#699284 - 04/29/08 12:52 PM
PETA set to end Pet Ownership. The game plan!
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Mira Trapper
trapper
Registered: 09/17/07
Posts: 689
Loc: Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia
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Pretend you care and look for an end to all pet breeding thus extinction is around the corner for such pets.
Newsweek
ANIMAL RIGHTS
PETA and Euthanasia
Even among animal lovers, killing unwanted pets is a divisive issue.
By Jeneen Interlandi | Newsweek Web Exclusive
April 28, 2008
http://www.newsweek.com/id/134549/page/2
Nearly a decade later, Daphna Nachminovitch still remembers the
rerelease of the Disney classic "101 Dalmatians" and the tragedy that
followed. First there was a spike in sales of the famous spotted
breed. Then, in the months that followed, shelters took in hundreds of
Dalmatians from disillusioned pet owners around the country. "As soon
as the puppies outlived their cuteness and the kids didn't want to
scoop the poop anymore, the dogs were dumped in shelters," says
Nachminovitch, vice president of cruelty investigations for People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). "Many of them had to be
euthanized, because there was simply no place for them to go."
But what many animal lovers don't realize is that PETA itself may have
put down some of those unwanted Dalmatians. The organization has
practiced euthanasia for years. Since 1998 PETA has killed more than
17,000 animals, nearly 85 percent of all those it has rescued.
Dalmatians may no longer be the breed of the day, but the problem of
unwanted and abandoned pets is as urgent as ever. Shelters around the
country kill 4 million animals every year; by some estimates, more
than 80 percent of them are healthy. In recent years those grim
statistics have split the animal rights community. Ironically, PETA
has emerged as a strong proponent of euthanasia. (The group is better
known for its public condemnations of everyone from fashion designer
Donna Karan for her use of fur to the National Cancer Institute for
its animal research.) In defense of its policy PETA has insisted that
euthanasia is a necessary evil in a world full of unwanted pets. But
while the group has some well-known allies, including the Humane
Society of the United States, a growing number of animal rights
activists claim to have found a better, more humane way.
"Over-population is a myth," says attorney Nathan Winograd, whose
recent book "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No
Kill Revolution in America"" chronicles the rise of the no-kill
shelter movement. "With better outreach and public relations, we can
find homes for virtually all of the healthy animals we are now
killing." As proof he points to a string of communities across the
country whose shelters have managed to stop euthanizing all but the
sickest animals. Bonney Brown, executive director of the Nevada Humane
Society, says that in 2007, the first year her group went "no-kill,"
her shelters managed to save 90 percent of the 8,000 animals they took
in. Among other strategies, the organization ramped up its volunteer
force, from 30 to 1,700, expanded its hours so that people could come
in after work and engaged in extensive media outreach.
"On balance, people love animals," says Brown, pointing out that
animal causes are one of the fastest-growing segments of American
philanthropy. "The biggest challenge has been convincing them to trust
their local shelters. And with a little initiative we are finally
starting to do that."
Shelters in Virginia, New York and San Francisco report successes
similar to Nevada's, and communities in more than a dozen states have
announced no-kill goals and added legislative mandates to their
agenda. King County, Wash., passed a law requiring area shelters to
achieve an 85 percent save rate by 2009. San Antonio, Texas, is aiming
for zero kills by 2012. And Ivan City, Utah, saved 97 percent of its
shelter animals beginning in 2006 when the animal control ordinances
were rewritten to prohibit the euthanasia of healthy animals.
Those successes have not persuaded PETA or its allies. The group
argues that in order to maintain their no-kill status these facilities
simply turn away animals that are unlikely to be adopted, often
leaving them to fates worse than death. "No one hates it more than we
do," says Nachminovitch. "But we would rather offer these animals a
painless death than have them tortured, starved or sold for research."
PETA isn't the only group to take that stance. "No-kill is a noble
goal," says Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of
the United States. "But the sheer number of animals make it almost
unachievable."
Instead of zero kills, PETA claims to be shooting for zero births.
"Focusing on the animals that come into shelters is like emptying a
river with a teaspoon," says Nachminovitch. "By investing in spay and
neuter programs, which are where a lot of our resources go, we can
stop unwanted births and prevent four times as much suffering."
But Brown and others insist they have achieved no-kill without turning
animals away, and on a fraction of PETA's $30 million budget. "With
the resources at their disposal, PETA and the Humane Society of the
U.S. could become no-kill in no time," Winograd says. "Instead they
have become leading killers of cats and dogs, and the animal-loving
public unwittingly foots the bill through taxes and donations."
_________________________
I now use blue,to define my posts.
Life is a time capsule we strive to fill with precious memories.
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#699367 - 04/29/08 02:07 PM
Re: PETA set to end Pet Ownership. The game plan!
[Re: Mira Trapper]
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rye rye
trapper
Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 93
Loc: Tennessee
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nice how newsweek implies that HSUS is a legitimate organization and that having their support automatically gives an argument validity.
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#699382 - 04/29/08 02:15 PM
Re: PETA set to end Pet Ownership. The game plan!
[Re: rye rye]
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Mira Trapper
trapper
Registered: 09/17/07
Posts: 689
Loc: Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia
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HSUS and PETA are all about making domesticated animals extinct and the journalists of today lack the inspiration to research their subjects before they offer an article in support of the Organization.
_________________________
I now use blue,to define my posts.
Life is a time capsule we strive to fill with precious memories.
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Top
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#699416 - 04/29/08 02:34 PM
Re: PETA set to end Pet Ownership. The game plan!
[Re: Mira Trapper]
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Preston Trapper
trapper
Registered: 01/03/07
Posts: 82
Loc: Jackson County, Iowa
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Thanks Mira, Keep up the good work
_________________________
Member-- Iowa Trappers Association
National Trappers Association
Fur Takers of American
NAFA Wildlife Shippers Council
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