Animal Rights VS. Animal Welfare

Know The Difference! 

What do PETA, HSUS, Humane USA,
 Fund for Animals, Animal Legal Defense Fund,
In Defense of Animals, Doris Day Animal League, Farm Sanctuary,
Animal Protection Institute, SHAC, Animal Protection Institute,
Animal Liberation Front, Institute for Animals & Society, and
nearly 100 other animal rights groups have in common......

they all support animal "RIGHTS"---
 which when you dig deeper , today's animal rights
movement means abolishing people's ownership and use of any and all animals !

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Yes, all animals have a right to quality care and humane treatment by the people
that interact with them. And yes we have a responsibility to provide that care,
and sadly in some instances animal's welfare is being abused by humans.

But ...have you ever enjoyed
going to the zoo? Having a pet? Watching a movie or tv program
that featured an animal star? Have you ever witnessed the amazing partnership between a seeing eye dog and it's owner? Have you ever taken a moment to appreciate the efforts and hours of training and care that have gone into forming the animal-human team that demonstrates its skills
in search and rescue efforts, drug and bomb sniffing, police dogs, or a  shepeherd
who relies on his herding dog to help bring the flock home safely?

If today's animal rights activists have their way, your great grandchildren won't know what you are talking about !

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Animals , both domestic and wild, have been providing intellectual and economic
value to the people on this planet since the dawn of time. It is important for people
to adopt animal care practices that provide quality care to all animal's that touch
our lives ...so what exactly is the "behind the scenes" difference between animal rights and animal welfare???

Animal Welfare Promotes:

* that humans have a responsibility to care for animals and insure their well-being 
because they are not able to do so themselves

* Supports the animal - human bond and acknowledges the gift that is
given to us when we interact with animals

* Supports education to improve the awareness and well being of both domestic 
and wild animals

*Supports managing animal populations by hunting

*Provides education and supports guidelines for good animal husbandry practices

* Supports animals role in zoos, sports, shows and fairs, movies, circuses, on stage, 
and in private ownership within the guidelines of humane, responsible care

* Supports responsible pet breeding and ownership

* Supports use of animal's in research under appropriate guidelines for advancement
of technology and medicine

*Supports training and use of animals in service to police, people with disabilities and 
other therapeutic activities

On the other Paw....

Animal Rights Promotes:

* the moral and ethical philosophy that No species , including humans, is better, 
or more important than the other (a baby chicken is equal in ALL ways to a human
infant !) 

* pet ownership is a form of slavery

*humans have no right to use animals for food, research, clothing, or any form of
entertainment (that these activities exploit them)

*animals should be free to life their lives without human interference of ANY Kind

* Opposes hunting, fishing, and purposeful breeding of ANY  domestic animals including endangered species, farm apnimals, pets, and service animals

*that animals should either be "self-owned" or have the legal standing of
"personhood" giving them the same and equal rights as humans

*supports that the current legal definition of animals as property should be ended or changed 
and that humans have no rights to ownership or stewardship of any animal NO MATTER WHAT
the circumstances or level of care provide 

Plays on the sympathies of animal lovers to provide financial support and 

lobbying for laws that ultimately restrict owner's rights. Deliberately

confuses the public by using the "Animal Rights" platform to promote 

their cause !

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Protect You and Your Families' Right to Own and Enjoy Animals!

Protect Animals from the unrealistic view that they can live and care for themselves completely outside the influence of the humans they share a planet with ! 

***To help support Animal Welfare, the first step is to stop supporting Animal Rights organizations !*** 

Do not buy a dog or cat from a pet store. Do not give donations of your money or time to any of the organizations listed at the beginning of this post, and please spay/neuter your pet !


Some resources for more information include : 
your local kennel club, the AKC (www.akc.org), the
Minnesota Purebred Dog Breeders' Association (www.minnesotapurebreddogs.org), The American Dog Breeder Association ( www.adbadog.com), The Minnesota Pet Breeders Association (www.mnpetbreeder.com) or Humane Watch (www.humanewatch.org)

And Baby makes Four

Rivalry can develop when your dog and your baby meet for the first time. An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure in this situation !

