Snicker, when Texas wakes up and finds out the hard way they have shot themselves in the foot, its not going to be pretty, is it?

Why do people insist on taking animals out of their natural
  habitats?  People become too busy to care for them and let
die and the pet stores that sell them these fish sell many times sell sick or injured fish without properly instructing the new owner on on care for them. Why as a society do we allow this cruelty to happen?

If it were up to the humaniacs the only people who would be able to have a pet dog or cat are those who meet their stringent criteria of who is a suitable pet “guardian”. I recently attempted to adopt a grown cat I saw in a pet supply place from one of these animal rescue groups and was put through the wringer only to be ultimately rejected. These people want to get into your business, invade your privacy, and judge your worthiness as a pet owner. Why should I trust them with my personal information? I failed because I could not provide a satisfactory vet history. Lord help you if you don’t have a perfect record because of past financial difficulties. Pets are overvaccinated as it is due to vets’ greed, especially indoor cats,  but don’t try to tell this to a crazy animal rescuer.

These animal rescue nutters want perfect owners, not good homes, for their animals. They claim to have the animal’s best interest at heart, but they would rather keep a cat in a cage for years than surrender it to a good, but not perfect home. Their strict policies force imperfect people to go to pet shops and back yard breeders to buy their animals. Animal rescue groups are their own worst enemies, and they treat people with a distinct lack of compassion, if not disdain.

Pit bull owner,

I agree with you whole heartedly.  They seem to think that they are the saviors of the animal world.  I have adopted all my animals from a local shelter and didn’t have to go through much at all.  The dog I have now, a senior pit bull, had been in the shelter for 2 months.  I think they were just happy that someone would want her.

I agree with a severe control on animal sales. We can laugh at it, but goldfish, hamsters and guinea pigs are basically tortured everyday because parents think it is nice for their kids to “learn responsibilities”. Most of my friends were surprised that my guinea pigs were 6 years old. They usually die or get discarded before getting to middle age. Bunnies and puppies get dropped at 1 year old because they are not as cute and they start humping and marking everything. Petshops encourage impulse buy. An animal should NEVER be an impulse decision.

Furthermore, places like California and Florida now have breading populations of exotic pets such as parrots, pythons, iguanas and some breads of fish, because people just let them go free when they can no longer take care of them.

I am sorry to say, but pets are expensive to take care of properly. A cat is cheap, when it is healthy, but when it gets sick… Yes, lots of vet tend to be pricy, mine is guilty, but everything is expensive and a pet is a luxury not a right. It this luxury comes with extreme responsibilities. I fostered for multiple animal rescues. The rescues who had a process that was a little faster often got animal returned to us after a month or so. IMPULSE BUY! Didn’t realize how hard it was.

I think pets should not be banned, but a heck of a lot harder to get legally. I made mistakes before, but some people never learn.

**rolling eyes at the animal rights lies** 

Florida’s “breeding population” of Burmese Pythons can ALL be traced genetically back to snakes that escaped from a pet store destroyed in Hurricane Andrew. 

Regarding dogs/cats, it was made very clear from a more reasonable animal WELFARE proponent that it doesn’t matter how high the purchase fee (or if you prefer “adoption” fee) or how many hoops the purchaser has to jump through to get the pet, those who are going to abuse or neglect the animals will do so, and FREE pets are no more likely to be abused/neglected.  People’s lives/situations CHANGE.  No one knows what his/her situation is going to be in 15 years; you can know what you HOPE it will be, but you don’t know.  Would I dump my dog for a man? No.  But you damned well better believe that if I had a child who turned out to be allergic to my dog (no matter how long I’d had that dog), the dog would be gone.  If it comes down to paying more than I can afford in rent for a place that allows pets versus an affordable place that doesn’t, having a roof over my head is far more important. Any organization that tells me I CAN’T have my cat declawed can kiss my behind! As long as my veterinarian and I agree that it’s safe for the cat, if it’s a choice between keeping the cat in a good home AND keeping my furniture intact versus either shredded furniture, or no kitty, it’s gonna be BUH-BYE claws. 

