Thursday, April 23, 2009

Puppy Mill Legislation

A SPATE of law-enforcement raids on local dog breeders in January uncovered horrific conditions as well as the news that Washington had no statewide law to crack down on puppy mills. State lawmakers corrected this oversight with a strong bill passed by the Legislature this week. The bill prohibits breeders from possessing more than 50 non-neutered dogs older than 6 months at one time. It sets standards for kennel size, exercise and sanitary conditions. The bill's language is a clarion call for basic humane treatment of dogs. Breeders will have to provide clean food and water, keep cages clean and allow dogs to leave their cages for at least an hour a day. Violators could be charged with a gross misdemeanor.

Even though I prefer no legislation of this type, it is probably inevitable that this kind of law would be proposed. The problem is that once it becomes law, then it will, over time, be amended. And amendments are always more and more restrictive. The number of dogs allowed will be reduced, the standards will get tighter and tighter. And eventually, dog breeding will become pretty much illegal.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Hmmm... Not Sure On This One

The Supreme Court agreed Monday to take up an unusual free-speech case to decide whether the government can make it a crime to sell or own videos portraying dog fighting or other acts of animal cruelty.

I have a problem with these types of laws. Yes, I know they are used to fight child pornography... But, I'm not too happy with restrictions of free speech. I guess it matters what the courts and legislatures will consider animal cruelty. Is a vet cropping dog ears, tails or dewclaws engaging in animal cruelty? In some countries, the law says 'yes'. Is dog training with a chain or prong collar animal cruelty? In some places, the law says 'yes'. Is putting a dog in an airline crate animal cruelty? Possibly. Some cities are passing laws defining the enclosure sizes for animals. So, a lot of the criteria for 'animal cruelty' is pretty arbitrary, and when we are talking about penalties that might include prison, I'm not happy with these types of laws.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Arizona Dog Owners - Be Responsible!

YUMA, Ariz. - The Imperial County Sheriff's Office plans to pursue charges against the owner of the pack of dogs that fatally mauled a man last month near the California-Arizona border.

Look, you need to properly contain and supervise your dogs. There is no more 'one free bite' rule anywhere. There are times when a dog bite is justified, such as if the dog is being teased or the owner is being attacked by a criminal... but otherwise, you are in trouble if your dog bites someone. It is more important than ever these days to properly socialize, train, supervise and manage your dogs.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Celebrity Dog News

Paris Hilton got another dog... a Pomeranian for (reportedly) $10,000!!!

Britney Spears has a private dog washer...

Do you see why I don't do many celebrity dog stories? Boring...
Obama's Dog... Purebred or Rescue?

Is Bo a rescued dog or not? Did President Obama keep or break a campaign promise in picking the purebred as the family's new pet?

Who cares? The guy is President of the US. There are bigger issues to be concerned about. The only thing that would give me ulcers would be if he hated dogs... and he doesn't.

Move along...

Friday, April 10, 2009

Need New Procedures

Two medics are being investigated after giving a dying dog painkillers as he sat unable to move in the middle of a street, his owner refusing to leave his side.

I understand why an investigation is warranted. Civilized societies are managed by laws. On the other hand, there is right and wrong, and there isn't always a law to deal with every situation. The medics did the right thing.

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Urinating Dog Triggers Multiple Murders

Three Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, police officers were shot to death while responding to a 911 call of a domestic argument triggered by a urinating dog.

This story causes me to ponder a couple of thoughts.

First, it is always best to find ways of not getting in direct strife with people. Direct confrontation leads to hurt feelings, anger, and creates enemies... so it should be used sparingly and for true enemies where you have to defeat and destroy them. We are all guilty of provoking others to strife. We get upset and we go after the other person, or we goad them and goad them until they blow up, or we ignore what is going on with them and don't really bother to find out how they are doing inside. As the old proverb says, "The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with." Tact, patience, planning, forgiveness, timing, thoughtfulness, consideration of others... love... all take maturity and self control. People are mostly self centered, thinking of themselves and what they want. They don't consider the other person. I'm convinced that the one thing you'll never really get in any sincere quantity or quality from others is gratitude for what you've done or first consideration of what you need over what the other person wants. And you'll always be thinking of yourself before you think of others. The more self absorbed you are, and the more self absorbed the people around you, the more likely for strife and hurt feelings. Yes, you might be mad that the dog urinated in the home. But, maybe the dog needs training. Maybe the dog's owner needs help. Maybe instead of complaining, you get in there and give the other person a helping hand when they are down.

Second, many people have never been taught to exercise self control. You can influence, and even greatly control, how good or bad you feel and what you are going to focus on. Is the glass half empty or half full? Are you a quitter or a winner? Do you get up again after being knocked down, or are you a loser? I have learned a lot about emotional control from a variety of sources. You learn it if you have to be a salesperson. Your attitude will definitely control whether you make money or not. You learn it if you have to be in business for yourself. There are a lot of people out there who will try to knock you down. You'll learn it if you get married. The hardest things to do when married are to keep putting your best foot forward every day, sharing sacrifice, showing your spouse esteem and preference, supporting them, and not getting in strife. I think the traditional marriage vows are a terrific example of the choices we have to make in order to have a successful marriage: "Do you ___ take ____ to be your husband /wife – to live together after God’s ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him / her, comfort him / her, honor and keep him / her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him / her your heart’s deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?" Those are all choices about what you are going to do and how you are going to manage how you feel. Spiritual books, self help books, business motivational seminars, and so forth all deal with managing how we feel. When you get down, get distressed... you don't get a gun and start shooting people. Instead, you need to draw upon the character lessons of life, talk to friends, do the right thing regardless of how you feel, and get professional help if necessary.

Saturday, April 04, 2009