How many of our rights and freedoms are we supposed to sacrifice in the attempt to protect the morons who don't research their purchases? Just when does the onus for personal responsibility enter the picture?
If you buy "hot" merchandise there is a legal presumption that you should know better. Why should people not be held accountable when they themselves support sellers and brokers like "Wizard of Claws" and such? Those buyers are perpetuating the problem and they are just as bad as the ones who sell them the dogs. IMO they get what they deserve when they buy without doing their due diligence and proper homework.
The government takes a few random complaints from idjits as their excuse to intrude and impose their ridiculous, excessive "standards" across the board. Like all government agencies, the primary operative mode for the USDA is self-preservation; expanding its sphere of influence and sucking up more and more of our tax dollars to ensure survival.
If we point out the exemption for the casual home breeder, who thoughtlessly allows their unregistered, unvaccinated, un-health-tested bitch to have an unplanned litter, next thing we know THAT will be made illegal and the owners of ALL bitches everywhere will be included....they'll dredge up the good ol' PUPS standard of ONE BITCH as the threshold for federal regulation.
Let's face it, the intent is not (or at least should not be) to "regulate" businesses that abuse animals, but to drive them out of business. And the ARs know that support for that goal will take out many other too. That's their plan! Unfortunately the rest of us will go down the drain right along with the few abusers when they are legislated out of the picture. The free market generally works best. Exposes and public education have worked to solve the "overpopulation crisis", why not education about how NOT to buy a dog to solve the problem of unethical internet sellers?
The USDA can't even wipe out the puppy mills, yet they want to waste more of our tax dollars making more rediculous laws they can't enforce.
ReplyDeleteWe need to focus on the BASIC needs of our pets first - food, water, shelter and veterinary care irregardless of WHO is doing the breeding. Another area we need to start
providing to the public is cheap euthanisia. People can't afford the high cost of vet bills let alone humanely disposing of them. Everyone is NO KILL and that is very quickly going to blow up in our faces. You can't save the world.
We need to focus more on so-called "rescue" groups, many of whom are becoming hoarders, just because they don't have the heart to euthanize.
Hell, we can't take care of our own families, let alone our pets. Everyone is so stressed out and pets are mostly bought on impulse. Educating the public on how NOT to buy a dog? Come on - get real - let's first educate the pubic on how NOT to have children they can't care for...
we're spiraling down a black hole, this entire country...