Since I started becoming involved in the issues surrounding pet ownership rights, the greatest resource in this area has been people.   I’ve been introduced to a wealth of experience and perspective by people who have spent their lives caring for animals.  I’ve been privileged to gain the trust of individuals frightened by the idea of losing the animals they hold dear.

I’ve met a wide range of clever, witty & dedicated people.  I’d like to introduce one of them to you now:  Shirley Thistlethwaite, writer of the YesBiscuit! blog where she advocates for pitbulls and other animals in shelters in the Southern US.    She is a supporter of the No-Kill shelter movement and can write a range from hilarious to heart-rending.

Shirley, what motivated you to become actively concerned about animal owner rights?

I started out many years ago, probably like a lot of people, believing the direct mailers I received from animal rights groups and wanting to support and help. Because you know, I love animals. But this was in The Before Time and once I got connected online with other pet owners, I learned about so many direct actions and legislative proposals by AR groups that were anti-pet to my mind. I realized that if I wanted to continue to own pets and provide the humane care that I so strongly believed was my right, I’d better get involved in learning and educating.

You are active in supporting Pit Bulls and the No-Kill Shelter movement,  how do you see proposed animal-rights sponsored legislation affecting you and these subjects directly?

Mandatory Spay-Neuter (MSN) legislation is probably the biggest threat to both. Pitbulls are sometimes singled out for MSN as part of breed biased legislation. General MSN legislation for all cats and dogs is proven to increase shelter populations wherever it’s been enacted.  Since most shelters are kill shelters, an increase in shelter population means an increase in killing. And that’s heading in the absolute wrong direction.

 What recent animal-rights event or activity has affected you most?

The killing of the Wilkes County Pitbulls by HSUS. When the dogs were initially seized, HSUS used the opportunity to brag on their website about the great thing they did by shutting down a major dogfighting breeding operation. And of course visitors to the site see a photo of a sweet Pitbull and are asked to clicky to donate money to help HSUS shut down more dogfighters. The truth is that HSUS went to great lengths, including sending 2 reps to *lie to a judge in a court of law* to ensure that every last one of these dogs was killed – even the puppies still nursing from their dams. After convincing the judge to order the deaths of all the dogs, HSUS paid for the killings and sent away all those who had been caring for the dogs in substandard conditions during the seizure – even requiring foster owners to bring in pups they had cared for at home so they could be killed. Afterward, HSUS defended their actions as justifiable saying that even the puppies were born killers. Lots of cruelty cases haunt me but this one has earned a special spot in my book. I won’t forget.

 What is your biggest source of hope since becoming active in protecting animal owner rights?

The Internet. Mass communication has the potential to expose the behind-the-scenes deception animal rights extremists have relied upon in the past to further their agenda. We now have the means to spread the truth among pet owners like never before. Knowledge is power.

 If you could ask the media to do one thing when reporting animal related stories or animal related legislation, what would that be?

Quit going to extremist groups like PETA or lobbying groups like HSUS for comment on pet related stories. Neither PETA nor HSUS operates an animal shelter – a simple, undisputed fact that is regularly missed by the media. When seeking comments on a pet news item, try going to pet owners/breeders, no kill shelter staff/volunteers or someone else with a proven history of caring for pets humanely.

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