be prepared to answer some downright nasty questions, such as: “How can you breed dogs when many dogs are euthanized by animal control.”

We have truthful and honest answers to those kinds of questions, and dog owners have to be prepared for them. We can help.

The “news value” of a story depends on drama and conflict, which creates high reader response.

Thus, we must learn to use drama and conflict in an effective and ethical manner to answer the allegations of animal rights groups.

We must learn to set aside “good manners” and “call a spade a spade.” That means confronting the lies and distortions of the animal rights groups with the facts, and sometimes at public meetings we have to be prepared to speak bluntly. It means objecting to the secrecy of the so-called task force meeting, talking publicly about the real agenda of the animal rights groups and their assault on American values, and defending freedom in a clear voice.

Dog owners definitely face a tough fight and a stacked deck when animal rights ordinances are proposed on a local level.

But we believe we have shown how these bad ordinances can be defeated by truth, honesty and integrity.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance represents owners, breeders and professionals who work with breeds of dogs that are used for hunting. We also welcome people who work with other breeds, as legislative issues affect all of us. We are a grassroots movement working to protect the rights of dog owners, and to assure that the traditional relationships between dogs and humans maintains its rightful place in American society and life.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance also needs your help so that we can continue to work to protect the rights of dog owners. Your membership, participation and support are truly essential to the success of our mission. We are funded solely by your donations in order to maintain strict independence.

Please visit us on the web at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org. Our email is asda@csonline.net.

PLEASE CROSS-POST AND FORWARD THIS REPORT TO YOUR FRIENDS
--------------------------------------
Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices. Voltaire Think about that the next time you hear or read what passes for humane treatment according to HSUS or PETA.

Distant Rumblings

http://www.sharonsoileau.com/distantrumblings/

I just came across this blog and felt it was important to share it here. Read carefully, there is much to think about and share with your 50.

Did I ever explain just what "share with your 50" is all about? It's about fighting the HSUS/PETA juggnaut in all its massive, collective nastiness. Not a single one of us has either the money nor the strength to win even a single scrimish with the people haters. However, grassroots movements are very, very powerful. They just need 50 people to tell 50 more people who in turn tell 50 more. Tell what?

Tell the unvarnished, naked truth about HSUS/PETA. Tell how they are never about being kind to animals. They are never about saving animals or people. They are about money. They are about power. And they are about lots and lots of people and animals dying if it will help them gain more power.

Have you seen the latest copy of TV Guide? There is a full page ad that puts pet stores, large volume breeders and hobby breeders all in one very black pot. If they aren't stopped via the drying up of all their funding the next full page ad will be one telling everyone just how evil all pet owners are. So go tell your 50...friends don't let friends give to HSUS or PETA.

New Year's Eve 2008

Every so often we all get the urge to do a major photo shoot here. This time I thought it would be fun to video the entire thing and then pick at least a small amount of the footage to use as a back story for the still photos.

If I had a better video editing program and IF I had more patience and IF I was able to concentrate for longer periods of time videos like this one would be not only better, but more interesting and fun to watch.

We have a very simple way of handling the "auditions" for these indoor, posed shoots. The dogs we use simply MUST know place, sit, down, stand, stay, fetch and hold. After that they must be willing to let us position them in whatever pose we have in mind and then they must be willing to hold the pose and at the same time make small adjustments to the basic position. Of course, it goes without saying that they must enjoy the work and not be in the least camera shy.

Dogs who come here often seem to be the most likely candidates, but not always. For instance, Lilly the Golden wants no part of doing any photo shoots, while her housemate, Jake can't get enough of them. My Sanity started out pretty much hating them and now is always right there ready and waiting for her next assignment. Sam's Rugby has been a camera hound from the very first day. In that respect, Rugby, Jake and Wrap are all very, very much alike.

Speaking of Wrap. She is just too old, stiff and lumpy to be able to take part in any of the posed indoor shots or even the spontaneous outdoor shots, but she still very much enjoys lying around on the sidelines and watching everyone else work. Every so often I figure out a way for her to join in for a short time. Sure does make her happy when that happens.

One of the things I continue to find interesting is the interest in treats of either the food or toy variety. One might easily make the mistake of thinking the dogs are only working for the tidbit being waved around or the ball bounced and that couldn't be more wrong. While they are all willing to eat whatever treats are handed out during the breaks and at the end, they don't any of them seem to be overly pressed about the issue. Meaning that if we put every thing away, told them thank you for you work this day and turned them out to play that would be just fine with them.

I have come to believe that the tidbit or toy simply makes it easier for the dogs to know where we want them to look and nothing more. At the same time, trying to work with even one dog, much less several who have little or no serious training is both time consuming and frustrating. So it will continue to mean that while we may have 12 to 15 or sometimes more dogs available, only a relatively small percentage of them will qualify for the indoor posed photos.

Trained dogs are always more fun and always have more fun.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.