Attention Missouri Voters!

[sheepdog 10]

The HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) has started a petition to seriously impact the breeding of dogs in the state of Missouri. They are trying to wrap it all up in a cutesy package of ending dog abuse, and pulling the wool over the general publics eyes in their usual package of lies and misconceptions. Please don?t let emotional issues cloud your sense of judgment if you are approached by someone to sign this petition. While it may be presented as a package to save the poor little doggies, it is in fact, a serious threat to the states economy, and not only that, it is also a huge threat to our constitutional privileges, and the freedoms we enjoy in this country in that it limits what a person may own. Dogs are still considered personal property, and this proposed law sets limits on the amount of personal property you will be allowed to have. Not only does it limit the number of dogs you may own, it also strictly limits what you are allowed to do with your property. The proposed laws have no basis in scientific evidence as to the breeding frequency of dogs, nor does it allow for any variations in the different breeds, all dogs must be treated in the same conditions, and anyone who knows the first thing about dogs knows you cannot treat a Siberian Husky the same way you treat a Chihuahua. The new proposed regulations also call for heating and air conditioning of the dogs area. Fine, but this basically makes it illegal to keep a dog outside! I think it would be criminal to keep a dog confined to a building and not allow them the freedom to run and play outside. Missouri already has the strictest set of regulations for the breeding of dogs in any state of the union. The industry is regulated extensively and thoroughly with frequent inspections and a long list of requirements for the care of our dogs. With today?s economy already in the tank, this proposed law will make a huge impact on the quality of life for HUMANS in the state of Missouri. Kennels will not be able to run under the proposed law. The loss of jobs will effect many people in the state, not just the kennel owners, but their employees too. The raising of pups in this state is a multi million dollar business. So you don?t raise dogs so it isn?t going to effect you, you say? Well, think again. I can?t begin to count the number of pups that I have had customers drive all the way here from many surrounding states. These people don?t just buy a puppy from me while they are here. They by gas for their vehicles on their trip, they stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and frequent other business on their trips. People often combine their puppy buying trip as a mini vacation, visiting state attractions like Branson and Silver Dollar City, and Bass Pro shop in Springfield. A great many people are affected by the sale of just one pup, just like throwing a pebble in a still pond, the ripples go on and on and on. Kennel owners themselves are big time consumers. It takes a lot of ?stuff? to run a kennel. Maintenance of pens and buildings, right down to paper towels and bleach. I probably need not even mention the obvious like dog food and veterinarian expenses. I?m sure in tiny towns like Caulfield Mo, one of the biggest employers in the area is a dog breed registry that hires local folks for their registry service. Jobs in rural areas are tough to find, and a big part of the local economy. These jobs too will be affected by this proposed law. Work as a journalist? All those puppy for sale ads in your local paper help pay your wages too. So PLEASE, if you see people whining and crying for you to sign up to help stop abuse of dogs, don?t be fooled, it has nothing to do with animal abuse, but human abuse. The abuse of your personal freedoms and the right to own property and the rights to make an honest living.

[Edward Palamar 0]

I'm not an expert on dog abuse problems in Missouri, but as an out-of-state observer to your dilemma, I hope that there is not one poorly run puppy mill in your state. It has been said that "Man adapts." Our little furry friends, however, over which we have dominion, don't always have it that well. It would seem that this legislation is, perhaps, purely aimed at forcing a "non-poorly run puppy mill / absolutely no puppy mill" situation. It is sad when one sees such horrible conditions that some people and/or animals live. When anyone makes a business of creating such conditions when it is within there power to do otherwise, a crime is committed. The key to a successful resolution of the problem is community awareness and law enforcement. As many reports have surfaced to make suspect that even if our nation had better community awareness, the '9/11' disaster would have gone through anyway, because it was done using high ranking government officials, in example, some reports claim that the planes did not contain people. The planes were landed and non-manned drones were launched to commit the crime instead. But in the case of abusive puppy mills, if law enforcement has become so corrupt even in Missouri, then the legislators are doing the only thing possible to make a statement that abusive puppy mills should not be supported by any good, remaining citizens.Sadly, it seems to me that this is the case.

Edited January 22, 2010 by Edward Palamar (see edit history)

[anwiii 17]

well in missouri, i believe most small towns do have limits on the # of pets you can own(at least dogs and cats). i believe in setting limits within city limits. there will always be less laws outside of city limits though.this law wont affect kennel breeders will it? they have a license and a business and the license already dictates how a kennel should be run.i'm curious about this new law that is trying to get passed, but all i hear are YOUR words just like you don't want us to trust the words that say it's an abused abused dog issue.why not proved a link to the information and a site that also lists the pros and the cons. all i am hearing now is the cons when we all know there are always two sides to a coin....it's just trying to figure out which is the better side after weighing both sides.