The Advice is Wrong

When watching The Price Is Right there are always some things you can rely on: someone out-bidding another person by $1, a chance to win a brand new car, beautiful models, and of course the humane advice from the host to help control the pet population; have your pets spayed or neuter.

I have a problem with that.

I don't have a problem with responsible pet ownership, and as such if one feels they need to have their pets spayed or neutered then you should exercise your conscience.  The problem I have is when one exercises their conscience by railroading it over others.  

For example, I felt compelled to challenge a post on Facebook depicting a picture of a flyer on a telephone pole advertising puppies for sale.  Someone wearing their ASPCA superhero uniform decided to write over the flyer how inhumane the seller was for not depriving the animal the right to reproduce when there are so many homeless animals in shelters.  Many of the commenters in fact went on to point out the evil of breeders and their capitalistic greed. 

There are many problems with this:

1.  Not all animal breeders are irresponsible.  In fact, many animal owners responsibly breed their animals and provide care for the younglings.  I have no problem with these breeders nor do I have a problem if they decide to then sell the younglings.  After all, they have to recompense the cost of providing for a multitude of animals.  Does a rancher give a cow away for free?  Or does he sell it?

2.  Someone actually challenged my stance by stating that until every animal shelter is cleared because every pet is adopted, then pets should be spayed or neutered.  Okay.  So then where do we get the animals then because they just don't come from anywhere?  Orphanages are filled with children and yet we still procreate.  

3.  Irresponsible breeders should be held accountable; not responsible breeders.  This is my stance for every group.  I am tired of seeing the responsible people being punished for the acts of the irresponsible.  Yes, there are irresponsible pet owners but there are more responsible pet owners.  Yes, there are irresponsible hunters but there are also more responsible hunters.  We should not classify the majority based on the irresponsible acts of the minority. 

4.  There are many reasons why people want full breeds and it does not always involve pit bull fighting. Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies are sled dogs so someone living in the Yukon Territory or leading expeditions in Antartica may want full bred sled dogs.  German Shepherds make excellent full utility dogs for military and police forces.  Don't you think they would want full-blooded GS?  There are many great reasons to go to the shelter and adopt whatever tickles you heart, but there are also many reasons to want a pure blood animal as well. 

Bottom line, let each person exercise their own judgement on how to raise their animals.  If they are being irresponsible, then hold them accountable but don't cast the same stone at everyone else.  I hope to have a dog sometime, and while I will have it spayed or neutered it will be because I do not want to raise a litter or pups.  I alone make that decision though, and not some Lori Laughlin commercial. 

Raise your animals responsibly.  Treat them respect.  That's all that is required.