"How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways! - Top three Ways to Love Your Pet"

A MESSAGE FROM THE DESK OF BRENDA BARNETTE, LAAS GENERAL MANAGER WHO OVERSEES THE PROTECTION AND WELFARE OF OUR CITY'S ANIMALS  

City of Los Angeles  Department of Animal Services

221 N. Figueroa Street, Suite 500, Los Angeles, California 90012 / http://www.laanimalservices.com/

 For Immediate Release                                        

April 28, 2011                                                                

Contact: Brenda F. Barnette, General Manager

Email: Brenda.barnette@lacity.org                                                                                    Phone: (213) 482-9558

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways!

Top Three Ways to Love Your Pet

 Number 3:  Spaying/Neutering -- A Change for the Better

You get a healthier pet.  Spayed/neutered pets are less likely to get injured in fights or get lost.  They live twice as long and are less likely to develop certain cancers.  This means lower medical bills.

You get a happier family member.  Spay/neutered pets are calmer because they are more focused on being a loving member of the family; and with adequate daily exercise and a reasonable diet, they don't get fat.

Your pet and your house will be cleaner.  Spayed females will not have heat cycles that soil your rugs and furniture.  Neutered males are less likely to mark furniture and rugs with urine.  This means less special cleaning bills.

Spaying or neutering your pet is a good investment.  Once you multiply the increased food, basic supplies, veterinarian and advertising costs to find homes for the animals, you will see that the cost of altering your pet is very smart investment.

Number 2:  Microchip your pets.

A microchip is a tiny electronic transponder about the size of a grain of rice.  The chip is embedded under the pet's skin using a simple, relatively painless procedure similar to a routine vaccination.  Each chip bears a 10-digit number that can be traced to the pet's guardian.  When your lost pet is found, anyone with a scanner – animal care and control agencies, adoption centers, veterinary clinics – can quickly reunite the family.

Microchips are available from veterinarians, some vaccination clinics, and public shelters at an average cost of $15 to $75, sometimes with additional registration fees.  Los Angeles City Shelters include a microchip for all dogs adopted from City Shelters.  We also microchip non-shelter animals for $25.

And the Number 1 Way To Love Your Pet:

Get Your Dog Licensed NOW!

Make sure your dog's license is current because it protects your dog if he/she accidentally gets out and gets lost.  License tags give you the peace of mind to know that Los Angeles Animal Services will be able to reunite you with your pet if she/he is turned in by a Good Samaritan or is picked up by one of our officers.  It is not only a great safety net for your dog, it is the law.

Do not delay; get your dog a license TODAY!

·         Fees: Spayed or Neutered: $20.00 with proof of rabies vaccination and proof of spay/neuter.

·         Not Spayed or Neutered (if qualified): $100 license plus $235 breeder's permit fee.

Call the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services at 888-452-7381 (TTY Hearing impaired: 877-875-8205) or visit our website at http://www.laanimalservices.com/ to find out how you can get your dog license today.

Golly, only $335 per dog, per year, for a license! Wow, let me call right away! What a bargain. If I have three dogs, that's only a THOUSAND dollars per year. For dog licenses.  No problem, I'll just cut back on food for my children. And what's that you say? I need to beg for government permission each year, or else my dog will be forced to have unnecessary surgery? Where is the hoop? I am ready to jump! How high?

Dear, dear. Seems Ms. Barnette has been swilling some serious AR Kool Aid. Well, after all, she USED to be a breeder, just like she USED to eat meat, but not any more. Maybe her brain is fogged from lack of Vitamin B-12? Just like the rest of her vegan friends. And maybe....just MAYBE....that KoolAid is laced with some serious psychedelic stuff!

Well, first, before I can address the string of lies in this propaganda, let me pick my jaw up off the floor. Gee, a government official who lies to us? Who would have thought?....I am absolutely SHOCKED!

Ready? Here we go:

Neutered pets live twice as long and are healthier? Where is the proof of this? The scientific evidence proves the exact opposite. Many studies that show that keeping all the original parts is the appropriate course of action if you want to promote health and long life. Ovaries promote longevity. Testicles and their precious hormones protect against prostate and bladder cancer. Intact animals have significantly lower rates of hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, diabetes, pancreatitis, and senile dementia.

Happier family members who won't get fat? Baloney! Many studies show a link between speuter and obesity. When you lose essential hormones and your metabolism slows down, you easily get fat. And really, the dog is happier? You know this how? Behavioral studies show that sterilization increases fearfulness, shyness, and studies show that dog-to-human aggression actually increases! Oops!

