Arf-Net Information on Dog Legislation

Here at Arf-Net we take ANTI-BREEDER legislation seriously.
We felt that setting up a page devoted to links to current legislation
that could adversely effect breeders would be a very positive idea.

So here it is! This is your area we need information about links to
proposed legislation.... We need articles about what is going on
and where.
Please send any links or articles to Susan@legacynw.com

“On to the Children…the ARO Plan”
Paul Root
One way to promote a cause is to train young folks that the tenets of a philosophy are correct from an early age. This method worked very well in Germany in the early 1930’s…ergo the “Hitler Youth”. If you inundate a young mind with information…correct or not…the child will likely grow up believing the teachings to be true.

The “Animal Rights Movement” is doing just that. The other day I surfed to www.Envirolink.org …that’s the site where the Green Movement meets the Animal Rights Movement. There are almost 100 sites claiming dedication to this cause. They are very well organized. Their passion for their cause is highly evident in their rhetoric as well as the quality of their sites. I was struck by how many of the sites originated from Colleges and Universities…it chilled my soul. One of the newer groups…the Animal Legal Defense Fund boast groups that have formed on campuses at Northwestern, the University of Oregon, the Chicago Kent School of Law, Harvard, Stanford, UC Davis, New York University, and Georgetown. This is the group that is trying to give animals the same legal rights humans currently enjoy. I know many will say that college is the time of causes and rebellion…and that’s true to an extent. We can look back to the “Anti-War” protests of the 60’s as a prime example. But…these young and formative minds can cut their teeth on this cause many years before college.

How could this be? As I type, PETA…People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the DDAL…the Doris Day Animal League are submitting their tenets to two of the publications I grew up with in elementary and secondary schools…”The Weekly Reader” and “Junior Scholastic”. Young children are being “initiated” to the ARO point of view from the “cornerstone” magazines of my youth. We must do all in our power to see this situation changed. If we had started teaching “responsible pet ownership 101” 15 years ago…we’d have one class ready to graduate and another generation of responsible pet owners not far behind.

I’ve always thought that Education is the ultimate key…and it would seem, so do the ARO’s. Site after site had a “Kids Page” and “Teachers, too” listed prominently. They will gladly furnish schools and teachers with written materials that showcase their jaded views. “The Fund for Animals” is headquartered right here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their site had some of the most revealing information on how to get to these young minds. They have publications such as “Animal Crusaders” and “Animal Free Press”. The description of the contents is also enlightening…such as… “Animal Crusaders” is packed with information, activity suggestions, and games for elementary students. The “Animal Free Press” is a quarterly newspaper designed for middle and high school students, and contains in-depth articles, celebrity interviews, and vegetarian recipes. My favorite was a publication entitled “Think Like the Animal: Questions to Ask Before You Kill”…the description of this one is as follows: Have you ever thought of going hunting? Read this story by an ex-hunter and learn what it’s like from the animal’s point of view. If that doesn’t shake you to the bone…nothing will. I’m also quite curious how the animals relate their points of view. I’m aware of only 1 “talking” gorilla. Can you imagine how they depict the “animal point of view”? They also offer a ½ hour video entitled “What’s wrong with Hunting”. It’s stocked (I couldn’t resist that pun) with celebrities like Marv Levy, coach of the Buffalo Bills, Tiffany-Amber Thiessen of Beverly Hills 90210, and Alexandra Paul of Baywatch. Also appearing are wildlife biologists, humane professionals, and knowing kids who debunk the myths of hunting. They follow the video with a 50-page curriculum unit designed for middle and high school teachers. It outlines discussion questions, classroom activity suggestions, worksheets, and a glossary of definitions. Can you say “Breeder”? Definition…BAD. Don’t think for a moment that teachers around the country aren’t taking advantage of this “free’ material. Like they say in the movies…”Coming Soon…to a school near you”.

