Cyndi's Two Cents
HSUS and ASPCA working together in Missouri
Commentary
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) ballot initiative placing numerous restrictions on dog breeders in Missouri has been approved for circulation by the Missouri Secretary of State’s office. The proposal, among other restrictions, would limit operators to 50 or fewer female breeding dogs and set specific area and air temperature requirements for indoor housing and constant unfettered access to an outdoor exercise area that meets certain specifications.
Just under 100,000 certified signatures are needed by May 2, 2010 on the so-called “Puppy Mill Cruelty Protection Act” proposal to get it on the ballot for Missouri voters next November. A group called Missouri for the Protection of Dogs – supported by HSUS and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is collecting signatures.
There are so many things wrong with this situation that I don’t know where to begin and I certainly do not have the time or space in this column to include all of the questions I have, so here are a few:
Isn’t it a violation of the constitution to interfere in a person’s right to run a business, specifically forbidding an American citizen ownership of a set amount of legal property? Would you tell a shoe store owner that he can only own 50 pairs of shoes in his store at a time?
What happens to the economy of Missouri when the $2 billion the pet industry brings into the state disappears?
Why is it acceptable for an animal rights organization to propose standards for the care of animals when this organization does not own or operate a single animal shelter or pet adoption facility? How practical is that?
What will you do when an HSUS proposal becomes law in your state and the government comes for your 51st cow, pig or goat?
Get back to me on that, will you?
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Let’s give HSUS from free advertising and let’s see who 31 hogs were stolen in North Carolina. One can tell that after a week of rain, snow and sleet, HSUS has no idea what land can look like. “This was a situation that they could not let go on.”
Yes farmers do have something to fear and I don’t think this was a factory farm…..This farm is in an area of low income. Think someone who cared about animals would go in and help this man…..or were they afraid someone was going to eat those 31 hogs before they could be stolen? Now they can go to a santuary????….love to see the picture of them waltzing around in the santuary….right! Wonder how much money this man will be short this year….not counting questionable charges. No now that animals are taking….mmmmm there will be no charges brought….goodness animals gone, no charges brought against anyone – animals stolen case closed! Bless the anomyous tip line. This person may have well used gestation crates so the piglets would not die. This happens more than most people realize….a few dogs here a few farm animals there.
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They’ve played this game before and ran a lot of breeders out of business. Eventually the bad laws were repealed. Several states had to ban animal control in unincorporated areas to allow agriculture to continue.
What do you think of people who want to take away a safe and affordable source of food? What about the way that they place the alleged needs of animals ahead of those of humans? They say that human-owned animals are worthless and should die out.
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And those two working together is a good reason to shut both organizations down. They have done tremendous damage to animal-based agriculture and pet ownership separately.
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HSUS, ASPCA & Peta are not friends to the animals. HSUS uses 4% of its income to directly help an animal. It does not operate a single shelter. They are all about splashing in the press to make more money and leaving the animals for others to care for unassisted.
Peta kills 97.9% of the animals it takes in – “better dead than fed”.
ASPCA has been implicated in thief of animals in areas all over the USA. Owners have successfully sued in court to regain their animals, won the suit and discovered all their animals were either spayed/neutered & sold to individuals who got a warm fuzzy for “rescuing them”, or killed. Some were taken and still hidden from the owners even after they won in court!
Unfortunately animal welfare has been hijacked by animal rights. Animal rights are animal terrorists. HSUS, ASPCA & PETA have been implicated in funding animal terrorists acts around the globe. They believe that animals are equal to humans and that we should all eat vegetables. They believe we shouldn’t own a pet. They wish to make it so expensive to breed dogs & cats that average people can’t afford to own them. “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. They are creations of human selective breeding.” Wayne Pacelle, Senior VP of Humane Society of the US
Please go to http://www.mydogmychoice.com/animalrights.html and read more direct quotes from animal rights individuals.
Animal rights groups want to spay/neuter everything so the only way to get a dog or cat is pay a large sum to animal shelters who are importing them from other areas or other countries. They use the term “Adopting” but still charge $300 + for a poorly socialized, poorly bred, mutt off the street, cha ching. They bust “puppy mills” (commercial breeders) steal their dogs which are “in terrible condition” and within a week they are magically rehabilitated and available for “adoption” (sale) for big bucks. Busting commercial breeders and hobby breeders and stealing their animals including but not limited to dogs, cats, horses, pigs, snakes, etc is big business. And it is all done with tear jerking sound bites and slick advertising to sell their version of truth that drives fund raising $ – Lying & Stealing under color of law.
