We lost John Yates, founder of the American Sporting Dog Alliance, on September 15. Though he fought his battles for pet owners with pen & paper, with script & screen, John was no less a warrior than a man on the battlefield.

With his research and writings on legislative issues, he fired his shot across the bow of fleets of Animal Rights misinformation.

With his love of dogs and pride in the dogs he has raised, he waved the banner high for those who choose to raise animals.

With fearless determination, he stood guard against the weakening of property rights legislation in the face of sentimental attacks on emotion.

John understood that in battle individual differences must be put aside for the sake of the goal, without wavering until the Hill is taken. He understood that though the battle can be won, the war can still be lost if the troops fall into disarray.

He truly understood that evil happens when good people stand aside and do nothing. He put aside his own distaste for thrusting himself into the spotlight to found an organization fighting for pet owners everywhere, even those who will not fight for themselves and those who certainly wouldn’t fight for him

John’s writing has touched me personally. His loss breaks my heart and it costs us all deeply.

Good hunting John. May your old dogs be waiting for you and the hills full of game.

“Why are so many people convinced that pet ‘adoption’ differs from pet purchase?”

The question struck me after reading the following comment on Twitter and the HSUS response. (click here)  The original comment was, “So discraceful.(sic) I would never buy a pet-Adoption is my first/only option!”  The HSUS response?  “AMEN”  

In the legal sense, every pet acquired by paying a purchase pricean adoption fee or minimum donation is purchased.  Yet, ‘adoption’ is held up as morally superior.

A significant difference between the idea of conventional purchase and ‘adoption’?  Typically that one is not obtaining the pet from the person responsible for the breeding, though even this is not a hard and fast criterion if including USDA commercial breeders in the calculation. 

Another significant difference between the conventional purchase and adoption? Conventional purchases typically involve intentional breedings, whereas adoptions often as not involve unintentional breedings. 

Conventional purchases involve a majority of pups and a minority of adults, most ‘adoptions’ involve a majority of adults or seniors and a minority of pups.  This is the single most differentiating factor between conventional purchases of pets and ‘adoption’.  

These factors sum the most critical criteria for a prospective pet owner to consider.  Are they better suited to handle a young pet or an older one?  A known temperment or an unknown temperament?  Can they handle training young pet? Can they handle one with longer term behavioural problems or training deficits?  Are they willing to deal with the uncertainty of an unknown health history or does known health history of pet and parents make for greater peace of mind?  

 Every pet is the result of a breeding, intentional or unintentional and people typically don’t attach much value to that which comes cheaply or free.  Shouldn’t we be willing to commit resources to obtain a pet, which is ideally a lifetime commitment?   I own the full spectrum of pets.  I have a cat I purchased from a city shelter, another cat from a friend who couldn’t keep him and a dog purchased from a breeder.  I will have them all with me for the length of their lives.

Owning a pet is a choice.  Choosing the pet you can commit to for a lifetime, whatever the source is the ‘right’ choice, the ethical choice, the humane choice.  Choose what makes you human(e)

Copyright 2009 by Erica Saunders   http://AR-HR.com
All rights reserved

On this day, of all days of the year, Americans take time to celebrate these principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.  Living in a society that is founded on the concept that such human rights are ‘unalienable’ is a precious thing that many places in the world cannot claim.  Yet, these rights are not absolute or unbalanced by other considerations.  A person’s right to Life does not come at the expense of another’s Life.  A person’s Liberty extends to the point that it impinges on the Liberty of another person.  A person’s right to the pursuit of Happiness is not a guarantee of Happiness nor is it the right to pursue Happiness at the expense of another’s Happiness.  This freedom, this vision of Independence, is no easy thing to manage at the personal or the societal level.  It precludes the use of the quick fix or the easy answer.   Independence and these unalienable rights are messy and at their most precious when one’s actions are ‘unpopular’. 

In honor of Independance Day and of the Declaration of Independance, I would like to remind everyone of some rights that are not wrong, though they are popular targets.

• It is the right of the individual to breed dogs as much as it is the right of the individual who wishes to participate in rescue to do so. 
• It is the right of an individual to sell animals as much as it is the right of a rescue or shelter to sell animals.
• It is the right of the farmer to run their business based on a non-organic business model or on an organic one. 
• It is the right of the individual to choose to include meat in their diet, or not.
• It is the right of the individual to choose how they care for animals they own, so long as the care does not violate legal standards of care. 
• It is the right of the hunter to hunt animals within the bounds of the law, while it is the right of the non-hunter to not participate in hunting.
• It is the right of an individual to choose to obtain their pet from the source they select
• It is right of one individual to say they don’t agree with the actions of another.

 By protecting the liberties of others, even those we don’t agree with, we protect our own liberty.  By protecting the ability of others to pursue happiness, we protect our own ability to pursue happiness.By protecting the rights of others to choose, we protect our own right to choice.  Choose what makes you human(e).

Happy July 4th to you all.

Copyright 2009 by Erica Saunders   http://AR-HR.com
All rights reserved