Your house will be cleaner? I guess Ms. Barnette forgot that 20-30% of spayed females develop urinary incontinence. They even have a special name for this problem; it's called SPAY INCONTINENCE. Your house won't smell real great with pee all over the place; but seriously, for any dog with a housebreaking problem, or the minor problem of discharge during a season, whether that pet is intact or neutered, it is a simple matter to buy bitch britches or belly bands. Get over it already.

Guess what, neutered dogs get into the mud and get skunked just the same as those who are intact. Duh!

Spaying and neutering a "good investment"? After paying hundreds for unnecessary surgery, you then get the added bonus of extra vet bills for other health problems that come along with sterilization.

 But hey, since your pet likely won't live as long as it would if it kept all its vital organs, then I guess you will save a lot of money. Dead animals don't eat or have medical bills.


Typical AR swill. Do any of them have any kids? Two-legged ones, I mean. Do they turn up their noses in disgust changing a diaper, or at the messes kids make? Would they slice out their child's organs and then lie about their reasons for doing so? Yet they think nothing about doing exactly that to these victims "family members".

Guess when Animal Rights nuts make those claims of how "pets are part of the family", it's just lip service. Who would treat a family member like that?

      Someone with a VERY dysfunctional family.

  

Language and Our Messy World

Language and Our Messy World

Carlotta Cooper

Many people have observed that there is a difference in world view between those of us who breed and raise animals and people at the other end of the spectrum. That would be people who would like to see an end to pet ownership, otherwise known as animal rightists. There may be some confused people in the middle. There may even be some dog breeders who espouse some animal rights philosophy without knowing it. Those are often the people shouting loudest about how awful puppy mills are or pointing fingers at their dog show enemies and calling them puppy millers.

You can often tell just where someone stands on this spectrum by how comfortable they are discussing certain things and by their use of language. For instance, when you hear or read animal rights people talking about animals you may be confused and think they are talking about babies or children. “I took Betsy to the doctor for x-rays and she was so good! She had her temperature taken and the doctor felt her all over. She never moved at all during the x-rays. The doc wants us to come back next week.” I have no idea if Betsy is a dog or a child. When my dogs go to the vet they lick shoes, wriggle, get petted and, if they are good, they get treats. Sometimes they eat things they shouldn’t or throw up. In short, they do dog things. Sometimes I have to apologize for them — a lot. But they are always dogs and everyone who meets them knows they are dogs and not children.

If you ever try to have a conversation with an AR person about a subject like, oh, dog breeding, it can be anywhere from frustrating to amusing. First of all, there is the word. The “B” word. Bitch. There, I said it. Breeders say this word 100 times a day. Having a bitch in your home is a fact of life and there’s nothing pejorative about the word. I have four bitches right now. They are all related and they get along very well. They get along the same way that you would expect any four related girls/women to get along. They have “words” sometimes. One may be cranky occasionally. The two youngest play. The older ones pull rank. They have relationships. But they are all intact bitches. Big deal.

Just the fact that I have four intact bitches is probably enough to set off some AR people. Most AR people prefer their female dogs to be “sterile.” What an awful word. If you consider the language you find in legislative bills and local ordinances, it invariably refers to bitches as “adult female dogs.” And it often calls for them to be sterile — unable to reproduce, which, of course, is the antithesis of what a breeder strives to do. So, let’s just say that AR people have a hard time with the bitch word. They won’t or can’t use it in normal conversation. If you insist on having a conversation with an AR person about breeding they will usually talk about the “poor breeding dogs” or the “girls” or “the mothers” or start using other soppy language for bitches which will take you far, far away from whatever it is you are actually discussing. Yes, it is hard to have a reality-based discussion with an AR person about dog breeding. This is largely because they have been brainwashed into thinking that all dog breeding is somehow harmful to dogs. It doesn’t matter that you spend every waking moment with your dog up to and during whelping, waiting on her hand and foot, tempting her with any kind of food you can get her to eat and doing everything in your power to make her happy. It doesn’t matter that you devote yourself to raising and socializing the puppies from the moment they are born. In the eyes of an AR person, you are a dog breeder and that makes you evil incarnate. You have to be breeding your dog for money and you cannot possibly love your dog the way they love their dog, even if these ideas are pure science fiction.

If ARs have problems with the concept of dog breeding then you can imagine how uncomfortable they are with the nuts and bolts, so to speak, of the act. Good luck if you are ever in the position of trying to describe breeding or whelping to someone with such exquisite sensibilities. Of course, it’s not just animal rights people who have problems with imagining their dog getting pregnant or having puppies. There are plenty of web sites online where pet owners ask questions about canine pregnancy. I suppose we should be happy that spaying and neutering have been so successful in this country that most people don’t seem to have any idea what happens during a dog mating or during whelping, but it’s too bad that more people don’t understand some basic biology about their pet dogs. Unfortunately, this has led to animal rights people spreading all kinds of inaccurate information about breeding and whelping.

