08.09.10
Memories will be all that’s left
Memories will be all that’s left
by Amy Peterson
Each morning, at the crack of dawn, my canine companions leap joyfully onto my bed, wrestling for a place next to me. They wriggle and giggle as they cuddle down next to me. I make time to snuggle with each of them. It’s a moment that brings me – and them – great joy.
Laughter freely bubbles from me as I watch a puppy fall fast asleep in a comical lump against the air conditioning vent on a hot day, with the adult dogs circling and wondering how to get him to move so that they, too, may experience the cold air blast.
Nighttime thunderstorms bring the canine pack huddling under the covers with me, seeking my support and leadership through the loud bangs and bright lightning.
Mutual joy abounds when one of my canine partners and I master a difficult training exercise.
My heart melts when one of my older companions gazes at me with aging brown eyes and graying muzzle, tail thumping and mouth smiling in recognition of our years together.
I never tire of the unrestrained joy with which my companions greet me as I come in the door – even if I have only been gone five minutes.
I even enjoy poop patrol, because I can spend time with my companions in the yard. They don’t need me to entertain them – they just want me to be with them.
Hearing the joyful stories and trials and tribulations of owners who have bought a puppy from me can leave me smiling for days.
And in my darkest time, these creatures, who love me unconditionally, gave me a reason to get up in the morning. They needed me, and I needed them.
Lately, these special moments are fewer and farther between. Instead, I often feel the nudge of a cold, wet nose as I spend my time on the computer and phone, fighting the ogres who would take these moments away from me. I take the time to look up, and my gentle pack is surrounding me, supportive, but really hoping I will come outside and play. I speak to them quietly, sigh, and continue with my mission – to protect my rights to continue to own and breed dogs.
Certain wealthy, radical animal rights organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have become determined to eliminate the human-animal bond. Under the guise of eliminating “puppy mills”, these organizations have at heart just one goal: to end the human-animal connection that dates back centuries.
“Puppy mill” is an abhorrent terminology that lumps all breeders together and criminalizes even responsible breeders. A better term might be substandard breeders. We do know these entities exist, but the powerful animal rights organizations will have you believe that all breeders are bad. They are not. There are responsible breeders, and there are substandard breeders.
We who breed responsibly know that there are substandard breeders in existence. We abhor the fact. We don’t do business with them. We don’t refer people to them. But we also know that there are current animal welfare laws in existence that simply need to be enforced. The new legislation that has been sweeping the states, and now the nation with the Federal PUPS act, encroaches on the rights and privacy of the dedicated hobby breeder – who is the best source of well-bred pets. And with each piece of legislation considered, the Animal Rights Radicals, with their highly-paid (six-figure) staff of attorneys and almost unlimited supply of cash (coming from donations from people who believe they are really helping animals), the noose gets tighter. The dog fancy has limited income. Most of us work day jobs to support our dogs – we’re not “in business.” We can fight the radicals for so long, and only so long. But the radicals come back the next year, or the next, and, having learned from experience, put in place new wording, and lobby our legislators with their very deep pockets in order to get the legislation passed – whether or not it is what we want.
How the American public has allowed these radicals to wield their way into our federal, state, and local legislation is beyond comprehension. The President and CEO of HSUS (Wayne Pacelle), for example, does not own a single animal and has, in fact, indicated that he has no particular fondness for animals, as quoted below:
We have no ethical obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding. One generation and out. We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals…” Wayne Pacelle, HSUS, formerly of Friends of Animals and Fund for Animals, Animal People, May, 1993
When asked if he envisioned a future without pets, “If I had my personal view, perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don’t want to see another dog or cat born.” Wayne Pacelle quoted in Bloodties: Nature, Culture and the Hunt by Ted Kerasote,
And, according the PETA’s National Director, “Pet ownership is an absolutely abysmal situation brought about by human manipulation.” Ingrid Newkirk, national director, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), Just Like Us? Harper’s, August 1988, p. 50.
HSUS has captured the interest of the Treasury Department and may be investigated for misuse of its 501c3 status, and has been involved in a federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) lawsuit. PETA is being watched by the FBI as an ecoterrorist group. HSUS does not operate any shelters. They are not an umbrella group for our local shelters or humane societies, and they do not support our local humane societies. PETA euthanizes 97 percent of the animals is takes into its shelter.
These organizations, and those like them, are not friends of our animals. Their goal is to eliminate all used of animals, including companionship.
Why is the American public willing to allow these radical ideas to dictate their legislatures? These people who deny the human-animal bond – these people who have never even experienced that magical bond we share with our pets? Who have no experience with animals whatsoever?
If you value your relationship with your dog (or cat, or bird, or bunny, or hamster), please do not support these organizations. Study any pending legislation. While it might not affect you directly, it could affect your ability to obtain and own an animal companion in the future. Rescuing an animal from a shelter is, of course, wonderful, but some people wish to have certain characteristics that are only a given with a purebred dog. Their right to choose should remain just that – a right.
If searching for a companion animal, you must also do some research. Make sure you understand the breed of dog (or cat, or bird, or bunny…) that you are getting. What are its activity levels? Temperament? Health problems? Your breeder should be happy to discuss these issues with you. Make sure the parents have been tested for any known hereditary health problems. If not, find another breeder. Avoid buying from a pet store. A good breeder will also have a sales contract – stating that if you are unable to keep the dog during its lifetime, the dog must be returned to the breeder and not dumped in a shelter.
Many hobby breeders now live in fear – even though we are doing nothing against the law, and provide excellent care for our animal friends, we fear that we’ll miss a pile of poop, or a puppy will upturn a water bowl, or a dog will get a scratch (dogs do get scratched – just being dogs!), and HSUS will show up at our door with their law-enforcement-looking badges and seize our dogs…
It’s important that the dog-owning public be aware of these laws – before our companions are no longer companions, but memories – and memories are all we have left.