The Fund also dabbles in “Comic Books”. How about…the Internet: Anna Libbiator vs. Carcass Corp. Follow a zany bunch of teenagers as they take on the Meat industry…or…A Tail from Outer Space…the perilous adventures of Porcilina Hoggett…a space pig from the planet Gip who learns the shocking fate of overpopulated “people pets” and vows to make a difference. Can you say Buzz Words”? Overpopulated…people pets…compassion…Vegan or Vegetarian…these are the words used by ARO members and others of their ilk.

On the PETA site there’s a page marked “Children’s Introduction to Animal Rights.” I believe it should read Indoctrination. As you further explore this site, you come across testimonials from Dr. Spock and other “Celebs” echoing the benefits of a “Vegetarian Lifestyle”. I printed out their 18 pages of what they refer to as “Action Alerts”. Here is where you’re supposed to write, call, fax or email the perpetrator of these horrific crimes against Nature. They range from situations that I agree with…like not trapping with steel jaw traps…to the ludicrous and absurd. How would you like to allay the suffering of Lobsters at Morton’s restaurant in Chicago? Seems like the evil Morton’s has a practice of displaying these tasty crustaceans on platters that are carried around the room. According to PETA…these lil’ guys have quite a sophisticated nervous system. Not only are they capable of feeling pain…being out of water causes them to slowly asphyxiate. They go on to say if only 2 Lobsters were used at the Morton’s chain each day…Morton’s would be responsible for the horrible death of 31,000 Lobsters per year! PETA asks that you let Morton’s know that…there are more compassionate ways to present its menu that would avoid offending customers and inflicting unnecessary torment on Lobsters! That’s right offa da site folks…right offa da site. Other concerns they voice are stopping the sale of furs…ending Rodeo in Santa Barbara, stopping the pigeon massacre in Wyoming and the bird massacre in Louisiana…stopping the evil Shriners from booking Circus’ as fund-raisers…they want to ban Carriage horses in Santa Cruz, CA… They’re really PO’d at LL Bean the clothing Manufacturer from Maine. How DARE they sponsor Hunting as a sport. The “audacity” for LL Bean to sell a “Deer Stalker” hat!!! They also are trying to get Pets.com to stop “Supporting Breeders”. They cite many erroneous statistics and claim a ”Large percentage of shelter euthanized dogs are Purebred”. This is simply not the case and the truth is born out in the real statistics. Less than 20% of ALL shelter dogs are Purebred. Of that 20% the only ones who are destroyed are the infirmed and bad tempered. The majority are adopted or rescued. PETA or other ARO’s for that matter, have no trouble playing fast and loose with the truth.

I wasn’t so much shocked at these revelations as I was chilled to the bone. This really isn’t about the animals to the most rabid of these groups. It’s about getting their way through any means possible…legally or illegally. I wonder how the groups Animal Emancipation…AE or “Vegan Resistance”…explain to their children their support of felons and prisoners in jails and prisons around the world? I wonder if they encourage their kids to correspond with these so called “Prisoners of War?” Drop them line…help them maintain their resolve…it gets lonely in jail…is posted on their site with names of the inmates and addresses of their prison. These guys and gals are doing 5 to life for crimes like bombing and arson. PETA shelled out $45,000.00 for the legal fees of ALF…Animal Liberation Front leader Rod Coronado. Rod’s doing almost five years in an Arizona prison for arson and blowing up a mink ranch. The ALF is on the FBI’s List of Terrorist Organizations. That $45,000.00 is exactly 9 times the amount that PETA donated to shelters all over the country for the entire year.