For instance, most people now believe that dogs need to be spayed and neutered as young as eight weeks old, or by the time they are four months old. Hold everything! Spaying and neutering at such a young age is actually BAD for your puppy’s longterm health! It’s extremely rare for any dog to be sexually mature at this age. It’s much better for your puppy to wait until later to spay or neuter, even if you never intend to breed him or her.

Spaying and neutering is a good choice for many pet owners, but it should remain a choice. It should never be government-mandated. There are many things to consider before spaying or neutering your dog such as your dog’s overall health, age, sex, breed and so on. It is an individual decision between you and your veterinarian. Do some research before automatically deciding to spay or neuter your pet. It may be the right decision for you and your pet, but make sure. Don’t be a lemming.

Animal rights people have also leapt to some ridiculous conclusions out of possibly good intentions. For instance, we can all probably agree that dog fighting is a bad thing. But when it comes to the so-called “rape stands,” animal rights people are way off base. This is another case where they have misused language, in this case for propaganda reasons. There are no such things as “rape stands.” There are breeding stands to facilitate breeding. Anyone who actually knows anything about dogs knows that dogs don’t get bred by rape. This is a ridiculous anthropomorphism. Bitches have a heat cycle and when their hormones tell them they are ready to breed, they breed. They will not accept a male dog until they are ready. If a male tries to breed before it’s time a bitch is likely to bite his face off. Not only will a bitch not accept a mate until it’s time, but she is not fertile until she is ready to accept a mate. As any breeder knows, if a bitch won’t accept a male, it means she’s not ready to breed. So, rape would be pointless and would not result in any puppies. A breeder would be stupid to do anything to encourage a male to breed before the bitch was ready and willing. Breeding stands (not “rape stands”) are used to give the bitch physical support when the male leans on her. Some male dogs also need ramps in some cases, if the female is taller, and so on. These things are done to help the dogs, not because one or either partner is unwilling. Many breeders also offer physical support themselves during the breeding, holding up the dogs by placing an arm around their stomachs, etc. This is all part of being a breeder.

Unfortunately, too many times animal rights people make statements about dog breeding when they don’t understand what they’re talking about and don’t have any first-hand experience with the subject.

Many animal rights people seem to have a problem when it comes to contemplating bodily functions related to animals. They don’t seem to enjoy too much reality or being very close to nature. Consider, for example, this statement from the chairwoman of Chattanooga, Tennessee’s food and agriculture action team, when asked a question about city residents keeping chickens on their premises: “'What carries disease more than chicken poo is cat and doggy poo,' Mayo said." Poo? Chicken poo? Cat and doggy poo? Is that any way for an adult to discuss excrement? Especially when that person is supposed to be in a position of authority over chickens for city residents? Wouldn’t it be preferable to have someone in that position who could talk about chicken manure without sounding like an 8-year-old child?

I think it’s fair to ask ourselves if we have all become so distanced from animals that we have to resort to such childish language when speaking about barnyard animals and pets, or is it only people who prefer to have their animals in Disney form — without bodily functions, without genitalia, who don’t reproduce, and who only die when there is an orchestra standing by to play sad music. I think there are still plenty of people, especially those of us who breed animals, who are very familiar with animals in their true form. And we prefer to use language that really describes them as they are instead of euphemisms or words that make them seem like children. We love animals, too. And we love them as they truly are. Not in some make believe, fantasy form.

So, here’s to using the proper words for things. For describing our animals as they really are instead of pretending they’re babies or children. For calling “poo” manure. For telling my girls they’re bitches and appreciating them. And for celebrating heat cycles and all of the bodily functions that make the animal rights people so squeamish. This is a messy world and that’s a lot better than the sterile world the ARs would like us to have.

Buzzwords, Revisited.

Just WHAT is a "puppy mill"?

A breeder who has “x” number of dogs and/or “x” number of litters? OK, who

decides how many “x” is? Has anyone noticed that the noose is tightening

and that it takes fewer and fewer dogs to be branded a puppy mill ? Or that

the definition doesn't just mean wire cages, feces, bred till they drop, and

all the rest? It's reaching out and touching all breeders, and it’s

spreading like a cancer. So now California is apparently "overrun" with

puppy mills. How many do you think there really ARE in this state, or even

in the entire country? Most of the true puppy mills are clustered in one

or two midwestern states. Everywhere else? Close to zero.

