Propaganda Perception vs. Facts and Truth

Pet Breeders and Owners recently received a message from the Contact Us form. While we do get several a week, this one was from a supporter of Missouri’s Prop B and obviously a supporter of the Humane Society of the United States.  I attempted to answer in a respectful manner and explain to her the reasons why we stand against Prop B and the HSUS.

If you take the time to read the exchange between us, you will quickly see that respect went right out the window with her first reply. This is just further proof that there is no reasoning with these people, and that the end justifies the means for them.

When we made points that rebut what she has to see, we did not get a reply. Perhaps the truth is not something this lady is interested in.  Out of respect for her privacy (the same respect we afford everyone who contacts us), we have taken out all contact information and left only her first name.

A new entry has been added to Pet Breeders and Owners and contains the following data
Name: Marilyn
Comments or Suggestions:  The new Missouri law will stop the cruelty of unmanageable puppy mills and you know it. You must be a puppy mill or you wouldn't protest the new law. Also, you are wrong about the HSUS. They do a lot for the rights of animals, who need a voice. The HSUS and its partner organization, The Fund for Animals, provide sanctuary and direct care to thousands of creatures, big and small through the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas, two Wildlife Centers—one in southern California and one in Cape Cod, Mass.,—and a Rabbit Sanctuary in South Carolina.

Don't be posting lies on your site and saying the HSUS doesn't help animals directly. All one has to do is a little research online to find the truth and the facts.

Our reply:

Dear Marilyn,

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for having the courage to speak up and begin a dialog. Furthermore, thank you for using your name. I also appreciate the fact that you, for a change, did not send me a bunch of threats and foul language.

What I don't appreciate is being called or being associated with a "Puppy Mill". First you don't know me, and how can you jump to that conclusion from what is on this site? How do you know I even own a dog? Secondly, calling someone a puppy mill is as derogatory as if you called a black person a "N!&&$r".  The legal term is Sub-standard Kennel. I know, it does not have the inflammatory response that most animal rights people would like.

I would ask you to do the same research before you call me a liar. That is how I found out what the HSUS really is. If you go past the HSUS propaganda machine, you too will see what I am talking about. If you don't believe me, look closely at their tax returns. I wondered how an organization that took in that much money couldn't do more during Katrina. This got me looking and made me mad. It might be an eye opener for you as well. Just ask yourself for a moment how much good they could be doing with the amount of money they pay attorneys and lobbyists alone.

As for Missouri, for that matter all of the laws that the HSUS is spending millions on, only create larger problems for good breeders, and do nothing to reach the breeders that are not licensed or inspected already. So, no, I don't know that Prop B will stop cruelty. It will, if anything, drive the sub-standard kennels even farther underground, making them harder to find and driving the dogs into even worse conditions.

The unfortunate truth is there are some very simple rules that could be passed that would allow law enforcement to go after (your term, not mine) the puppy mills. It would allow for the animal cruelty laws already in place to take care of those people. These rules would not affect the kennels that are doing the right things. Prop B does major damage to good breeders and dogs. How would you like to be #51? What do you think will happen to those dogs?  Tell me please how the number of dogs dictates the level of care the dogs receive? It is only a small step from there to telling a farmer how many cows he can own, regardless of the level of care. Then what, we tell Ford they can only make 1,000 cars in years to come?

In reference to your plea to explain to me the good that HSUS does, tell me how far the $4 million would have gone in Missouri towards funding shelters, spay and neuter programs; I can go on and on. The $4 million they spent to convince and hoodwink the public in the larger cities to think that all breeders are bad could have been much better spent. I wonder how much the donations went up in Missouri from all the commercials they ran.

Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas does not appear to have any dogs. So, I ask again, just how is the HSUS helping dogs? Maybe like they helped them during Katrina? They were there to collect the donations, but they weren't there to help as millions of people's beloved pets, starved, drowned and died. The State had to threaten a law suit to get the money the HSUS promised the people. Here is a link to the video - http://ar-hr.com/hsus-expose-wsb-tv/wsb-tv-investigates-hsus/ Watch it today, it may be gone tomorrow... The HSUS is powerful enough to have had it pulled from you tube.