What am I missing here? How can sane and caring individuals support the efforts of the groups I have described? It’s really pretty simple…the public doesn’t know about them. PETA and DDAL won’t tell and the Media doesn’t seem to think it a worthy story. Movie stars like Kim Bassinger and Alec Baldwin may well know the “Dark Side” of these groups…but they don’t tell either. How could such visible people lend their names to terrorism? PETA co-founder Alex Pacheco is quoted as saying the following: “Arson, property destruction, burglary, and theft are ‘acceptable crimes’ when used for the animal cause.” I wonder if Alec and Kim agree? These two are also hypocrites when it comes to Aids. They say they support PETA and also support finding a cure for Aids. The most successful Aids treatments have come from the research on animals that PETA is so adamantly against. It should be interesting this month…PETA is throwing a “Millennium Party” in LA. It will have only vegetarian food, etc…I wonder how many red Aids ribbons you’ll see on the assemblage of Stars?

Do you really want your children subjected to this dis-information and these influences? I truly hope the answer is a resounding…NO. There are some things you can do to prevent the transformation of your son or daughter…from that a normal soccer playing kid who thinks “Burgers” are tasty…to that of a sign totin’, tofu lovin’, brainwashed lil’ monster who would turn his parents into the PETA Police for having a Pot Roast for Sunday dinner. 1. Ask your kids if any of these examples I’ve touched on are happing. 2. Call or go to the school…as a concerned parent…to review the curriculum. 3. Educate your children on what it takes to be a “responsible pet owner”. 4. Don’t send contributions to any group like PETA…DDAL…or the USHS. That’s the United States Humane Society. The USHS is not a Breeder or dog owner’s friend. 5. BE a responsible pet owner yourself and allow that sensible knowledge to become part of the good character your child will develop from your example.

I thought that in my participation and the many years I’ve spent in this ongoing battle…I’d heard some pretty “odd comments referring to pets and ARO’s.” Member’ PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk…”If people want toys they should buy an inanimate object. If they want companionship they should seek it with their own kind! One day we WILL put and end to the breeding of dogs and cats!” I thought…silly me…that that was a pretty fair description of what the AR Movement was all about…Well…Thursday while I was getting information to write this article…I stumbled across what might be a rival to Ingrid’s. Denise Ford was associated with AE…Animal Emancipation. She opines the following: “Until we can demonstrate ‘true compassion’ for a mouse…until we can accept the fact that we can’t ‘own a rat’…We will never move beyond our own self oriented capsules into a world where ‘discrimination and exploitation’ no longer exist!”

Animal Rights Organizations…What do they really want to do?

By: Paul Root

Let me set the tone for this article by a few quotes right out of the mouths of the leaders of the Animal Rights Movement. These "Pearls of Wisdom" should put a red flag up on any calm and sunny day.

"Pet ownership is an absolutely abysmal situation brought about by human manipulation." Ingrid Newkirk PETA…People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

"As the surplus of cats and dogs (artificially engineered by Centuries of forced breeding) declined, eventually companion animals would be phased out, and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship-enjoyment at a distance." Ingrid Newkirk…again

"The cat, like the dog, must disappear…We should cut the domestic cat free from our dominance by neutering, neutering, and more neutering, until our pathetic version of the cat ceases to exist." John Bryant…PETA.

"My dream is that people will come to view eating meat as cannibalism!" Henry Spyra, director Animal Rights International.

"Man is the most dangerous, destructive, selfish, and unethical animal on earth." Michael W. Fox, VP Humane Society of the United States.

So my friends, where does it say they care for the animals? John Bryant of PETA wants to systematically eliminate both dogs and cats from the planet. In a review of a book by Australian Animal Rights activist Pete Singer…Pete made the following comment to the interviewer…"We are not especially interested in animals. Neither of us had ever been inordinately fond of dogs, cats, or horses in the way that many people are. We didn’t ‘love’ animals!" What are you interested in, Pete? In the case of PETA, they are on record that we as humans shouldn’t own, eat, wear, or hunt animals. PETA, its members, and the Umbrella organizations such as the Animal Defense League, the Animal Liberation Front, the Humane Society of the US, and more than this writer cares to list…comprise the Animal Rights Movement that really wants YOU to stop eating meat, hunting, fishing, owning pets, and in general…all of the things we’ve enjoyed from animals for the past hundreds plus years.

