Let me just say one thing right at the beginning. Trying to “differentiate” dog breeders and claiming one type is better than another is one thing—but it WON’T save the free enterprise system of pet commerce, or the selling of dogs.
When HSUS starts in on milled dogs, bad dogs, sick dogs, etc etc etc, it’s simply a MEDIA ploy to make ALL DOG BREEDERS LOOK BAD. Understand, HSUS knows full well that people can breed good dogs, that dog breeders can produce healthy dogs. BUT that is not the question.
HSUS’ sole PURPOSE to to MAKE ALL dog breeding LOOK BAD–regardless of who is doing it. It does not matter if it’s a hobby breeder, reputable breeder, a BYB breeder, commercial, etc. Making those differences KNOWN is for the BUYERS—-and that’s NOT who YOU are fighting!!!
So when I read that some breeders think that in order to make sure HSUS and the public can tell the difference between commercial bred and non commercial bred and BYB and non BYB-and suggesting more regulation–let me tell y’all—-you are going in-the-wrong-direction.
All of the energy and time needs to be put out to destroy the credibility of HSUS—not other breeders, not other BYB breeders, not commercial breeders. Doing that (focusing on differentiating) only serves the purpose of dividing the troops. There will always be bad and good in every lot. You cannot change that. But most are GOOD. If you want to set up the forces/troops to take charge, you don’t divide them and ostracize the ones that do what you do, only they don’t do it as well. You can’t afford to do that, and yet HSUS banks on the fact that you WILL do that.
Simply emphasize that a free enterprise system allows for many different types of people, and if someone is not following the law, then that is their issue, however—YOU should not suffer by having YOUR business impacted simply because a few people are not following whatever rules are in place.
One in the business of selling dogs should not be pointing fingers at others selling dogs. It serves little purpose and does not help YOUR case. From a legal standpoint it actually is quite destructive because most people don’t know the difference of where a dog comes from, and many of them simply are not that concerned, as long as the dog is fairly healthy. As concerned dog breeders, you have to realize that you know FAR> FAR more than the average person about dogs, breeding dogs, and the like. The average person knows little and nothing unless they have researched the subject.
HSUS and friends KNOW this, which is why they try so hard in different tactics to make headway against federal laws, and often are not successful. But state law is easier, and that is why they HAVE made headway. Be very careful not to split ranks simply because one element is currently targeted. Imagine a round target that arrows are shot at, and imagine that YOU, the BYB and the commercial kennels are on it.
HSUS shoots at whatever it thinks it can take down. If it misses one, it shoots at the other. This just keeps going, only they use different tactics. Be forewarned, you are all selling dogs so it doesn’t matter who is selling what—HSUS will manipulate the media so that every city will believe that “BUYING” A DOG IS WRONG, WRONG, WRONG–like San Francisco, home of the nutcakes. Why do you think that Los Angeles and the rest of them are making MSN and claiming that being in a “registry” is OK, but NOT being in a “registry” is NOT OK? Because they got that from the dog breeders that keep saying “good” dogs are from the dog breeders that are registered!
This is what you are fighting for —the right of the consumer to BUY a dog and to make a choice—-not the selling of a dog from the wrong person. Please keep in mind, most of you are not attorneys, and are probably not thinking from the viewpoint of how dog breeders look from the outside (can’t see forest for the trees type thing)—but I know how HSUS operates. So please don’t waste your time on splitting ranks with those that may not breed a dog as well as you.
Your job is to make others understand they should HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE TO BUY WHATEVER DOG THEY WANT. There is no other story. Focusing on which kennel, which dog breeder, etc is NOT the argument. They already have laws against selling dogs which are sick, etc.
They want YOU to think it’s the argument and in the meantime, SELLING a dog will be outlawed. Then will come outlawing ‘owning’ the dog. Think hard about it. I’m telling you the truth.
