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Praises and PiddlesHere's where we give our honest opinion about all kinds of things dealing with companion animals. Whether you agree or disagree, drop us a note and tell us how you feel.
eBay Inc.'s No Live Pets Sales Policy
Rescue Groups
These folks give time, effort, money and hearts to help animals in need. If you are looking for a new best friend, check out the many Florida rescue groups we've listed on FloridaPets.
Declawing
Declawing is amputation, period. No way around it. And yes, we know veterinarians perform onychectomies (declawing surgery) "all the time", so how could it be bad, right?
First of all, it's pricey, sometimes costing several hundred dollars. Spaying and neutering is less expensive, but people will often complain about the cost of that. Then there's the actual procedure: declawing a cat is a grotesque, maiming sort of surgery. Kitty's toes are actually amputated, at the last joint. It can cause a cat to have chronic pain for the rest of his/her life.
And if those things don't deter someone from demanding the declawing surgery, it's worth noting that declawed cats are more likely to develop litter box, biting, or other behavioral issues, sometimes the very reasons people decide to have a cat declawed in the first place!
But don't just take our word for it, educate yourself on this topic. For some terrific resources, please check out
De-clawing.com, a clearinghouse to online information about declawing.
"Hybrid" Pets
They're also known as "designer dogs" and the American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC) is pushing them like they're the latest Lexus model. Dogs called "shepadoddle", a German Shepard-standard poodle mix are, according to the ACHC, "bred deliberately in hopes of duplicating the best traits of
each within a single dog."
In a day where hundreds of thousands of animals are killed every year in animal shelters because there are not enough homes for all of them, we find "breeding deliberately" to be irresponsible and that's our tactful way of putting it!
You want a Schnoodle - a miniature schnauzer-poodle? How about a labradoodle - a Labrador-poodle, or a goldendoodle - a golden retriever-poodle? There's always the St. Berdoodle - a St. Bernard-poodle or a Yorki-poo - a Yorkshire
terrier-poodle, or even a Shocker - a Shiba Inu-cocker spaniel.
Advocates of this "deliberate breeding" say about 500 litters of over 200 types of hybrids are registered each month, compared with about 100 a month two years ago. Those are disturbing statistics.
News flash! Yu can also find most of the above named "hybrids" at most animal shelters or rescues. Supposedly, the puggle, which is a cross between a pug and a beagle, is currently the most popular hybrid. We actually have one of those dogs in our family -we found him at our local human society shelter more than three years ago.
Not surprising, the Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America is against the whole hybrid rage. They call it "disgusting." The American Kennel Club is against it too and has issued a terse warning that the mixes are not recognized as "official breeds," a bummer if your snob factor is high. They do, however, make a good point when they state that crossing two different breeds could bring forth the worst physical or behavioral characteristics in both.
If you're looking for an example, we think the images called forth if you're breeding a "Pitdoodle", a mix of poodle and pit bull, form a perfect example. Our bottom line? Don't pay thousands of dollars for animals being deliberatly bred for profit! Instead, spend just a few bucks at your local animal shelter or rescue group and find the genuine deal, a true hybrid if you will, a furry little he or she who is already here and who could really use a good home and plenty of food and love.
Classifieds That Allow We have opposed this practice for decades and it still goes on. Often people are actually profiting from these listings! While we try and educate those we personally come in contact with, it's a constant challenge.
Recently, a moderator of a for-free-stuff board defiantly informed us she thought having free pets on the board gave people a chance to get a "good" pet and anything was better than ending up at the "pound." Well, here at FloridaPets.net, we're more concerned with pets getting good people and there certainly are worse fates than an animal shelter.
When many people want a dog, or cat, or other pet GONE
so badly they'll give the poor thing away, they usually want it gone YESTERDAY and concern for the animal isn't going to be too high on their list.
And for many, many unwanted animals, being taken to a
"pound" is a far better outcome than being placed with
people who will exploit them again, or worse, because
they were considered nothing more than a freebie
"thing", a piece of property, on an internet listing board, no better than
a futon or a trumpet.
There are people out there, checking out the "Free Pet" ads, looking for animals for experimentation, illegal fights with other animals, free food for other animals, etc., etc...the list goes on! Why should they pay for a dog, cat, etc., when these classifieds advertise plenty of free animals?
I could reference TONS of great Web sites that could
help me explain the problem with free pet ads,
but the following one is probably one of the best. It
talks about dangers already mentioned, but it's
even more specific: Why "Free To Good Home" Ads Are A Bad Idea!
This is why we'll always work to not allow "free pet" ads or classifieds on FloridaPets.net or on our message board. We are not going to permit "free pet" postings and then simply hope for the best for the animals involved.
Auto "Vents"
Ads for a version of this product are showing up on the internet and television. The vent is made by a manfacturer we won't name here because we don't want to give them any publicity. This type product has made our "Piddles" list because it's being touted as something unique, operated by solar power, that can take the heat out of your car when it's been left sitting in the sun all day and the ad copy doesn't warn you that it's dangerous to animals.
