Vick and Pacelle, Are They More Than Schtick?
Nathan Winograd isn't a fan of the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States), to put it mildly. I don't always agree with Nathan, and I'm not even sure what I think of his views on Michael Vick and Wayne Pacelle's (HSUS CEO and president) upcoming trip to San Francisco. On one hand, as I said in my syndicated column - that while sadly Vick remains a hero among so many, those people want to hear him, and he has a chance of a lifetime to truly influence (if the event is real and not so staged for the media as previous community meetings have been). On the other paw, Winograd, author of "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation & The No Kill Revolution in America," sure makes some good points. What do you think?






9 Comments
MMS said:
First Wayne Pacelli (see this link for some interesting comments - http://www.gamefowlnews.com/archives/2009/10202009.html) condemns Vicks actions towards his dogs, and does everything in his power to have the dogs destroyed, and then he falls all over himself, saying, aw shucks, Mikie here just made a mistake. Of course, his recent actions show his real motivation, the $50,000 donation the Philadelphia Eagles just made to H$U$, even though the most naive person would catch on to this bait and switch game. When will people finally realize that:
the HSUS a is a lobbying machine, in charity clothing, and they are lobbying to make it as difficult to obtain a pet and keep one as possible. They shove shelter animals down EVERYONE's throat, when a rescue pet isn't always the best option for every situation, and try to make life for ANY breeder miserable, because they equate ANY breeding with EVIL. If they have their way, there will BE NO PETS.
nikkicraft said:
ditto to the previous poster. MMS if you are on facebook please send me a friends invite at facebook.com/nikkicraft
Winograd Rules!
http://www.boycottthehumanesociety.org
nikkicraft said:
I apologize for not reading the above post closely enough and now i can't delete it. We will align with H$U$ on anything they do against hunting, but believe they aren't anti hunting. And we adamantly abhor breeding. Animal breeders are responsible for much of the cruelty to animals and the over population problem. please spay and neuter your pets and do not sell animals or view their as a means to your own profit.
Winograd Rules!
http://www.boycottthehumanesociety.org
Fred said:
It's unfortunate that news media and policymakers continue to mistake the wealthy and radical Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for a mainstream animal welfare group
HSUS is a "humane society" in name only, pursuing the same fringe goals as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). It's also far richer. And maybe a little smarter.
Rather than causing spectacles with naked interns, HSUS uses its excessive funding (mostly from Americans who mistakenly believe they're supporting local pet shelters) to drive a radical animal-rights agenda. It's anti-meat, and even anti-medical research. And it's not affiliated with any pet shelters anywhere in the United States.
Sometimes a "humane society" isn't really a "humane society." And sometimes animal "welfare" advocates are really animal "rights" zealots in sheep's clothing.
www.localhumane.org - check it out!
David_Martosko said:
This was lifted, word for word, from a letter I wrote last year (see http://is.gd/4CPpV). While I agree with the sentiment, I can't endorse the website that was added at the end of my words.
David Martosko
Cat Lady said:
Dear Nikkicraft,
I'm sorry I agree completely with MMS regarding what she says about the HSUS,and with respect to animal breeders being responsible for much of the cruelty that afflicts animals I strongly disagree with you. I have a shelter dog, a rescued cat and a purebred neutered (before he was received) cat obtained from a "breeder". My shelter dog is dying of Osteosarcoma, possibly brought on by being neutered at the age of 5 months (Illinois law for shelters). My shelter cat is a chronic carrier of Mycoplasma, and God knows what else, due to her history of being a barn cat. My neutered purebred is extremely healthy. He has never been to the vet for anything other than routine exams and vacinations. He is the result of an informed, intelligent breeding program. While I'd never trade my dog and my shelter cat, and love them just as much as my purebred, "breeders" are not bad. Responsible breeders do not produce large numbers of animals for profit, but to further the health and beauty of the Breed.
Should we all adopt our children and stop "breeding"? After all, there is an overpopulation problem in the world.
Steve Dale said:
Interesting comments - thanks.
CatLady is correct, hybrid vigor is a fallacy. Mixed breeds indeed may be more healthy...but not necessarily. At least compared to those breeders who are proactive. I am sorry to read about your dog with bone cancer (osteosarcoma). And what you say about spay/neuter too early...well, actually, the jury is out but initial research suggest that is possible.
I've said it before and will say it again. And I am frequently criticized for it - this....but here I go again. I am all all all all for adopting shelter pets. But responsible breeders are not the reason for those pets being in shelters. In fact, responsible breeders are part of the solution, not a part of the problem. Mixed breeds and pure bred or pedigreed dogs and cats can co-exist, one isn't better than the other.
Hillary37 said:
It's too early to know what impact Michael Vick will have. He'll need to prove his good intentions with a long-term commitment to community outreach, even when public scrutiny isn't so intense. But it's clear that his celebrity status has elevated people's awareness and concern about dogfighting. I work for the HSUS, and in recent months we've received over 150 calls about bringing our End Dogfighting program to new communities. This program, which was begun in Chicago and is now active in Atlanta and L.A., centers around a pit bull training team and free classes for at-risk youth to learn new ways of interacting with their dogs. The grant money from the Eagles will help bring this program to Philadelphia. I'm very hopeful that it will help address street-level dogfighting and will be a win for both the kids and their dogs.
Steve Dale said:
Hillary, thanks for posting....I once had great respect for the HSUS.
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