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| Mountain West Dog Fanciers A Guide to all things "DOG" in the Western Mountain States |
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- Wild Pigs
There was a Chemistry professor in a large college that had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Prof
noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.
The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting
communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.
In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'
The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable
place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to
coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat
the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of
the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat; you slam the gate on
them and catch the whole herd.
Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the
free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.
The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America. The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and
keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy
subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc. while we continually lose our freedoms - just a little at a time.
Author Unknown
And this is how we will lose our right to breed dogs and control our ownership of pets, a little at a time. Denver and Dallas here, California
there, Pennsylvania next. When it becomes impossible for anyone to breed dogs except (possibly) commercial breeders who have business
licenses, inspections, and USDA approved concrete runs and water-impermeable surfaces, we will wonder how it happened.
The answer will be "one piece of fence at a time." One compromise at a time. One "reasonable negotiation" at a time.
If you've ever said the following, you're guilty of providing a fence post: --
If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid of inspections. --
No one should have more than dogs. --
No one should breed more than litters a year, --
Breeding pets is wrong.--
No one should breed except to Improve the Breed.--
You should have a license to own a (fill in the breed.) --
Breeders with more than ____ dogs should be inspected.
If no one breeds except show breeders, a) Do you really believe the animal rightists will stop there? b) Where will the pets come from?
When people can no longer buy a good pet, perhaps we will wake up. Until then, we continue to bash each other, criticize our fellow breeders, and
support spay/neuter laws for "everyone but me."
When animal control comes to remove your dogs because you are one dog over the limit or because your dogs are in crates or because your
neighbor says you didn't have water for them one day last week, perhaps then you will realize that fighting bad legislation is not just for the activists
and fanatics. When you have compromised away your right to breed at all perhaps you will realize that there IS no compromise with the animal
rights movement.
"First they came for the commercial breeders, and I did not speak out ~~ because I was not a commercial breeder.
Then they came for the backyard breeders, and I did not speak out ~~ because I was not a backyard breeder.
Then they came for the one-time breeders, and I did not speak out~~ because I was not a one-time breeder.
And they came for me~~ And there was no one left to speak out for me."
Time to wake up, All breeders. They're coming for us.
A L E R T!
We all know or have met many, many people who are either unaware or unconcerned about this ongoing and relentless threat to dog owners - all
of us, not just those of involved in show and performance events. And we all feel the same frustration... why don’t they get it?...why don’t they
care?
Don’t they see we’re at war...that AB1634 is just the beginning? While we would think that people would learn from history, unfortunately, history
doesn't seem to be a popular subject these days.
Perhaps the following article will help. If it only opens a few eyes, it’s more than we have now, and grass roots spread. So keep watering the
grass...............crosspost far and wide!
A Lesson In Fox-hunting
by Linda D. Witouski
I know you are probably finding all of this Legislative hoopla hard to believe, and some of you probably think that the AKC should be fighting this
battle for you, but it is impossible for them to be on top of every state.
If you think that poor legislation denying you your right to breed, own or show dogs doesn't have a chance in the U.S., think of the Scots and their
beloved Foxhunting. How long have the people in Scotland, and neighboring countries been foxhunting? It is now banned in Scotland and barely on
life support in all other areas. Why, you ask - what happened...how could they do that? The animal rightists continually pushed and forced the
debate until their thoughts and beliefs were THE issue....and the Foxhound Fanciers were not ready for it. They were not prepared and they
thought the A/R's would just give up and go away. They laughed about it ... they thought that somebody else was taking care of the problem ...
didn't think it was important....so, they jumped on their horses and went - foxhunting.....!!
Why, who would ever even imagine that the foxhound sport that has been around since dirt could be attacked by a bunch of 'fanatics' and win? But,
win they did! At the end of the days hunt on the day of the ban, when the Foxhunters returned, they were arrested, dogs were confiscated and all
of Scotland was quiet.
Anybody want to take bets on how long it will be before the first ban of a dog/cat show takes place and people begin to lose their property rights -
their animals and dogs? No bets? How about betting on how long it takes before the U.S. is overrun with poor animal legislation? Everybody needs
to sit up and pay attention! It's coming and when it does, it will come hard and fast !
The showing fancy have always thought of themselves as better than the average dog, and though they may well be for a variety of reasons -
commercial facilities have a right to exist, too. These people have been fighting poor legislation for many years and it's time the showing/owning
fancy get with the program before it's too late. People need to set aside their feelings about others and concentrate on saving their rights - our
rights - working together. Those that make disrespectful comments about others, joke & laugh about legislative issues, point fingers at their "fellow
puppy mills" should take heed of the lesson to be learned in Foxhunting. I would be willing to bet that very few bother to check legislative issues in
their town or state. I assure you, this agenda against our rights will move from state to state, for those who would see us dogless will be relentless in
their quest. What will you do when it comes to your town? What would you give to be able to regain the freedom of choice you will have lost?
Fast forward to the present. 2008
It's alarming that many still don't find it important enough to assist in legislative issues. We are surrounded. The rightists "wave" is the same now as
it was in 2002. If you take note of the legislation being passed around the country, the outlying states, or coastal areas, are being coerced into
stricter laws. California, Texas, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin. The states currently being besieged with bad
legislation creates a net that surrounds the remainder of the U.S., and causes an "inward" push, into the traditional heartland of our country. Once
outlying coastal states are acquired, they will continue to push until there is no where to run.
Those that have been working legislation for many years have created a phalanx and have become very good at combating poor legislation, but,
just like the Spartans at Thermopylae, the opposition is in the millions and sooner or later our phalanx will fail. It should be the opposite since we
are the ones that care about animals and the sport, or so many claim. People don't realize that the rightists movement has nothing to do with the
welfare of the animals - genuine animal welfare is being sacrificed for a political victory over animal owners. As in the Foxhunting lesson - a
movement's means create its ends ...