Fish die. They die in the wild as often or more so than in aquariums.  Get over it.  “torture” is a ridiculous overstatement.

Cathy M…..I think you should leave pet ownership to others and just keep rolling your eyes.

B, My pets have all lived to a ripe old age in my care.  My heeler was 17 when she died, and my standard poodle was 14.  I have successfully raised multiple puppies to be assistance dogs for people with disabilities.  My DECLAWED cats are 100% indoors and quite happy and well-adjusted. 

Cathy:

1- I wouldn’t declaw my cat, but this is not what I call torture. True, the kind of jerk who fights his dog or starves it are incurable, but there are laws against it.

But pet torture is different. It comes from the fact that small animals are easy to replace and nobody asks “what happened to your last hamster?” It comes from the fact that pets can be obtained easily as impulse buy. That dress you thought was awesome and flashy, brought home and realized that it was too short and showed you butt.

The stories are all the same:
A parents cave in to a crying child at Walmart but knew perfectly that the fish will not be cared for, or that the guinea pig will be obsolete in a year or two just like all the other toys he bought.
A 17 years old gets a cute pup or kitty to their girlfriends cause they want to play house, then she leaves for college a year later and dumps the dog at the ASPCA cause she can’t have it in dorms and her parents won’t keep it.

Pet torture is a hamster who gets a broken spine because a 4 years old drops it. It is a guinea pig who dies of vitamin C deficiency. It is a bunny coxed in a 2x3 cage all it’s life without exercise but the time an 8 year old pokes it and squeezes it, because the pet stores sells a 2x3 cage with a bunny picture on it without mentioning that the bunny should have AT LEAST 4 hours of RUN every day to be healthy. Torture is a dog whose been with you for 10 years dumped in a shelter because you broke up with your man and need to find an apartment fast. At 10 years old, not only is he not likely to be adopted, but even if he is, he is very likely to develop separation anxiety, which leads to destructive habits, which leads to a return to the shelter.

Humans die just like fish. This does not mean that it is not our society’s responsibility to ensure that they don’t die by lack of care, chemical poisoning, professional incompetence, or NEGLIGENCE.

If you are likely to move and would not pay extra to bring your cat, I am sorry, I agree with B, you should not own a pet. When you get an animal, YOU are 100% responsible for its ENTIRE life no matter what happens in yours. The ease with which people can purchase and get rid of an animal is directly related to how well they care for it.

The two dogs I own are rescues from puppy mills. Puppy mills are the places that breed dogs for pet shops. Google images or try to pet my greyhound and observe her pee on the floor as your hand approaches her.

We need more control and more accountability for the stores, food and supplies companies, owners and breeders.

Finally, before I concede that all the exotic animals in Florida and California come from one single pet shop, I would be interested in reading the extensive DNA research that you quote on the subject. Can you tell me where to get it?

I don’t understand why instead of banning stuff, why not just promote education on proper pet care?

Most people do not abuse animals on purpose.  They go to the pet store, see a cute goldfish,  see a goldfish bowl with a little goldfish inside it on the packaging, and assume it’s fine for one.

To be honest, I’d actually be for making companies stop advertising fish bowls as suitable homes for fish. 

So anti-ban, but pro proper goldfish husbandry.  Have pet store employees inform buyers that they will need an actual tank, filter, etc. for their fish.  If they sell less fish because of this, too bad.  It is not ethical to lie to someone about the care of a fish to make a sale, just like it isn’t ethical to tell someone a baby alligator or reticulated python won’t outgrow it’s tank, even if it means they lose a sale.

IMO, properly educating employees on how to care for the animals they sell so they can pass this info onto buyers could probably help solve some of problems the public seem to have with selling animals in pet store.

Most people kill their pets out of ignorance because they follow the advice of other ignorant people.

Sammich: AGREED 100%.