These organizations have wreaked havoc on a part of Society that doesn’t really deserve the aggravation. One of these organizations, the Animal Defense League, has a Mission statement. In that statement, it subscribes to civil disobedience, vocal demonstration, and the support of underground groups such as the Animal Liberation Front. The ALF is on the FBI’s Terrorist List. The ADL says while it doesn’t condone clandestine or illegal activities, it does SUPPORT those actions, and will often act as the spokesperson for the ALF in justifying acts of economic sabotage against Animal Abuse Industries. You and I would call it a felony. You can go to a Web Site on the Internet called Envirolink and find literally hundreds of such organizations with as equally alarming "Mission Statements".

What is their objective and how do they intend to achieve it?

Their objective is a simple one…Ingrid Newkirk and John Bryant of PETA sum it up by saying "Pet ownership is abysmal and let’s allow the dog to disappear from our brick and concrete jungles." They want to end the ownership of the family pet, the Show Dog, the Hunting animal, or any animal for that matter. They also want you to become Vegans…an ardent word for Vegetarian…and never eat meat or any product associated with an animal in its production. Think of that scenario for a moment…cheese, eggs, and butter would disappear from the face of the earth. Milk???? That too, and PETA recently petitioned the Governor of Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson, to "Dump Cows milk and switch to soy!" PETA refers to cows milk as "Liquid Meat". It’s not just PETA either…site after site on Envirolink endorse vegetarianism as a lifestyle. This site seems to be the meeting place for the ARO’s and the "Green Movement"…Earth First, etc. You can find them at http://www.Envirolink.org . I recommend a trip to that location so you can see just how well the "Opposition" is organized.

The strategy they employ to gain inroads into our lives comes from efforts to create restrictive legislation. I spoke out against them 1^st some 15 years ago in San Mateo California. They offer a plausible, even heart wrenching, argument for restrictive legislation. It’s to save the lives of unwanted animals. The problem is…the people that could reduce the pet overpopulation problem…the owners of unspayed or neutered dogs and cats…don’t care. Simply put, they find the family pet a burden. Ergo, the legislation inevitably falls on the shoulders of the communities most responsible and most easily trackable pet owners. The scofflaws literally fall through the cracks and become undetectable. They don’t obey leash laws. They don’t license their animals…and rarely do they ever spay or neuter them. Duke, Duchess, and Kitty goes forth and does Gods natural directive to reproduce themselves at will. This type of intrusive legislation falls heavily on the backs of the responsible Breeder of Show and Working dogs. We are the ones who license, give exceptional care, and try and educate a public sorely lacking in the knowledge of what it takes to be a responsible Owner/Breeder of quality animals. Our animal’s do not run free…granted Carte Blanche to reproduce. We do selective and planned breedings with one intention, to improve our breed. We try and educate those people who purchase animals from us for family pets. We include spay and neuter clauses in our contracts. We offer guidance and counsel long after the sale so we can help them become the responsible owner they should be. Many of us go out into the community and teach what we have learned through years of experience to others. We volunteer time and effort to help our communities correct the problems these ARO’s are trying to correct with unfair legislation. Go back to the beginning of this article…it’s not the sympathy for the animals that prompts these actions…they don’t want ANYONE to own a dog or a cat!!

So why don’t City and State governments see though this ploy? Many of them don’t know the true agendas of these groups. I would hope, should they become aware of their true aims and their methods, it would make a difference. These groups come across with a warm and cuddly…"Do Good"…image that makes many quite susceptible to their goals. People are inherently good, so saving the life of a kitten or a puppy becomes a cause they can easily ascribe to. Many of the States and Cities are also more Liberal than others. This seems to be congruent with ideologies leading to passed legislation. Unfortunately, they overlook the benefits of EDUCATION as a more reasonable and more workable solution to the problem. If these Cities and States were to encompass responsible pet ownership into their elementary and secondary education programs, they would graduate many prospective responsible pet owners. If said State or City had adopted such a program 10 years ago, they would already have one generation in place and 2 in the hopper. Education…not Legislation…is the answer. There is also another reason for taking the road to Legislation… REVENUE! The ARO’s appeal to a State or City’s need for money. This has worked quite well for these groups and it appears that more and more of the proposed Legislation has money as the central focal point. Fines and licensing fees are going through the roof and are being targeted towards Breeders. Unfortunately, they don’t get to the source of the problem…the "scofflaw"…but rather to the responsible pet Owner/Breeder who does their best to obey the law. Legislators…wake up! Why do you impose such unfair restraints on the most RESPONSIBLE members of your citizenry? This makes such Legislation doubly bad…