A Tampa television station tried it out and found it did not decrease the temperature inside a car, rather it did the opposite: the temperature inside the car actually rose when the product was used! Warning: do not use such a product thinking you can "more safely" leave your pet inside your car, even for a minute.
In the Florida heat, year-around, there is no safe amount of time - heat inside a vehicle can climb to 120° in a matter
of minutes, even with the windows partially open. High
temperatures can cause pets to suffer from brain
damage or die from heatstroke or suffocation.
Puppy Mills
A poster on an animal rescue group recently left the following message: "The millers will soon be culling so that they do not have to feed the dogs through the winter time." You see, dogs over 8 years of age and dogs that can't breed repeatedly are no longer profitable for the puppy mill people. Once deemed no longer useful, many dogs "working" at puppy mills will be killed by the same people who've made money breeding them over and over and over again - those people are known as the "millers."
The most important thing we can do to help end the misery that is life for these animals is to never buy an animal from a pet store. Only when the demand for so-called "pure breed puppies" ends will the suffering of the animals end. If you'd like to learn more about puppy mills and/or how to help a puppy mill dog, check out the following resources:
Prisoners of Greed Small Paws Rescue Choke Collars
We weren't really aware very many people still used these, but after a tragedy at a Florida dog park which involved a dog wearing a metal choke collar, we felt we'd better place them on our piddles list and tell you why.
Some people will tell you choke collars are only to be worn for training, that they should not be worn all the time as a regular collar because of the risk of injury to the dog's neck. We don't really think they should be used at all!
Gentle Leader® Headcollars
We used to think these collars might be OK for training purposes with larger dogs. You've probably seen these around. These collars have a neck strap and a nose loop. But we have recently learned these too are not recommended by the experts. While these collars are not muzzles, nor do they "choke" an animal, they do apply pressure to the back of the dog's neck, effectively tilting the neck sideways and causing a dog discomfort and often creating the formation of "rub lines" across a dog's nose...not cool! One trainer we talked to said they also give other people the impression that your dog is "vicious." If you're taking your dog out in public, into dog parks, around children, etc., why would you want to make your dog seem mean and out of control? One of the Web sites we found that sell the Gentle Leader® collars calls them the, "Ten Minute Attitude Adjuster" and frankly, that attitude from humans makes us wince!
Deemed a wonder drug for arthritic animals, this is really poison in a handy prescription. Here's a Study About Rimadyl® you should read. Staying Informed About Animal Health Issues
Speaking of warnings and recalls, there's a whole controversy brewing over the dangers of all kinds of vaccinations for pets. Immunization protocol is being reviewed, people are asking questions, change is in the air. There is an ever-growing number of resources for concerned pet guardians about the dangers of vaccinations.
We at FloridaPets.net advocate everyone conducting their own investigation and educating themselves about this issue - and others in the future. Knowledge is power and you can put that power to use for your animal by checking out the following links:
CatShots.com Canine Health Concern CritterAdvocacy.org Dr. Jeffrey Levy DVM, PCH Electronic Pet Containment and Behavior Training Devices
We get asked once in a while why we are not interested in trading links with companies who make or market electronic pet containment and behavior training devices. There's all kind of information out there about how inhumane these devices really are. Try this link for one: HelpingAnimals.com.
PETA and many other animal welfare groups say electronic training devices such as "invisible fences" and anti-barking collars are cruel tools relying on painful punishment and negative reinforcement that make dogs live in fear of being electrocuted when they cross invisible lines, bark, or jump. Positive training methods, in which dogs are rewarded for what they do right, rather than physically harmed for what they do wrong, are more humane, more effective alternatives.
Plus, while these containment devices may "babysit" your dog, so you can leave him or her unattended out in your yard, they will not keep another animal or human intruder out of your yard. Your dog is then left defenseless and could easily be attacked by another animal (including alligators) -- or a dangerous individual.
And all those opinions aside, I will tell you of my own experience. I was once at a trade show where these "invisible fences" were being sold. I mentioned to the person working the table that I had concerns about the product. He assured me a dog "wouldn't feel much at all." To prove his point, he hooked me up to the little device he had there, adding a lead to my right index finger. He then gave me a "little shock" he said was at about the level to be used for a miniature poodle that weighed 12-14 pounds.
The jolt I received was anything but "a little shock" and my finger and thumb hurt the rest of the day! And I have a pretty high threshold to pain, my friends. I left his booth "shocked" in more than one way and he was still laughing as I walked away. So no amount of "salesmanship" will ever convince me these devices are humane. Before considering such horrible devices, please check out the Web site given above and remember my little story. Our companion animals are precious additions to our lives, not to be hurt or harmed in any fashion, for any reason, certainly not by our own hands! Sign up here for our FREE newsletter FloridaPets.net |
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