  IF YOU ARE EXPECTING A 2 LEGGED CHILD TO ENTER YOUR LIFE SOON, AND YOU  DO NOT YET HAVE A 4 LEGGED CHILD, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LET THE NEW PUPPY AND BABY "GROW UP TOGETHER" --- YOU WILL BE TOO BUSY TO ATTEND THE NEEDS OF BOTH! 

Options may be to adopt an older dog that is already used to children, or wait until your baby is a little older to take on a pet...Dogs and kids belong together, but don't rush it :)  Investigate which breeds are best with children and which breeders have already socialized their pups with children to improve your outcome of a smooth transition. 

My tips for Before Baby is Born:

1. allow the dog to sniff items the baby will be using so they will be more familiar to it. Even after laundering, the dog will recognize it's own scent attached to these items and will be less likely to perceive them as a threat.

2. If your dog is not trained to basic commands like off, sit, down, leave it,  stay and heel Get Them Trained!

3. Once he/she is trained and safely restrained on a leash, introduce them to children away from his territory...then outside near the house...and finally in the house.

4. Get your dog accustomed to a baby's cry. You can do this by tape recording a friend's child or children at a daycare.

5. Handle a doll like a baby and introduce your dog to it using the word baby. Have the dog sit or lie down while near the baby doll.

When Baby Comes Home:

1. Before your dog is introduced to the baby, confine it. Let her reacquaint with the baby's mother first, who will smell and  act different to the dog. Then introduce several of the baby's items that now have "baby's" scent on them such as the carseat and diaper bag. Make sure the dog is calm, not hungry and does not need to 'go out' and then introduce the baby, remembering to use the word baby and carefully watching your dog's reaction to this new little person. Immediately separate the dog and the baby if there is a negative reaction and repeat the introductions later. Keep the first few meetings short and remain calm and upbeat, your dog is very aware of your emotions.

2. Do not let caring for your new baby interfere with the dog's regular schedule of feeding, walks, and playtime if at all possible.

3. Never leave your dog alone with the baby and do not allow it to sleep in the baby's room--although outside a gated doorway is ok if that is what your dog wants to do.

4. DO NOT store any of the dog's belongings in the baby's room. The dog needs a clear boundary between what it considers her space and where the baby's "den" is.

5. As your child grows, remember that children can hurt dogs also. Teach your child how to correctly pet the dog, not to try to carry it, not to pull on ears or it's tail, and to leave the dog alone when it is sleeping, eating or relaxing in it's crate/bed.

6. When your child is old enough,include them in caring for the dog under supervision. It is a great way to encourage that bond and an opportunity to teach respect and responsibility for the pet.

ENJOY YOUR FAMILY ! 

Has a 12-Year-Old Done More for Shelters Than the HSUS?

 The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)  recently published an online  article

 about the work of a  girl in northeast Ohio. 12 year old  Harley Helmam  has collected

 thousands of supplies such as blankets, towels, toys, and food  for her  local shelters 

through her Blankets Fur Beasties group. 

If you would like to help shelter animals in your area, Harley

 has this advice: 

"It’s simple! Just go to

 your local animal shelter’s website.

 They usually have a wish list of things that

 they need. Then start collecting!"

               That’s great advice Harley, and you've provided an excellent example for the HSUS !

I would like to add that if your budget does not include being able to donate financially to a local

 animal rescue or shelter, they would welcome donations of your valuable time !

 (handing out flyers, working at the bake sale, taking pictures of animals available for adoption,

 donating time at the shelter to help with maintenance or animal care, and more )

Only 1 penny of every dollar donated to HSUS is given to a 

local pet shelter !

 HSUS gave just $500 to support pet sheltering in the Buckeye State in 2012.

The nonprofit watchdog Charity Watch finds tha HSUS spends as much as 45% of its

annual budget on overhead, earning it a "C-" grade. Animal Peoples's Watchdog Report

pegs HSUS's overhead spending at 55% of it's budget...For a group that claims that 1 in 28

American's donate to it's organization and has a budget of well over $100 million, that adds

up to a lot of wasteful spending! 