What can we do to educate the public and our Legislators? How can we stop these groups?

Let me address the 2^nd question 1^st…It’s going to be hard because they enjoy the same right of free speech that we do. They are…in fact…entitled to their own opinion. BUT…we can go out and try and correct the myths they profligate. We can offer less intrusive ideas and suggestions that will accomplish a similar goal without passing such restrictive and unfair laws. We can go out into the community and educate the public and our Legislators in techniques that will ease these problems. We can offer our time and our effort to see these goals are obtained. In other words…We can and must become involved! We must also not become complacent and assume that bright sparks and intelligible people will see through this charade…they don’t. I received an Email from a Councilman from Tucson Arizona, ( such Legislation is pending there) and he stated he was leaning towards passing the Bill, but he felt very bad because it would only affect the most responsible of Tucson’s citizens. Aaaaaaaaaaargh…Then why pass it? We as a group of concerned citizens must go forth and educate these individuals that there are, in fact, other less intrusive ways to accomplish the same goal. In the Tucson case, such groups as the Animal Defense League, the ADL of Arizona, and People For Animals…nah, they couldn’t be PETA folks could they????…helped an Ad Hoc committee draft this legislation. Ah yes…the Humane Society was there assisting as well. If I were a Tucson Councilman, I’d think twice before passing a Bill that was in part drafted by the ADL. In New Jersey, after a rash of firebombed fur trucks by the ALF, ADL spokesperson Corrine Ball stated, "While it may be illegal, I don’t think it’s unethical. This is the torture of Animals we’re talking about." I can’t imagine consulting on Legislation for my City with a group that held such views. That list of ARO’s won’t offer the City of Tucson anything that favors the pet Owner/Breeders rights…2 legged or 4! It’s up to us to counter with our own sensible information. We can do that by writing letters and sending Faxes…so much easier and more expedient. Emails can be good, too. We can subscribe to Online Lists that deal with these problems…We can support the efforts of Pro Animal Owner Rights Organizations and the AKC. If we don’t mobilize our efforts, we will deserve what we get…

The other side thinks this…is what we deserve! "The bottom line is that people don’t have the right to manipulate or breed dogs and cats. If people want toys, they should buy inanimate objects. If they want companionship, they should seek it with their own kind. One day we want to put an end to pet shops and the breeding of animals."

Yes…that was our gal Ingrid Newkirk of PETA again…She really has a way with words, doesn’t she?

What will you do to see that Ingrids wishes and hopes are dashed????

When a law is passed in one state, other states are watching and learning
how to do it. So writing to another states Representatives can only help your state.

The Tucson Arizona City Council is trying to pass legislation that has
been proposed by an Ad Hoc committee comprised mainly of members of
Animals Rights Organizations similar to PETA. The passage of said
legislation would result in exhorbatent fees and unnecessary regulations
being placed on the most responsible of Tucson's animal community...and
that's not fair.

Please take a look at the letter that
Arf-Net founder Paul Root has written.
We hope this inspires you to write also remember...
ARIZONA TODAY, YOUR STATE TOMORROW

July 16, 1998

Mayor George Miller
City Hall
255 W. Alameda St
Tucson, Arizona 85701

CC: Vice Mayor, Jose Ibarra, and Council Members Jerry Anderson, Janet Marcus, Shirley Scott, Steve Leal, and Fred Ronstadt.