There are already enough anti cruelty laws, enforce those. Don’t give them an inroad to make more laws that can culminate in the loss of our rights of animal ownership. Don’t buy their slick sound bites – educate yourself – they are not friends to animals or to MO
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HSUS and ASPCA are one in the same when it comes to misleading the public. HSUS has killed more animals than it has saved.The purpose of this law is to mislead the public into believing that they know best how to care for animals when in fact they only know how to steal, kill and rob people of their pets. If the Missouri public falls for this petition then their taxes will rise as this industry will be closed down. More than 98% of all dog breeding operations give excellent care to their animals. But HSUS condemns all dog breeding even thought the over population myth has been proven false. Rescues, shelters and other groups are shipping in over 350,000 diseased and feral dogs from other countries and selling them as rescues in this country for 300 to 500 dollars apiece. This is big business and they are trying to put legitimate pet breeders out of business so they can be the only source for pets in the future. Its been rumored that its easy for the mob and drug lords to laundry money through non-profits like the HSUS which has so many different and complex associations that its difficult to tell who is running the organization. Missouri if you let this proposal go into action you will kill off more than 5 billion in revenue from livestock breeding in your state. Remember HSUS wants to convert the US to Veganism by preventing meat from being produced. They want to end petownership and medical research. If you pass this law then you will be setting limits on how much property you can sell or own. Can all small businesses operate this way? NO. Say No to HSUS an organization that has been taken over by a cult that wants to put animals above humans and above God.
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It is entirely unethical to close an area of business using a few bad operators as an excuse.
By hijacking the humane movement and converting it into an anti-human, anti-animal Luddite cause, “they” have made it so that it is not safe to have humane societies, not for the humans or the animals.
What we had for a time was the ability of humans to preserve a lot of species not only against adverse consequences of human colonization but also against the vagaries of nature, which include fire, flood, predation, and diseases. Humans are part of the natural order and what the natural order arrives at. Just about the only thing that would prove us unfit would be to accept the suicidal impulses of the AR type activists.
We can oppose them in a positive way. We can establish a culture that takes pride in animal-based culture and strive to be better caretakers rather than worry about some social parasite looking over our shoulders and tearing up our work. In nature things are very very rough. Those who take issue when humans handle nature on its own terms are deluded little emotionally immature self-destructive gits who simply have to be treated like the little jerks that they are. I would like to be able to find a polite way to say that one right but the truth is that they’re going out and putting antifreeze in someone’s animal feed as we speak.
What a pet owner has to do for the farmers is to give them respect, and respect hunters and animal testing laboratories. We have to do that to be fit to be pet owners. Those who would force the farmer to labor under restrictions that are meant to be unreasonable should stop having animals altogether at all. The so-called humane movement actually sells junk animals at a high price like selling indulgences. They declare the people who give them that money “guardians” and elevate them above other humans, just like any other religion does. Then those same “guardians” become arrogant and think they can tell farmers what to do when they have no knowledge or experience. Everything is wrong with that. Virtue is for sale. Virtue is used as a weapon against honest people.
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The HSUS and ASPCA would serve much better purposes if they would take their time and resources and work to save aborted babies instead of worrying over a few supposed unhealthy puppy mills. What a distortion of truth!
The HSUS has become a joke in its own right. My widowed mother-in-law who treats her pets better than many parents treat their children was turned down in adopting two kittens because she made a statement that it was possible her cats “might accidentally get out of the house”. She was refused adoption rights at that point. You should see the Humane Society building where she was adopting from – it’s so full of cats (not in cages – they technically could escape through the doors that open and shut on a regular basis!) that it stinks inside the place. It’s amazing. I guess they have no desire to adopt out – but I can’t figure out their purpose either. In my opinion, there is no common sense thinking to their operation, so no one can understand it.
We have millions of babies dying annually in our nation and these groups are focused on hindering the businesses and lives of many animal operators around the state. This is foolish at best.
What a sad state we have become in Missouri to allow these groups one inch of room. We need to shut them down as rapidly as possible. Wake up, Missouri!