Every club, organization and animal owner needs to now rise up and take their place in the phalanx. We need to be visiting schools and promoting
OUR word rather than allowing AR public education programs to infiltrate school systems. We need to encourage young people who have a love for
animals to join us by taking them under our wings. We need to offer assistance to those who have been injured by some dog in Small Town, USA.
We need public service announcements to advertise clubs & responsible ownership - offer free
classes to parents and children. Most importantly, we need to know our politicians by creating voting alliances in every state and let those
politicians know that we are watching them. We need to make our presence and what we stand for known by introducing ourselves to local
governments, even if it means assisting with some other issue that is non animal related - something that is near and dear to a politician that you
helped them with will go far when you need it. (It wouldn't hurt to run for a position, either !) There are probably a million ideas that clubs, officers,
members and owners could come up with if they would only take the time to sit down, discuss, and then DO it.
That is, unless, of course, you are all out .... Foxhunting.
We all know or have met many, many people who are either unaware or unconcerned about this ongoing and relentless threat to dog owners - all
of us, not just those of involved in show and performance events. And we all feel the same frustration... why don’t they get it?...why don’t they
care?
Don’t they see we’re at war...that AB1634 is just the beginning? While we would think that people would learn from history, unfortunately, history
doesn't seem to be a popular subject these days.
Perhaps the following article will help. If it only opens a few eyes, it’s more than we have now, and grass roots spread. So keep watering the
grass...............crosspost far and wide!
A Lesson In Fox-hunting
by Linda D. Witouski
I know you are probably finding all of this Legislative hoopla hard to believe, and some of you probably think that the AKC should be fighting this
battle for you, but it is impossible for them to be on top of every state.
If you think that poor legislation denying you your right to breed, own or show dogs doesn't have a chance in the U.S., think of the Scots and their
beloved Foxhunting. How long have the people in Scotland, and neighboring countries been foxhunting? It is now banned in Scotland and barely on
life support in all other areas. Why, you ask - what happened...how could they do that? The animal rightists continually pushed and forced the
debate until their thoughts and beliefs were THE issue....and the Foxhound Fanciers were not ready for it. They were not prepared and they
thought the A/R's would just give up and go away. They laughed about it ... they thought that somebody else was taking care of the problem ...
didn't think it was important....so, they jumped on their horses and went - foxhunting.....!!
Why, who would ever even imagine that the foxhound sport that has been around since dirt could be attacked by a bunch of 'fanatics' and win? But,
win they did! At the end of the days hunt on the day of the ban, when the Foxhunters returned, they were arrested, dogs were confiscated and all
of Scotland was quiet.
Anybody want to take bets on how long it will be before the first ban of a dog/cat show takes place and people begin to lose their property rights -
their animals and dogs? No bets? How about betting on how long it takes before the U.S. is overrun with poor animal legislation? Everybody needs
to sit up and pay attention! It's coming and when it does, it will come hard and fast !
The showing fancy have always thought of themselves as better than the average dog, and though they may well be for a variety of reasons -
commercial facilities have a right to exist, too. These people have been fighting poor legislation for many years and it's time the showing/owning
fancy get with the program before it's too late. People need to set aside their feelings about others and concentrate on saving their rights - our
rights - working together. Those that make disrespectful comments about others, joke & laugh about legislative issues, point fingers at their "fellow
puppy mills" should take heed of the lesson to be learned in Foxhunting. I would be willing to bet that very few bother to check legislative issues in
their town or state. I assure you, this agenda against our rights will move from state to state, for those who would see us dogless will be relentless in
their quest. What will you do when it comes to your town? What would you give to be able to regain the freedom of choice you will have lost?
Fast forward to the present. 2008
It's alarming that many still don't find it important enough to assist in legislative issues. We are surrounded. The rightists "wave" is the same now as
it was in 2002. If you take note of the legislation being passed around the country, the outlying states, or coastal areas, are being coerced into
stricter laws. California, Texas, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin. The states currently being besieged with bad
legislation creates a net that surrounds the remainder of the U.S., and causes an "inward" push, into the traditional heartland of our country. Once
outlying coastal states are acquired, they will continue to push until there is no where to run.
Those that have been working legislation for many years have created a phalanx and have become very good at combating poor legislation, but,
just like the Spartans at Thermopylae, the opposition is in the millions and sooner or later our phalanx will fail. It should be the opposite since we
are the ones that care about animals and the sport, or so many claim. People don't realize that the rightists movement has nothing to do with the
welfare of the animals - genuine animal welfare is being sacrificed for a political victory over animal owners. As in the Foxhunting lesson - a
movement's means create its ends ...
Every club, organization and animal owner needs to now rise up and take their place in the phalanx. We need to be visiting schools and promoting
OUR word rather than allowing AR public education programs to infiltrate school systems. We need to encourage young people who have a love for
animals to join us by taking them under our wings. We need to offer assistance to those who have been injured by some dog in Small Town, USA.
We need public service announcements to advertise clubs & responsible ownership - offer free
classes to parents and children. Most importantly, we need to know our politicians by creating voting alliances in every state and let those
politicians know that we are watching them. We need to make our presence and what we stand for known by introducing ourselves to local
governments, even if it means assisting with some other issue that is non animal related - something that is near and dear to a politician that you
helped them with will go far when you need it. (It wouldn't hurt to run for a position, either !) There are probably a million ideas that clubs, officers,
members and owners could come up with if they would only take the time to sit down, discuss, and then DO it.
That is, unless, of course, you are all out .... Foxhunting.