Supply and Demand

Picture a youngster asking for a puppy in the HSUS-dominated world of 2040:

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"Mom, when are we going to get a puppy?"

"When we've saved enough money, sweetheart."

"When will that be?"

"When we can afford to visit Aunt Mindy."

"But she lives so far away!"

"I know, sweetheart. But she lives in the only state left where people can still raise dogs."

"Why can't we get a puppy at the Shelter?"

"We can do that, honey. It depends on what kind of puppies they've got, and that depends on how many dogs they took away from their guardians."

"Jerry got a puppy last month. Why can't we have a puppy now?"

"Jerry's parents took out a second mortgage on their house, honey. It costs a lot of money to adopt a dog."

"Mom, why are dogs so expensive anyway?"

"Well, dear, the Human Society of the United States helped everybody to realize how terrible it was to bring too many puppies and kittens into the world. Then they helped everyone to realize how awful it was to own dogs that were big. After that, they helped people to realize that it wasn't right to keep pets at all unless they were treated exactly the same as humans. That meant they had to be adopted, and adoptions cost a lot of money. "

"How much money, Mom?"

"Good question, dear. It costs a lot of money to pass the adoption inspections, and we'd have to hire someone to stay home with the puppy when I'm working - just like Mary stays with you. Dog nannies are very expensive. Puppies usually only go to homes where one parent works and one stays home. It's the same as adopting a human child."

"But Mom - dogs aren't humans, are they?"

"No dear. But they have the same right to a full-time caregiver just like you."

"Why, Mom? I mean, I know a puppy is just as important as any kid, but - do they really need a nanny?"

"Yes, dear, that's the law. But don't worry, sweetheart, HSUS has a big list of puppy nannies that we can choose from. We just have to save up the $10,000. adoption fee, set up a trust for the $2,000. yearly veterinary costs and save up the money for your puppy's life and health insurance needs. But it'll only cost about $100. a month for his HSUS dog food. That's about it for a puggle."

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HSUS adoption inspections. Guardianship. Mandatory spay/neuter. One state licensing dog breeders. No purebreds. Mandatory pet life and health insurance. And NO litters because all pets are altered before leaving the breeding station.

The next step, of course, is to outlaw pet ownership....

Random Steps Toward Recovery

I'm sitting here wondering how something as simple as a bum knee can keep my creative juices at bay. For some reason I've had no interest in updating this blog for the past week. Pain, yes - but it's not really that bad. Perhaps it's because I was focusing on the elections and getting angry at the extent of HSUS's pre-vote campaigning over the past couple of years. No links here tonight - I'm too unfocused to go searching for them right now, but they'll get added in later.

If I visited Sac City and the Bradshaw facilities tomorow, how many adoptable animals would I find? And... where would they have come from? Heard from one friend that a large, 75# male was transferred to one of our shelters from a Stockton location this past week. Another report states Los Angeles County shelters are possibly expecting an influx of dogs from out of state - and Mexico - before the end of the year. If true, what does this say about the California pet 'overpopulation' HSUS is so fond of trumpeting? Are we recovering from that issue?

When, by the way, is Sacramento County Animal Control going to turn in that report on shelter intake and outgoes that it promised to give the Board of Supervisors in the early 1990's - and again earlier this year?

Freedom is NOT free. This weekend we honor those men and women who sacrificed their ordinary lives to fight in America's battles. Bless them every one - and the families they left behind. Thanks to them, we have the freedom to create blogs like this, and to own the pets we wish to own.

In Beijing province in China as of this week it's illegal to own more than one dog. It's also illegal to produce more than one child. Are we heading that direction? Is that what our veterans have and are fighting for? Tell me - is it really constitutional to limit the number of pets one can own, if each one's needs are provided for?

What would happen if..... ?

Have you ever wondered what would happen if a proposed ordinance passed? Would it do what its' creators wished? And... exactly what is the creators' agenda? What do they actually intend? Have they thought potential consequences through completely?

• In Sacramento County, California, a recently proposed pet control ordinance could have fined anyone who fed several stray cats and their resultant kittens $1,500. for the first litter (assuming kittens were advertised 'free to good homes' on Craigslist, on the lunch room bulletin board or on posters at the mall). Subsequent litters would be fined even more - and if unpaid, the fines could be liened on homes or other personal property.

• As written and if enforced, the ordinance would have heavily fined the time-honored giving of goldfish as awards at school fairs.

• If passed, owners of intact dogs and cats (except recognized caretakers for feral cat colonies) would have paid increased license fees of $150. per year.

• Every county veterinarian would have been required by law to report the intact or altered status of all pets receiving rabies vaccinations.

I listened and watched (8/15/06 video link is here) as presumably fair-minded, intelligent people spoke fervently to County Supervisors about the benefits of their proposed changes to existing pet laws. Seldom did anyone talk of better support for already-existing leash laws. Little mention was made of education for children and adults as to better pet ownership and responsibility.

The stated goal was to decrease the county animal shelter population. Yet... how could the obvious result of heavy fines burdening good citizens be overlooked or disregarded? How could they not see that when Veterinarians are required to snitch - yes, snitch - on owners who vaccinate their pets, the logical and inevitable result will be fewer pets inoculated against rabies?

Kudos to Sacramento's County Supervisors who sent this proposal back for an overhaul. They will be meeting to vote again on pet control ordinances this January. Stay tuned...