 

Harley's  advice is a message I'd like to  pass on to all HSUS donors.  

As HSUS steps up their annual

fundraising drives with  sad pictures of dogs and cats looking up at you pleadingly, 

wouldn't it feel good to

know that your donations were actually going to help animals???

 Instead a majoruity of your contributions pay

for a slick advertising campaign and powerful lobbyists, 

not to mention  the overly paid executives of the Humane Society itself !

 Preying on peoples emotions 

and using their skillfully crafted propaganda to hide the real truth is advertising at its "best"!

The following information is from the HSUS website :

How is The HSUS affiliated with my local humane society?

Local humane societies and SPCAs are independent entities and are not run by The HSUS

 or any other national entity.

What is The HSUS' mission?

The HSUS' mission statement is "Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty." We strive to create a 

humane and sustainable world for all animals – a world that will also benefit people. We seek

 to forge a lasting and comprehensive change in human consciousness of and behavior toward all

 animals in order to prevent animal cruelty, exploitation, and neglect, and to protect wild

 habitats and the entire community of life.

 While it all "sounds good on paper" , I find their mission statement 

to be far reaching and a bit vague... and all the expensive advertising, lobbying, etc. is why so

 little of each of  donation  goes directly to help an animal. While the HSUS does help sponsor offer

 educational  programs and events like spay/nueter clinics and mobile disaster rescue help, please

 don't judge thisbook by it's carefully executed cover !

* I  need to acknowledge  www.humanewatch.org  as an excellent reference source for this post 

The 7 AKC Dog Groups

Ok, a few posts ago we reviewed how a dog goes from first in its class, to best of breed and on to the group ring in hopes of that elusive Best In Show win....here's a nifty diagram I found to help review what those 7 groups are....

Future posts will be dedicated to each group individually to introduce the specific breeds and offer some additional history and insight into their individual characteristics. 

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Here's an "awwww" post for the occasion :)

I Rescued a Human Today

I rescued a human today. Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them. As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one. I rescued a human today.

~Author Unknown

Do you have a big heart ?

Congratulations to the 2014 Westminster BIS Winner !

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And  further Congrats to the NEW Paws on the Matt making their Westminster debut this year !! Chinooks, Rat Terriers and Portuguese Podengo Pequenos were among the breeds vying for the judges' nods this year... 

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Kids and Dogs :)

My son John and a Lhasa puppy :) 

Gotta Love their matching 'dos ! 

Were these two in a Tide commercial ?? LOL 

So now we know what color Irish Setter Red locks are ! 

Love,Love,Love this lhasa puppy and her girl ! 

My son John  with a cavalier, both were 6 months old

My son Daniel with his snowman building crew !

This lhasa's name is Brewsky, and he is a 4-H star ! 

My son Daniel at a show with his Chinese Crested, "Cheech"

My daughter Ivy with "Remi", a lhasa

             

Kids and Dogs....they belong together !  

The Path to BEST In SHOW....

Many dog shows offer short tours for spectators and/or first time exhibitors, definitely helpful in figuring things out ! There is also a superintendent's table and AKC table for more information on  upcoming shows, pamphlets, and more. A show catalog can be purchased that gives information on each dog entered in the show and about the show in general . It will tell you who the judges are, what ring and approximately what time each breed will be in, and have other helpful information in it. 

 It takes 15 points to "Finish" a dog ( win the Champion title). A dog must also have at least 2 major wins where it beats enough total dogs to win 3, 4, or 5 points at a single show. The more dogs entered, the more points that are available. No points are awarded for wins without competition unless a dog goes on to win in the group ring.

Once a dog is a champion, it is eligible to enter as a"special" in the Best of Breed class at shows. Here it can receive select/award of merit recognition towards a Grand Champion title.

Snow Angels

Ok, I'm sick of the snow ! But here's a few of our furry friends having a Great Time in it....hope it  makes you smile :)     The Groundhog said 6 more weeks until it all turns to mud !