Friday, June 29, 2007

The planned extermination of pets?

What follows is a guest blog by Diana Engelbart, a retired breeder of Birmans. She's also a co-founder of Birman Rescue and former treasurer of CFA Purebred Rescue and serves as a state coordinator for the Winn Feline Foundation. Do you think she makes the case? Let me know by posting below!
- Clea

The Planned Extinction of Pets

Way back in 1951 as I was learning to use my legs, Mom and I encountered a black bulldog owned by a neighbor. All of the children in the neighborhood would run in terror from the ugly dog. Not me. As hard as my stubby legs would allow and as hard as his stubby legs would allow we would drag our respective Moms toward each other until we were within a slobbering hugfest of each other.

And so it has been from that time until now. The cats I share my life with provide a wealth of enrichment and love. I hope that I enrich their lives as much as they enrich mine.

If the Humane Society of the United States, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, The American Humane Association, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Animal Liberation Front, et al have their way pets will become extinct.

It is happening now, town by town, city by city and state by state. It is called mandatory spay/neuter. Rhode Island enacted mandatory spay/neuter last year, as did Albuquerque. Bills are on dockets in several states, including Massachusetts and California.

Ostensibly to control the overpopulation of cats that we all know exists; these ordinances do not deliver on their promises. Where these ordinances have been enacted, to a one, they have failed: the populations of unowned cats continues to climb, administrative costs skyrocket, promised revenues never appear and euthanasia rates climb as people “dump” pets they can’t afford to sterilize and/or don’t want to be surveiled by the “Muffy and Fluffy” patrol.

You see, some of these ordinances strip you of your Fourth and Fifth Amendment Rights (Unlawful search and seizure and self incrimination). The jack booted thugs of the Animal Cops can search your home without warning any time of day and they know who you are because you had to register to receive this abuse.

Mandatory spay/neuter does precisely nothing to address the problem of increasing populations of unowned cats, and the attendant problems that such increases bring, while neatly stripping you of your rights,

It is highly unlikely that Fluffy Tomcat will apply to city hall for a license to breed. Equally unlikely is that Muffy Momcat will sashay into the nearest Veterinary Hospital and request to be spayed.

A more effective, non invasive to human civil liberties, and humane approach is that of Trap/Neuter/Return. These programs exist, run by volunteers gasping for funding. Only one TNR program in the country is legislated; that one is in Cape May, NJ. Cape May’s TNR program is at risk after its facilities burned. One has to wonder how that fire happened.

Seattle tried to enact TNR, but was blocked by the HSUS.

My friends, the agenda is NOT the welfare of the animals; it is the elimination of all “uses” of animals, including the ones who purr in your laps or guide you when you can not see.

3 comments:

June Abbott Colwell said...

Clea, I agree whole heartedly. What has me most worried about this bill is the stripping of citizens of their 4th amendment rights just because they own a pet. I do not feel this is what we should be looking especially as we approach the 4th of July, the celebration of our independence and the birth of The Constitution. Their are so many laws now that are eroding away at The Constitution and our rights under it. Big Brother here we come.

Unknown said...

I agree too! My first thought on reading the latest amendments to AB1634 was that the authors actually *hate* cats and dogs. The bill clearly pushes sterilization as a method of species eradication.

How appropriate that its' provisions would take effect on April Fool's Day next year, should it pass.

Joan Bernstein said...

All true. I hope everyone is keeping up with legislation by using Google alerts, the CFA website (Legislation) or Pet-law, which is keeping everyone informed. Joining NAIA, The Animal Council, and PetPAC are critical. These sites enable us to actively participate in opposing onerous legislation.