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It may be that no pet owner in Missouri can trust their own sheriff’s department and local humane society not to come kicking down their door if they find or concoct an excuse to do so, because of these SPCA and Humane Society types. It occurred to me that a lot of pet owners fought tooth and nail for restrictions on pet breeding and ownership, so when farmers cut pet owners off by allowing them their restrictions but exempting farmers, the pet owners who fought for bad laws got what they wanted and deserved.
In my estimation pet owners who fight for “puppy mill” and anti-hunting laws probably don’t deserve to own animals and neither do those who want to dictate what species people can own. If you look at what they keep they don’t really seem to want to own real animals anyway, just sterilized “prophylactic pup” characters from the Robert Louis Stevenson poem. Then they hurl abuse at anyone who wants something that is like what nature made.
Those pet owners who want to have pets had better figure out what train they want to ride.
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I am a licensed dog breeder. I feel that anyone who owns a dog should be licensed to own a dog and within the license fee require that the dog is spayed or neutered. Instead of spending millions on fancy dog shelters use the money for spay neuter programs. This would end the problem. If you are not a licensed dog breeder, you should be a licensed dog owner.
It is much more expensive to raise a litter of puppies then it is to have a dog spayed. So if the dog owner can’t afford to have their dog spayed then they have no business raising a litter of puppies. How many of these puppies do not make it to the shelter because they died of starvation? Did this dog owner have the money to have their dog vaccinated??? Probably NOT!!! This means that if the puppy makes it to the shelter he has a very high risk of being exposed to Parvovirus, a highly contagious, deadly disease. If the puppy does survive, it will have a high risk of having health problems cause by the damage to vital organs.
BE A RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER, SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR DOG!!!! TRY TO CONVINCE YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES TO HAVE THEIR PET SPAYED OR NEUTERED.
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Unfortunately alot of people in our state do not know what is going on. We have started a grass roots effort to get the word out. You can google Topix plus any town in mo along with MO. There are forums to voice your opinion. Some get alot of attention. Some not so much. But the word is slowly getting out. Any one wishing to voice their opinion is invited to join in. We are also going to sale barns, vet clinics, feed stores and such. Any place that has to do with animal agriculture. Please help spread the word about the threat on Mo animal agriculture.
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You all sound like a bunch of stone age hicks. Comparing living animals to shoes, etc. First of all, breeding dogs is a disgusting way to make money. millions are being dumped at shelters every year, and PEOPLE still keep breeding them to sell for money. You would not breed humans and sell them for money would you? Why would you do it to animals? And as far as agriculture? Vegetarian diets are much healthier, and much less CRUEL! Animals are not here for humans to use and take advantage of. Animals are here and also have rights! They are living, feeling beings, not SHOES, CYNDI YOUNG!
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ANIMALS ARE NOT HUMAN.
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The very fact that you and others commenting would compare a living creature with an inanimate object (pair of shoes) is eloquent testament to the need for such legislation. I wish these groups much success.
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A few misconceptions are running rampant on here… a) the coalition not only includes HSUS and ASPCA, but also the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation and the Humane Society of Missouri. b) the HSUS is not your local humane society. Claiming that the HSUS is trying to keep your MIL from adopt is silly. The local humane society IS NOT the HSUS, should not be the HSUS, and could not do what the HSUS does. c) the HSUS does more direct care than people seem to realize: they run several sanctuaries, including Black Beauty Ranch down in Texas, and they pour millions of dollars into emergency relief efforts. People claiming it’s mishandled should be doing a bit more investigation before making such claims; they continue to pour money into places affected by Katrina and other disasters, and have had grant programs to help animals affected by foreclosures, etc d) the legislation is not targeted at people with hunting dogs, show dogs, etc. It is targeted at the hundreds of unethical, out-of-control breeders across our state. I’d say that having nearly 2,000 licensed breeders constitutes much more than ‘a few’ bad operators. More like hundreds. 1/3 of all puppies in US pet stores come from Missouri, and more than half of illness claims and disputes that go through the Better Business Bureau to breeders in MO remain unresolved- that means many more than ‘a few’ breeders are unethical. And right now, MO doesn’t have the laws to allow good enforcement; this measure would give inspectors the ability to actually make enforce humane care as opposed to simply giving citations and fines.