Dear Mayor Miller and Council Members:

Although I am not a citizen of Tucson or even a citizen of Arizona, I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the proposed legislation regarding Licensing, spaying-neutering, and the Breeding restrictions to be placed on animals and their owners in the Tucson area. I am a concerned citizen of California and I oppose such laws with equal vigor in my state as well.

I would ask you and the Council to look very carefully at many of the groups that helped draft this legislation in the Ad Hoc committee. Some of the names are old adversaries with more of an agenda than you might think. The Animal Defense League is an umbrella group associated with PETA…an acronym for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. I noticed one of the supporting groups listed as People For Animals…add Ethical Treatment between for and Animals and the name is complete. Not very original, but effective. PETA is an organization with a lobby that publicly states animals should not be eaten, owned, or worn. They are an ardent organization with an agenda… vegetarianism. It isn’t by chance they align themselves with other Animal Rights Groups in promoting their ideas. The FBI considers many of the associated groups in the "Terrorist category". Recently, however, they have taken a new tack. They now appeal to Legislatures and Councils such as Tucson’s to enact their legislative plans in order for the states and cities to gain revenue by placing unfair licensing and breeding restrictions on responsible Breeders and owners. If you were to adopt the proposed legislation, you would be placing restrictions on the most responsible of your citizenry and doing nothing to solve the problem. The answer is Education…not legislation.

The vast number of unwanted animals does not come from responsible Breeders. They come from irresponsible pet owners who would slip through the cracks because they would be undetectable. They don’t register their animals, they don’t obey leash laws, and rarely if ever, spay or neuter their pets. Most of them are unreachable because they just don’t care. They consider the family pet…a burden, not a responsibility. Their children on the other hand, are very reachable and if your town was to adopt a practice of teaching responsible pet ownership in elementary and secondary education, you would graduate many responsible prospective pet owners. If you had adopted such a plan ten years ago, you would already have one generation in place with another and another on their heels. I teach such a class, and I know it works. Many teachers have told me that even their most distracted students pay attention and actually participate during my presentation.

I would make one additional but very important point. Your proposed legislation makes no mention of cats. National statistics on the euthanization of unwanted animals show that cats outnumber dogs almost 2 to 1. Few if any cities in the United States license or try and control the proliferation of the cat population. Feral cats are a huge problem in cities all over the country. Should you really wish to attack this problem in earnest, start with feral cats. Cat fanciers have tried to be of assistance for years. They have many excellent ideas.

No responsible dog or cat fancier wants to see any animal euthanized. I am a Breeder of Show and Working dogs. We carefully screen all buyers (turning down some 35%), and our contract states a pet quality animal shall be spayed or neutered within 6 months of purchase. Yes…we have gone to great lengths to see that proviso is obeyed. We also counsel those buyers what it takes to be a responsible pet owner and we are available long after the sale to insure their education continues. We approach the Breeding of quality animals with the intention to improve our breed. We enjoy the sporting aspects of it as well. It has gone from a hobby, to an avocation, and now a vocation. We own a Boarding kennel near the San Francisco Bay area. I am an AKC licensed Judge. You could say…I have gone to the dogs. True, but I did so with eyes wide open and the appropriate knowledge to be that responsible owner/breeder. Now I teach it to others.

I would ask that your Council approach the situation the same way and not fall victim to the agendas of those groups like PETA or the Animal Defense League who don’t want you to "Own em’, Eat em’, or Wear em!" Oh…they don’t want you to "Hunt em’" either. Please Educate…not Legislate. I also urge you to utilize those Breeders and Groups in your own community that would volunteer both effort and time in order to assist you in rectifying this problem to the benefit of all concerned. Your City will be the biggest benefactor of their efforts.

Thank you for your kind consideration.

Sincerely,

Paul Root
Diablo Kennels & Rivendell German Shepherds
2077 Willow Pass Road
Bay Point, CA 94565