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Perspective "It
means a determination to breed complete
dogs, not caricatures with numbers and letters, dogs with brains and beauty."
Handy
Links
Just
A Pet ..
We tend to get so wrapped up in competition and breeding for the show ring
that too often, we forget what dogs mean to people.
So
You Want to Show
The dog you take home is the same prospective winner you brought to the
show, he is as good as he was before the judge placed him.
The
Personal Dog
"A lot of professionals get so caught up in the business of
"doing dogs" that they forget what started them in that career,
the dog that was always your closest friend."
Related Links:
Bells
and Whistles
Respect
Helping or Hurting
NO Corn for Dogs
Personal Security
On
The Lighter Side
Reasons why it's great to be a dog. If it itches, you can reach it.
And no matter where it itches, no one will be offended if you scratch it
in public. |
LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION!
Another epiphany, doesn't that make you
happy!
by Tam Cordingley
Rather
than talk about expressing outrage, which would make anyone feel better
but probably do little to no real good, or pushing for a judge's boycott, which is even more unlikely, why don't we all collectively come out of the closet. For the last 20 years we have been hiding from the local authorities, being quiet because we were afraid of persecution and/or prosecution, keeping quiet so we wouldn't have trouble. In many localities there are strict dog limits, yet fanciers are keeping well over the limit and not getting caught. This is proof that multi dog owners are not the ones causing the problems, if we were then the law would have been on our necks years ago.
We are the ones that know how to manage dogs. Why do we allow ourselves to be criminalized by people who know nothing? The Animal Rights and welfare people only can think in terms of spay and neuter, never in terms of management. Instead of screaming and hiding, and forever putting out only pairs of look alike dogs, why don't we create workable legislation and present it all over the country. Preferably simultaneously. We bring huge amounts of money into the communities, the negative AR people bring nothing except a regular household income. We are the ones who
vaccinate, screen any prospective homes, keep all dogs fenced, yet we are the ones who are so often criminalized.
What is the worst that can happen? The worst is that they will take our dogs. Think about that. If they are all of a sudden made privy to the fact that there are 100 owners with 1000 dogs in any county that are over the dog limit, what are they to do? They can't confiscate 1000 dogs, especially if there is litigation pending. They would have to hold them until decided by the courts. They can't destroy them unless we surrender them. Keeping over the legal limit is not a felony in most places, which means the penalties are not horrible. They turn out rapists and murderers because there is not time in the courts and not space in the jails to hold them. What do you think the judges would say if they were presented with 100 or more "over the dog limit" cases? This has happened to me, over 30 years ago in California. I was cited for over the dog limit, and refused to destroy dogs or surrender them to the authorities. We went to court and I demanded a jury. There was testimony that I had too many dogs. True, I did, all fenced, in at night, legally vaccinated. This was countered by cross examination of my neighbors about fencing, threats by my dogs of any person or dog, noise or odor problems, all responses were negative. It was thrown out of court by the judge and jury as a frivolous waste of the court's time. I continued to live in that county, with over double the legal number of dogs, for an additional 5 years with no further encounters with Animal Control.
Another thing that would take the heat off many of the fanciers who are over the limit simply because they refuse to put down older dogs is to not count those that are over 7 years old or spayed. We could keep our retirees and still continue our hobby.
I just read an interesting thing on the Mo. Pet Breeders Site. They gate their property, post No Trespassing signs, require a sign in sheet before anyone looks at the dogs, require complete sterile suiting up before anyone is allowed on the premises, and demand a warrant. Unless there is some pretty serious violation of cruelty or welfare statutes it is not easy to get a warrant just to have a look see. We have been rolling over for years. Just like the omega dog, if we continue to meekly take it this abuse will continue.
This is not to say we should make ourselves obnoxious and confront everyone, therefore cementing the fact in the AC minds that we are kooks. We need to be careful and be correct, but mindful of the fact that we are the ones who know how to manage dogs. We need to vaccinate and have that documentation available if challenged, we need to fence, we need to be careful not to create a nuisance with noise, flies, or odor, we need to be above reproach. It is not numbers, it is not breeding status, it is management.
thc/2006
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