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At the time this piece was written, the only organizations that were listed as working on this were HSUS and ASPCA. Nowhere in this piece did I make a connection between my local humane society and HSUS. I know they are not the same! MUCH investigation has been done into the work of HSUS. And I don’t understand your statement that having nearly 2,000 licensed breeders constitutes much more than ‘a few’ bad operators.
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The comment about connecting local and national humane societies was in response to commenter “Steve” who commented about his MIL being denied an adoption. As far as them being the only ones listed when the piece was written… how long before its publish date was it written? Because the coalition was kicking off in early January, and the HSMO and MAAL were most definitely involved even then.
As far as ‘a few’ bad operators. Think about statistics. Look at the numbers- the state to state breakdown is available online. As of 2008, MO had over 1800 licensed breeders, that number having gone up to over 1900 between then and now. Consider how many of these are the backyard breeding operations trying to make a buck in the hurting economy- people continue to buy puppies, so MO’s puppy market thrives- thousands and thousands of puppies and breeding adults are bought and sold in MO’s auctions every month. Consider how many of the BBB claims remain unresolved that are linked directly to MO breeders. Consider how many breeders have consistent citations on their MODA reports- consistent need for veterinary care, consistent need to provide potable water, consistent need for food, consistent need for safe housing, etc. Looking at semantics: a few generally means three to four. Significantly more than three or four bad operators exist in Missouri. There is a significant need to hold the nearly 2,000 licensed breeders to basic humane standards- and I’m not just throwing that word around: I mean humane at its most basic: clean water, regular food, safe housing that allows them to stretch and turn around and protects them from freezing or sweltering temperatures, and veterinary care when they are in pain and OTC medicine isn’t helping. This should be NOTHING for any reputable, respectable breeder; they make plenty of profit on the puppies to cover the cost of safe housing, food, water, and veterinary care. Allowing our state the dubious honor of being the #1 Puppy Mill state does nothing for the reputation of the respectable breeders in our state- the ones who are not only licensed but whose facilities are safe, whose dogs are cared for, and who breed not only for profit but for the benefit and furtherance of breed standards. I have family and friends who breed dogs and yes, they want to make a profit, but none of whom want to be connected to the many substandard breeders across our state, and none of whom get multiple, consistent citations for not taking care of their dogs. -
Ask breeders what they do with their 10 yea3-old dogs that can’t be bred abymore. I live on a “dump dog” country road in St. Clair County in Missouri and it is not unusual to see 5 or 6 poor old scottish terriers or any other breed left out wandering on the road. .
There are also several puppy mills (one on Hwy B west of Roscoe in St Clair County) where cages are stacked 4 and 5. High and the dogs walk on wire their entire life.
Humans are not “owners” of other species but “stewards”who will show compassion and mercy. As Jesus said, “As you do unto the least of these, you do unto me.”
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This is way too confusing to me. Why is Missouri the only state mentioned? I just got done writing out a check for the HSUS and felt good that I was helping out just a little bit. I love animals and I love my cat. Then I come across this site that says they don’t help the animals and they just kill them and keep the money. If I had proof that the HSUS or ASPCA were really so bad I wouldn’t send them another cent. I know some animal shelters in Wisconsin have no problem with putting animals to sleep the same day they get them. There’s one Animal Shelter in Wisconsin that does their best to help as many animals as they can and I take money right over to their shelter along with pet food and whatever they need. They have a site that mentions what they need for the pets at their shelter so I know with them it isn’t all about money. I’ve been down south to several states and the razor backs that I see tell me that they aren’t in the healthiest environment. Who should I believe?
Check out The Dog Press for continuing investigation into the “Puppy Mill Laws”. The law is currently in 24 States. It makes dog breeding to expensive to continue. They are bringing the same law to chickens and pigs. Some investigators are saying that the AR people are closing everydown so they can bring in dogs from other countries. That is so the dog shelters can bring in dogs from other countries and sell them. The only ones left standing are the show dog breeders. They are trying there hardest to shut down the show dog people. But the animal rights movement is being sued at every corner. Did you hear about the Amish? The ar movement got in there face and told them that there heat source was good enough for the Amish but not good enough for there kennel dogs. You would think the different State governments would want all this shut down. The AR Movement has threatened to break into University research facilities and release deadly toxins including Anthrax into the public.