I’m not saying ban it, I’m saying make things a little more official. We can’t expect store owners and companies to control sales out of the warmth of their heart. It needs to be regulated. So far, apart from blatant neglect and cruelty, there is no guidelines anywhere. It should be harder to have permits to sell, breed and own animal. Inspections need to happen more often and employee testing/training. Just like they test the waitresses to ask for ID when selling liquor. Step 1: it should not be legal to own a dog or cat that is not fixed unless the owner have a breeding permit for it. Make the permit more expensive than a spay/neuter and see how many macho owners scuff up because they don’t want their dog’s balls cut for aesthetic reasons. 
Step 2: consumer report: review all these misrepresented fishbowl unacceptable for fish, cages too small for bunnies and play ball with pictures of guinea pigs on it.
Step 3: TRAIN your employees!!!

But we can’t agree on how to provide decent health care and living standard for our fellow human. So we can dream about the time when we will care about what happens to goldfish, hamsters or backyard cat litters.

Can you animal rights freaks not read? NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY what their situation will be for 15 to 20 (or even 70 with large parrots) years!!!!!  Most people don’t go into a pet purchase (even on impulse) thinking “oh well, I’ll just get rid of it if things get tough.”  I said IF I HAD TO MOVE (meaning I lost my job and my home) AND COULD NOT AFFORD A PLACE THAT WOULD ALLOW THE PETS YES I WOULD FIND HOMES FOR THEM RATHER THAN BE HOMELESS.  What is so terrible about that statement?

AND TO SAY I’M NO GOOD BECAUSE I WOULD CHOOSE A CHILD OVER MY DOG?YES, IF MY CHILD HAD LIFE-THREATENING ASTHMA CAUSED BY DOG ALLERGIES, MY CHILD’S LIFE WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY DOG!

(yes I’m aware my caps lock was on. Yelling seems to be the only way of communicating with those who can’t hear anything but their own idealist utopian, demented beliefs).

Veronique, animal rights people are hell bent on taking away our freedoms to own and use animals as we see fit. People like you who see abuse and torture everywhere are not objective judges of who is fit to be a pet owner, and I sure as hell wouldn’t want you judging me.

My pit bull is 13 years old. My siamese cat is 16 and the one that preceded her lived to be 18. Yet I was deemed an unfit owner by the wealthy elitists at a long island NY cat rescue because of an imperfect vet record (or my refusal to provide personal history regarding same, because I didn’t want these people getting into my business).

I got the black kitten of my dreams, not from an uptight animal rescuer, but from an ad on a local board! Instead of paying $100 to a snooty suburban soccer mom who sneered at my mention of wanting a “mouser” for my apartment, I got this kitten totally FREE from some native old school Brooklynites!!! with toys included! This kitten was rescued from a box of kitties on their way to the ACC and certain death. 

This is exactly the sort of informality that gives animal rights control freaks like Veronique conniption fits. She wants more laws, more regulations, more limits on our freedom to have and enjoy animals. Since when have more intrusive laws ever solved anything? My kitten was given to me on a gut feeling, that I was a good owner, that I will cherish and keep the kitten forever in my home. No judgements! Yes, I love my kitten and named him for the grown cat they wouldn’t give me and almost broke my heart over..BOBO!!

Guess what, judgmental people? I was refused too at some point. And my heart was broken too. I was living in an apartment and had carpet and although the lease said I could have pets, the rescue didn’t want to give me the one I asked for because he wasn’t fully potty trained. I potty trained a puppy before! They handed up giving me another dog who turned out to be the love of my life. Perfect match. He died since then, and we bought a house later on. When we decided to adopt another dog, the rescue didn’t mind our carpet because we owned it. But, do you know what happened? We got rid of all carpet in the entire house within 4 months of owning the new dog who was a mill bitch who was never potty trained. It took a full year to train a full grown dog whose used to lay in her pee and scared as hell of everything to ask for the door. The first rescue was right. There is NO WAY I could have dealt with something like this in my apartment. I would have had to break my lease or give the dog back. I didn’t know back then.