If you happen to be of the mind that rescuing mixed breeds is what it's all

about, just remember that that kind of thinking leads right down the path to

an end to hobby breeders, who, despite popular belief, are THE major source

of quality, healthy, socialized puppies in the U.S. Their disappearance

will leave a gap that will be filled by imports, smuggled and other poorly

bred animals. Will be? It’s already happening. These are the pets you are

giving to your children, risking disease, dog bites and more. Is this what

you want for your family?

Why is it so hard for people to see that these buzzwords have been

deliberately created to make hobby breeders and those who like dog shows

look like scum?

Here’s another example. Notice I said “poorly bred animals.” I did NOT say

“back yard breeder,” another phrase with - intentionally - no definition.

How many hobby/show breeders raise litters in houses with BACK YARDS...where

the puppies romp and play in the sunshine? Well bred, loving, thriving,

physically and mentally sound puppies?

Pay attention, people! Responsible breeders already know the animal rights

extremists, are out to get us, you, me, ALL of us. And that if left up to

these people, these groups, pet owners are a dying breed, so to speak.

Their bottom line, their dirty little secret, is that we should not be

allowed to OWN animals, period. Those same buzzwords are redefining the

nature of dog ownership so as to deny us our constitutional right to own

pets. Additionally, by creating the widespread myth that we have a huge pet

overpopulation crisis in this country, they are able to promote and sponsor

laws designed to make dog ownership more and more difficult. When difficult

becomes impossible, they will have achieved their goals, and by the time you

finally look around and wonder where all the dogs went, it will be too late.

“Puppy mills,” “backyard breeders,” “hoarders,” “guardians,” “adoption,”

“rescue,” “furkids,” and of course, the biggest lie of all, “pet

overpopulation.” It's bad enough that THEY (animal rightists) use the words,

but as long as we (dog owners) keep repeating them ourselves, and even

worse, applying them to those within our ranks, we're just hammering another

nail in our coffin. Look beyond your family room, your local shelter, even

your local state. See the big picture, follow the trend, and see what’s

really happening.

The enemy is not we who truly love animals, we the people, we the pet owners

of America. It is not US. The Humane Society of the United States, PETA,

and similar fanatical animal rights groups too numerous too mention. THEY

are the enemy.

When it comes to the care and ownership of your pets, accept nothing,

question everything. Every buzzword, every WORD, out of their mouths is

intended to manipulate and destroy us.

DON'T HELP THEM DO IT!

What's the Buzz?

Uncle George Explains Current Events

"What's the Buzz"?

Today, boys and girls, we will learn all about "buzzwords". 


A "buzzword" is a vogue term that is used in popular culture...usually with the intent to impress the naive. My golly goodness! Such a treasure trove of fun buzzwords to choose from and to use in today's popular culture of animal rights! And the general public, being somewhat naive, is easily impressed by these buzzwords.

Modern animal rights thinking defines dogs as family members; just as important as any two-legged kid, and probably a whole lot more deserving of a great life than your human grandparent. From this family concept, we have developed several trendy ideas. Calling our pets "fur kids", for instance. Get it? "Kids"....with "fur"! Isn't that just too precious! Also, we've taken to calling the dog procurement process an "adoption". This makes sense, considering the fact that dogs are now family members.

Next, it follows that pet owners would be tagged as "guardians". This is sort of a buzzword term for a parent.

To review what we've learned so far; dogs are adopted, they become family members, and they are our "furkids", so an owner now becomes a parent or guardian. Oh yes, and don't worry, we are working on getting you some tax deductions for those four-legged kids too!

Now, let's see. You can start off as a "guardian", as a person who owns a pet or two. Or, you might one day find yourself the owner of multiple pets. Now suddenly, you discover that you are outside the boundaries of legal dog limits. When this happens, you become what is known as a "hoarder".  

You know, it's sort of funny; people can have as many two-legged kids as they want, but for some reason, there is a limit on four-legged kids! It's only legal to hoard the two-legged variety. (Also, no permits or fees are necessary).


Remember this fact for the test, boys and girls! You may not hoard dogs! That's a very important part of today's lesson.

Okay, on to the next chapter. When a "hoarder" decides to breed a litter or two, he then becomes what is known in buzzword land as a "Back Yard Breeder." Unfortunately, at this point, the happy family might run into some problems with social acceptance from friends and neighbors.
 
If you work hard enough breeding in your back yard, you just might multiply your numbers into a really big family. Once this happens, you then graduate to a whole new level...You become a  "High Volume Breeder", otherwise known to the state as a Commercial Breeder. But, most of the regular folks around town will just call you a "PUPPY MILL"! And watch out when this happens, boys and girls, because usually this means that your neighbors will start to throw rocks through your windows. Oops!
 
