Hopefully, it will be more successful than this one.
Welcome to the new blog. All the old material has been carried over from a.r. hub, so things will carry on as usual. I've got a couple of posts I'm working on, but since I've been out of action for a while, here are a few points of interest from the last few weeks:
First, lots of discussion re: Obama's decision not to adopt a shelter dog. Check out Stephanie at Change, and also this fantastic cartoon from The Washington Post.
Rush Limbaugh, of all people, has recorded some public service announcements for the Humane Society of the United States. And the conservative base is not amused.
Opposing Views has posted an interesting panel discussion titled "Is an Animal a Legal Person". (thanks to Mary Martin for the link).
Finally, the folks at Animal Visuals are doing some great stuff. The virtual battery cage is a fun place to spend some time, and this gives the stats a little more tofu than the counter to the right:
Thursday, April 16, 2009
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My opinion about Obama's dog is that purebreed breed rescue is also a noble way to acquire animals - they need rescue too - and to me, as a responsible rescuer - that is my ideal world - one day, when dogs can only be gotten from responsible breeders - breed rescue is the only thing that will need to exist. There will be no puppy mills or back yard breeders - everyone will have to abide by puppy contracts and the only place dogs can go when owners want to dump them is back to the breeder like the Obama's dog was.
ReplyDeleteI think that their story has shown that there's lots of ways you can rescue a dog - and they're all viable and special, and one's not better than the other.
I really take umbrage with - please forgive me, but - hardline animal rightists who think that animals should never be intentionally bred, even by hobby breeders who only do it for the love of the breed - and only think animals should be saved from shelters. There is a place in this world for responsible breeders - especially ones who take care of the dogs that are dumped that come from their kennels.
Joan
Hi Joan,
ReplyDeleteI'm planning a post on pets in which I'll discuss my thoughts on breeding, but I think there are two legitimate issues to take with the Obamas' decision, regardless of where you stand on breeders.
First, I don't think a purebred dog like "Bo", coming from a reputable breeder, was ever in any real danger of being put down or not finding a home. The fact that he was returned to his breeder doesn't make him a "rescue" in the same sense that a shelter dog is.
Second, the real problem is the serious potential for fetishization of the breed, or the "101 Dalmations effect". The enormous popularity of the Obama family means that people all over the world now are going to want their own little Portuguese Water Dog. And when they realize a puppy is not a toy but in fact a living being that requires constant care and attention, many of them will decide it's not for them. So just as shelters were flooded with dalmations in the mid 90's, we can expect the same of "porties" in the near future. I hope it doesn't happen, but the potential, and the history, are there