Who said you had the freedom to do what you wanted with animals anyways? Your freedom stops when it hurts others’ freedom. Good for you and for your pet if you are good care takers, but it is not a right, it is a privilege.

You see your own rights, but think not a minute of the rights of the animals around you because you see them as inferior. It doesn’t make you a bad owner or a bad person. But it seems to prevent you to understand that not everyone is as responsible as you without strict guidance.

The snooty soccer mom rescue spent a load of money in Bobo, they want to make as sure as possible that he will be set for life, and if it means refusing someone that might have been a good person but that they could not confirm, that’s what it is. I am sure your heart was broken, but had you been the one who picked up the cat from its previous condition, perhaps from the house of a the cat lady, who really loved him and his 58 other siblings, rolling in pee, flea and mange, you might have been protective too. Love and care is not enough. Sadly, it takes a stable enough life, income, will and responsibility to care for a pet, as much as to care for a kid. My dogs are both on my will and the two persons who are named to take care for them if I died before them know and accept the responsibility. They would even have a medical fund coming out of my life insurance to care for them in case of big health issues.
Of course it’s idealist, this society has trouble with taking care of kids imagine pets! But controlling population, breeding, and sale can help. There are more stray cats in downtown philadelphia than pigeons…

There’s a whole lotta difference there between caring for kids and keeping animals. Kids don’t get neutered, for starters. They aren’t property. And they have rights, which animals do not.

Animals are in our care and we have certain responsibilities towards them. The extent of those responsibilities vary according to one’s culture and experience. I don’t see animals as inferior, but I can certainly appreciate that based on that assumption, you would impose “strict guidelines” on my ever getting any animals from anyone, anywhere. If it were up to you and those that share your views, people like me would never be allowed to have pets. For example, I would never subject a dog (or my pocketbook) to extreme veterinary measures. I think it’s stupid, and the animal can’t help but perceive painful treatments as torture (to use your favourite analogy) since they can’t possibly understand why it’s happening. Somehow my animals all have managed to live long lives without expensive interventions.

As evolutionary humans, we established a natural connection with animals. It’s part of who we are. Denying someone access to this connection because of some idealized vision of non-existent “Animal Rights” is an insult to human nature. We have a natural right to keep animals, eat animals, hunt animals, and wear fur, among other things. Like it or not, animal use and connections are part of who we are as a species. If your modern urban sensibilities find such animal use distasteful, just don’t indulge. Why is that so hard? I’m just sick and tired of privileged elitists who seek to impose their impoverished views on everyone else through the legislative process, and suck all enjoyment out of the lives of those whom they demonize and deem inferior.

Great post!  I couldn’t have said it any better.  I love animals and will protect them to the best of my ability, but they do not have rights. I can get behind Animal Welfare groups, but not animal rights groups such as HSUS, PETA, ASPCA among others.  Thanks again, Pit bull owner!

The amount of assumptions you make about me are not only ridiculous, but proof of your lack of objectivity. I am neither “urbanized”, nor privileged. I live in WV need I say more? Nevertheless, I do happen do be educated. Do you have a prejudice against people with degrees too?

The ideology of God sent right over the entire world is ridiculous. You are an animal like every other. Animals do have rights, you just have the capacity to deny them their rights. Just like females or black people were not so long ago, because of bigotry such as this one. The were subaltern, in a weaker position, therefore had no rights.

I am not for medical stubbornness, whether on human or animal it IS torture. When nothing can be done, stop the pain. But the rescues merely ask you to keep your pets vaccinated, dewormed, and vet checked.

As an almighty human you can either be a jerk and dominate everything and everyone you can for you profit and benefit, or you can take the gift that was given to you and care for it as your own and equal.

As you said: pain is as real for a dog, than it is for you, but it is even harder to explain it.

Couldn’t agree more, Veronique. Of course we have a connection with other animals; we ARE animals, and all species have rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We have no need to “use” our fellow creatures in many of the abhorrent ways we do—it’s not a matter of finding such things distasteful and thus avoiding them, but of realizing their moral unacceptability.