You know, it saves us all a lot of time to call everybody by the same buzzword name. This is one way that we can really simplify life! So let's not call this a family, or a back yard or commercial breeder. That's all just way too complicated! Lets make it simple and just call everyone who breeds dogs a "puppy mill". Hey, if the shoe fits....if you churn out puppies, then you are a puppy mill!


Another way to simplify life...in order to decide how these "puppy mill" people shall be allowed to operate, why, there's no need to bother your pretty little head worrying about how clean the dogs are, or how well they are fed, or how warm they are at night; instead, just count up how many of them there are. Then, make a law that keeps anyone from being a guardian to that many animals. Great idea! I wonder why somebody else hasn't thought of that yet. 


Onward to another important buzzword concept:

"Responsible" owners and breeders are fine.

"Irresponsible" breeders and owners, on the other hand.... Bad. Very bad.


So, we must clearly understand, because this is extra important to everybody looking over your fence...

What is a "responsible dog owner"? 

Hmm, ideally that would be someone who NEVER allows their dog to have puppies, of course! And they must sterilize their dog! But, at the very least, it is someone who licenses, microchips, confines their dog, doesn't let it bark, dig, chew or bite, takes it out for an occasional walk, brushes it, keeps poop picked up, and food and water out at ALL times.....stuff like that.


Got it? Great! Now that we have that description down pat, let's try one that's a bit more difficult. This is for extra credit points, kids. Next question...

What is a "responsible breeder"?


Well, things get a bit muddled here. That particular definition depends on who you ask!   To most everyday folks, a "responsible breeder" is someone who takes good care of their dogs and finds nice homes for their puppies. Sounds reasonable? Well, not to everybody!

To purebred dog fanciers, that's not quite good enough. To be considered a "responsible breeder" you would need to do all the "responsible owner" stuff, plus register your dog, join a club, go to dog shows, and make sure your furchild becomes an official "Champion". (That's buzzword talk for "my dog's better than your dog.") Also, you need to make sure you spend a lot of money at the vet doing testing. You must put your dog's health history in a public computer database. And, if you ever breed a puppy that eventually develops a health problem; well, you will need to pay a big fine to the new owner. Because... it's All Your Fault. You are, well.....responsible.

And, let's not forget the purebred dog fancier's basic prerequisite for responsible breeding....the dog MUST be PURE bred. You darn sure better not ever mix two breeds together. Or even THINK about breeding a dog that is not purebred. Even health takes a back seat to purity.


Going even further, this group believes that not only are you responsible for your own dogs, but you are responsible to take care of other people's dogs, too. "If you breed, you must rescue", they say. Ah, "rescue"! Another really neat buzzword for an activity that makes us feel much better about how responsible we are!


But, to the govenment, a "responsible breeder" is someone who does all the above PLUS pays lots of money for licenses, vaccines, permits, fees and taxes in order to keep and breed a dog. They must also report new owners to the state so that THEY can also be responsible.

Some people believe that we have a big problem in our country with "pet overpopulation". "Don't breed or buy" they say. To help solve this overpopulation problem, they like to bring rescue dogs into the USA from the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico and even as far away as Taiwan! Hundred of thousands of them, every year! Sometimes, these dogs bring in diseases that we have a shortage of right now...rabies, hepatitis, parasites and distemper.

OK now, if you have paid attention so far to our previous lessons, you will remember that "overpopulation" is a buzzword used by animal shelters as an excuse to kill cats and dogs, rather than find homes for them. This buzzword is also used as a reason to pass more laws regulating breeders. Anyone who misses the question about "overpopulation" on the test will get an automatic "F"!

One final note for the day, boys and girls. And this is very important.  Some people believe that animals have rights, just like people. They frown on any guardian who would actually consider selling their fur children. These animal rights people believe that there is no such thing as a "responsible breeder"! This belief was actually printed on their website promoting a law to force all owners to sterilize their pets. But, these people soon discovered that not too many other people actually agreed with them. So now, they are very careful not to say that out loud any more.

These animal rights folks really don't have a definition of responsible breeder. But, they think it just might be a good idea to come up with one anyway, to help cut back on all breeders in general. My how smart they are! And they keep themselves very, very busy advising the government about how to regulate breeders.... ALL breeders! Mostly, everything hinges on whether or not you are "responsible". With a bit of concern about "overpopulation" thrown in for good measure.


OK now, kids. That was a lot for one lesson, but I'm sure you will ace the test! Buzzwords are really easy to remember! 


I hear the bell ringing....see you next time!