Apologies ...

I know, I know, I said once a week, and I've fallen down on the job. Sometimes life just gets in the way, but stay tuned ... I really am still here.

Denisa Malott has won her case, and animal lovers should be rejoicing. More on that later!

Thoughts on HSUS release of the Smithfield video

Well, just when you thought we finally have HSUS on the run, they've released the Smithfield video. It's every bit as appalling as you'd expect, but this time there's no hysterical narration, just relentless video, showing long lines of sows literally unable to turn around in their crates. 

But before you scramble for HSUS donation line number, or reach for your checkbook, consider some of these aspects of the thing.

For starters, HSUS has known about this for years. They negotiated a deal with these pork producers to abandon these close confinement systems three years ago, giving them 10 years to find a replacement system acceptable to HSUS. 

Wait a minute ... ten years? TEN YEARS ..?

And hold on again - HSUS has no authority whatever to negotiate any kind of a deal - though that's a very polite way to describe their idea of 'negotiation'. I'd think it was more like, 'if you don't stop doing this, we'll out you and ruin your business', which is the same kind of emotional blackmail they use on their animal loving subscribers to get them to support ever more anti animal-ownership legislation. That strategy boils down to 'if you don't support our program to eliminate all animal ownership and use, you support animal abuse'. What charmers.

There's something else. They didn't wait the ten years they'd offered, either. Though some of you may think they didn't wait because of the pigs, the reality is that they don't care about the pigs, but they were able to get their spy into the facility now, so now it's happening. It's not only a matter of them reneging on the deal, it's a purely self-serving endeavor.

They didn't have the authority to negotiate any such reform deal, and they have no authority to enforce their idea of a 'humane standard' on Smithfield or any other corporate animal operation which is overseen by the USDA.

 

So. Save your shekels, and donate them to a no-kill shelter, or buy supplies for them. On this matter, ante up a few first class stamps and write to the USDA and your various Federal representives, and demand an accounting. The USDA  is supposedly in place to see that the animal operations they license operate in a humane manner. If the public raises a big enough stink with the proper authorities, which do not include any of the animal rights organizations, they will actually be forced to act. They backed down on allowing the corporate produce growers to label just about anything 'organic', and they have not so far been able to implement the NAIS program, though they are still working hard at it. They are the authorities  which must address this issue, not HSUS.

So far as HSUS is concerned, they have done all they can do. If you are grateful, send them a thank you card, and assure them you are taking  your concerns to the proper authorities. They won't be pleased, because they want your money, and they want you to believe they are the authority, but I'm sure they will continue their efforts to shock you into supporting another cause they can't fix shortly. If you send them money - and you will be tempted, no doubt, because before you can watch their video, you will have to deal with their begging screen, which assures you again that the money will go to stop all their most valuable (in terms of fund raising) projects - factory farming, puppy mills, dog fighting and all other manner of animal abuse.

When you are tempted to shovel money at them, remember that they have been soliciting funds for thirty years to 'stop puppy mills'. So far, their efforts on that score have resulted in a noticeable reduction of conscientious breeders who screen for health conditions, screen their buyers more stringently than a child adoption agency, contract for any puppies they sell to be returned to them if they have to give them up for any reason whatever, and in all other ways act responsibly on behalf of their stock. They are the targeted breeders, not the USDA licensed high volume commercial producers which are still going strong. If you send them money to 'stop factory farms', they will target the smaller producers, but Smithfield, Cargill et al will continue blithely on, relieved of the competition which lets some of us at least buy pork raised by truly knowledgeable and humane farmers like Walt , who raises pastured hogs for your eating pleasure, without abusing them. 

When you are writing to the authorities, remember to tell them you want the pork subsidies to go to Walt, and other small, humane producers, not to corporate agribiz operators. If the small producers were getting the subsidies, we could afford to buy a lot more of their product. Though we are told over and over again that the only way enough food can be raised to feed the human overpopulation is these corporate practises, the reality is that this kind of operation is much more wasteful than any traditional farming method. Without those subsidies they couldn't compete. And people - what that means is that your tax dollars are supporting these practises. So please do express your outrage to the proper authorities. If you don't, they can shrug and say to one another, 'well, people must be happy with this, we aren't hearing any complaints'. Don't give them that opportunity, make your voice heard. 

One last thought. Last week, animal lovers were up in arms over Pacelle's endorsement of the idea that Michael Vick shouldn't have to wait out his probation, that he should be allowed to have a dog. This outrageis entirely justified; Michael Vick pleaded guilty to atrocities well beyond the 'crimes' most dog breeders are accused (but mostly innocent) of, many of whom have been barred from any animal ownership for life. Don't let this issue of the pigs wipe that from memory. The animal rights goal is to eliminate all animal ownership for all of us, and they need Michael Vick's dog fights and Smithfield's pork factory to ensure your continued support for that agenda. If it weren't for those very well publicized incidents, and any others they can find to wring your wallet dry, you would freely acknowledge and refuse to support the extremist position which is their true one.

And I wonder. Did Smithfield get their ten years respite by sending a fat donation to HSUS? Seems like somebody should ask that question too.

Til later - 

Making a start

Well, I've been encouraged to keep a blog, so here I am. This will mostly be about animal husbandry, animal rights and the issues that surround these things, but I'll certainly digress from time to time to other subjects dear to my heart.

It's clearly going to take some tinkering to get it to look the way I want it to, but I think I've got it sort of functional, so will let it stand for the moment. I'll try to post at least weekly, and to provide interesting links for those of you who are animal lovers, and interested in keeping your right to own pets. Though few people seem to realize it, unless we (who can't imagine life without animals) begin to fight for our animals, we are likely to lose them to ever more agressive animal rights organizations.

Stay tuned - I'll be back soon!