Pet Nazis: Turning Dogs into Dogma

PETA has had an unfortunate influence on the pet industry by helping to introduce the pet Nazi into our culture. Anyone who knows me knows I am an animal lover, and I have cared for and rescued animals my whole life, most of whom have lived well past a normal life expectancy. However, when I recently stated on a dog owner's list that I thought some of the procedures involved in pet rescue/pet adoption were intrusive and invasive, you would have thought I had just said I slit puppies' throats and drink their blood for breakfast the way some people reacted. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I have seen pet Nazis come crawling out of the woodwork when other people post what kind of dog food they chose for their pets, or mention they got a dog from a pet store, or even make inquiries about trimming their dogs in the summer.

Easier for a Child to get an Abortion than to Adopt a Dog

The situation has gotten so out of hand it is now easier for a child to get an abortion than it is to adopt a dog through many pet rescue organizations. In order to qualify so you can pay a hefty fee to "adopt" a dog that NEEDS a home, not only must you have a fenced in back yard, but you must fill out a lengthy application, have a home inspection and schedule interviews with your neighbors. Heaven help you if you plan to serve the new arrival anything other than the BARF diet on a silver platter... or ever consider setting foot in a pet store to buy a dog. By PETA and the pet Nazi's judgment, the fact that a few puppy mills force precious pups to live in horrible situations means the entire pet store industry is at fault - there is no middle ground here.

Reputable Breeders -- According to Whom?

If a dog isn't "rescued from a "reputable pet rescue organization," then it MUST be purchased from a "reputable breeder." And who determines who these "reputable breeders" are? Usually organizations made up of the "reputable breeders." Of course it is in their best interest to shut down pet stores! These "reputable breeders" make their money selling dogs! In spite of the claims made by breeders who clamor about not making enough money to pay for the care of the puppies before they are sold, at several hundred to well over $1,000 each, someone is making money on these costly little thoroughbred puppies.

More Dogs Would Be Saved with Less Red Tape

It's the same with pet adoption. Some volunteers are involved, but there are also pet adoption programs and agencies where someone gets paid a fee to provide the pet adoption "service." The fact that a few homes end up being terrible places for a little fur baby to live means EVERY potential "rescue" home must be inspected, and frequently, someone gets paid for overseeing the applications and home inspections - funded by that costly adoption fee. More dogs would be placed, more pets saved, faster and at lower cost but for these policies - policies that exist because of rare exceptions to the norm. Dogs are not abused or neglected in most homes, but you can't raise any money by admitting that obvious fact.

Saving Dogs from the Pound

The other option - and it's a good one - is to save a dog from the pound. However, sometimes a buyer wants a particular breed for any number of valid reasons, and if that breed isn't in the local pound, that leaves the evil pet stores, or the much more noble, costly and controlling breeders and pet rescue organizations.

Elevating the Family Pet to Human Status

I actually applaud the intent of pet rescue. I even think most breeders start out with the best of intentions. But somehow we have lost the balance in buying and caring for "man's best friend." I have to lay some of the blame at PETA's unbalanced feet for elevating the family pet to human status and turning dogs into dogma. They have made the animal rights industry a glamorous, lucrative and EXTREME venture and stoked the fires of the pet Nazis' unrighteous indignation in the process. So pardon me if I don't agree that all puppies should come from "reputable breeders" and if I don't kowtow to a funded pet adoption agency who wants to charge me several hundred dollars and invade my home before I can rescue a dog.

No Choice but Their Choice

The most disturbing thing is not necessarily how PETA operates, but how the average person involved in the pet industry as a breeder or rescuer has come to believe that if someone disagrees with the BARF diet, the "no pet store" rule, the adoption application and investigation process, or other such doggie dogma, there is something wrong with that person. Voicing disagreement means you can expect the rabid pet Nazis to dog pile you and question what is wrong with you that you won't do it their way. There is NO choice but THEIR choice.

PETA - Shout Down All Opposition

As in dealing with any extremists, people are becoming afraid to disagree with the pet Nazis openly. When I posted my comment about finding the pet adoption process to be intrusive and invasive, I received many private emails from people who either agreed with me or who had also been attacked by pet Nazis in the past for making some simple statement. However, no one wanted to post those comments on the main list for fear of reprisals by the vitriolic pet Nazis, and I don't blame them. Much like other activist groups, PETA has taught their acolytes well -- shout down all opposition and intimidate them into compliance. "Sieg Heil!"

Nazi:
- a German member of Adolf Hitler's political party
- derogatory term for a person who is fanatically dedicated to, or seeks to control, some activity, practice, etc.
From wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

You can read my personal original experience with the pet adoption process in my 8/9/08 blog post "The High Cost of Doggie Adoptions."

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