I hope you will consider looking at other side of the issue with an open mind.

Reply from Marilyn;

All animals deserve humane care and protection. I will not divide the groups up and say one species deserves more than another. They’re all equal in my eyes and the Creator’s eyes. I don’t care what you want to call the puppy mills, they are what they are. I’ve seen the worst of them firsthand and the more dogs a bad breeder has, the more suffering. It all comes down to greed…the almighty dollar and some people don’t care who and what suffers as long as they make a buck. They disrespect the animal world and use them for their profit, pure and simple, with little to no regard for bloodlines or maintaining the integrity of the breed standards. Dogs aren’t cars, so don’t compare them to an auto making business. They’re live, breathing, feeling creatures.  I don’t know of a single, valid, humane and responsible breeder that will stand up for a puppy mill, much less be picky about what the mill is called? That’s ludicrous!

Your comment about what happens if you’re 51 is just ridiculous. When the mills are cut off at 50, that’s the end of it.forever. If you don’t limit them, it goes into the thousands and thousands of needless suffering to our best friends.  Nobody needs 50 dogs because dogs aren’t objects, they aren’t cars.

It’s clear where your heart is. It’s also clear where your reasoning is. I feel sick at heart for any dogs that you own, since it’s obvious you place little value on their lives except where the dollar is concerned.

Look up ‘mill’ at dictionary.com and you’ll maybe understand why they’re called that. It has nothing to do with calling a human being a degrading word. You make no sense in this comparison. You’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel now. Tell me what is substandard about this puppy mill? And tell me how you can defend the people who run these places?

http://www.animalarkshelter.org/animal/ArkArticles.nsf/AllArticles/5E6DBB4C05A649E486257103004915F7!OpenDocument

These are what puppy mills are. If you aren’t one, don’t act so paranoid. If you aren’t a mill, you have nothing to worry about…in fact…you should be more than eager to speak up against them. You stand on this subject speaks volumes of what you’re about. You need say no more. Puppy mills crank out substandard representatives of the breeds. The breeding females live a life of misery, isolated, caged, not even named. They’re normally bred EVERY heat. What is humane about that? If you support that, you’re more than just a little ‘out there’. What happens to the breeders when they can no longer reproduce? They’re not socialized, not house trained, not obedience trained, and normally are of poor quality and have numerous health issues.

You’re wasting your breath. The truth will always stand high above people like you who support puppy mills. It’s all about greed. Shame on anyone who uses God’s creatures in such horrific ways just to make a dollar. I don't see a good side to mass production in cruel conditions. I've never seen one and there is no such thing.

Marilyn

Our response to Marilyn – time to educate her…

Marilyn,

I am in total agreement with you in the fact that animals, no matter the species, deserve humane care and protection. I am also in agreement with you in the fact that no valid, humane and responsible breeder would stand up for (again, your words) a puppy mill. I have yet to find a law enforcement official that can define a “puppy mill”, and the ones I have spoken with refer to them as Sub-Standard Kennels. I too, would like to see the people who mistreat the dogs and cats shut down. However, that is not every breeder.

If a breeder has more than 50 animals, and the personnel (whether it is family or employees) to adequately maintain a proper level of care for all of these animals, I do not see an issue with this. Responsible breeders do care about their animals and do maintain a proper level of care for them. In the link that you sent, yes, the pictures are deplorable. That would appear to be a sub-standard breeder. Not once have I ever said that I support sub-standard breeders. I do not. However, I do not support legislation that only hurts responsible breeders and does nothing to rectify the problem of sub-standard breeders.

I do have a few dogs, as well as cats, horses, and cattle. I invest a lot of love and attention to each of them to provide them with the best care possible. They get the best feed, the best of veterinary care, and more love and attention than most people give their children. My animals are all worth more to me than ANY amount of money! I would appreciate it if you did not assume that I am anything less than a caring individual in regards to my animals.

I will not attempt to change your opinion of sub-standard breeders, or as you call them, puppy mills. Please understand that most breeders are responsible and caring, but they do not make good publicity to solicit donations. The HSUS, PETA, and other like organizations play on the sympathy of people with the use of the pictures similar to the ones you reference in your link.

Are you familiar at all with information pertaining to Wayne Pacelle, CEO of HSUS? How about any of his statements in regards to animals? I urge you to do the research on Wayne Pacelle. You will find some very controversial comments of his that would have to make you wonder why he is in the position that he is in. For example: In a May 1993 article in Animal People News, he is quoted as saying “We have no ethical obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding...One generation and out. We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals. They are the creations of human selective breeding." He is not just referencing dogs or cats here, but all livestock, including horses, cattle, you name it, any domestic animal. In another 1993 article, written by Ted Kerasote, Mr. Pacelle stated , when asked if he envisioned a future without pets, "If I had my personal view perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don't want to see another dog or cat born."

If you think back to Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath of that horrible storm, you will remember the second storm involving the furious backlash of grassroots activists complaining that HSUS obstructed animal rescue efforts, then commandeered the lion’s share of credit and $30 million in donations. Subsequently, many activists and the Louisiana attorney general called for a criminal investigation into HSUS fundraising.

Did you know that HSUS constantly battles against Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and other organizations in their effort to dominate their “cause” and control donations by the American public? Did you know that the HSUS has NO affiliation whatsoever with any local humane society or animal shelter? In a 2007 expose,  written by Nathan Winograd, called “Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America”, he documents actions by the ASPCA, PETA and HSUS in regards to the “misuse of funds, cavalier killing of healthy and adoptable animals, and appalling failures to support the no-kill shelter movement gaining ground nationally.”

Let’s reference the fact that HSUS gives their “employees” badges very similar to law enforcement, even though they are not law enforcement and have no authority. According to a March 2010 article in Society/Animal Rights, by doing this and the use of these badges, they raise three different legal issues: 1) Impersonation of a law enforcement officer; 2) Action under color of law; and 3) Issues related to Section 1983 of the US Constitutional Torts Code. Number 1-there are two problems here: First, “wore or displayed without authority a uniform, badge or shield by which a police officer is lawfully distinguished”; Second, “(he/she) intended to induce another to submit to such pretended official authority or otherwise to act in reliance upon such pretended authority. Number 2-again, there are two problems here: First, “a private person who conspires with a state actor is a state actor for the purpose of the alleged conspiracy”; Second, “a private person who acts as an agent of the state acts under color of law.” Number 3-"Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any state or territory, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress..”

There is so much more I could tell you, but I urge you to do the research yourself so that you can see it for yourself. You will find the evidence that HSUS will not stop with dogs or cats. They will continue with all domestic animals, including horses and cattle. Look at the fact that HSUS is under investigation by the IRS in regards to their excessive lobbying activities. Considering they are supposed to be a non-profit organization, this is not allowed under US Federal Tax Laws. Look at their tax returns. It is all out there on the Internet, and it is all Public Record. Look at the tactics the HSUS uses on our youth. As a mother, I do not want an outside organization teaching my children personal views, especially unknown and unauthorized by me, the parent. You obviously care about animals, whether your preference is dogs, cats, horses or whatever it may be. Do you want the right to own these animals taken away, as this is what the HSUS is working for?

I realize that this is an emotionally charged issue. If you read this closely, you will find we are not that far apart in our opinions or desire to care for our animals. However, until you take the blinders off, as have I, and really look at who and what the Animal Rights really stand for, we won't agree. I stand for Animal Welfare, not Animal Rights. Yes, there is a difference!

Karla

Please give your time and money at your local shelter, where you can truly do some good.

Needless to say, there was no reply or defense to this email. You know why? Because there is no defense to what the HSUS is doing. Most of the Animal Rights people will continue to stick their head in the sand and charge on, while all the time they have no idea they are working to eliminate the very species that they claim to love and protect.