American dog show enthusiasts are famous for living in their own little worlds. Who can blame them? Like most middle class people living in the United States, the person who shows dogs for hobby or lifelong endeavor, works full time and has little left over for anything else. But we are also living in a politcially correct society where dog owners - who do not understand what show dogs are all about - have been repeatedly told that people who breed and show dogs are adding to the numbers of unwanted dogs at animal shelters. This of course, is not true but while the dog show enthusiast goes about his or her merry way, grooming and training and conditioning for the next big show - misguided masses swayed by animal rights rhetoric - are poised to change our laws - in every town across America - making it impossible for you and me to show, breed or love our purebred dogs.
Last week I attended a dynamic all-animal conference in Vancouver, Washington. It was held by the National Animal Interest Alliance and the information I absorbed, the ideas that I walked away with have resonated deeply.
As catharsis I will be writing about the many things I learned from this experience. The conference was well attended. For three days, we listend to lectures and watched power-point presentations on the many-faceted world of animal welfare. There were speakers from many different persepectives. New infomation on the Hoarder mentality was shared with the group, we learned something of the concerns of Animal Control Officers, got an indepth look at dog fighting in the U.S., we learned that cat fanciers face the same problems as dog breeders and I listened deeply as a Golden Retriever breeder and physicians presented in a slide show, the serious nature of dog bites - something he sees in the ER on a regualr basis which is why breeding for sound temperaments is above all else in his book. At the NAIA summit were Psychiatrists,Veterinarians, Medical Doctors, AKC dog show judges, AKC field reps, a rep from the Cat Fanciers Association, PhD's, Lawyers, Lobbiests, an expert on Zoos, bird experts, cat experts and dog experts. There were also a couple of independant writers like me. But - and this is a very important "But" ....
...there was not one single editor of a major dog magazine present at this conference. Not one book publisher. None of the magazines that depend on our world of dogs to keep them floating - sent a writer - or a representative. Indeed, while the conference was taking place, two of our best dog show magazines had representatives visiting China to help launch dog showing over there. Now, don't get me wrong, I adore those "representatives" I really do - but I do not undertand why mentoring people who live in a country where basic human rights are routinely ignored - is more important than keeping our own country safe for dog owners and breeders?
Why didn't the succesful American dog magazines send a representative to the NAIA animal summit? It can't possibly be budget concerns. They may say that but who are they kidding? Editors, publishers,board of directors wake up. You make your living from a free society that embraces dogs. What will you be doing in ten years if the American public's right to own and breed dogs is gone? What will you publish then? A museum piece?
But lets not just single out the dog magazines, there weren't reps from there weren't any reps from the Horse, Cat or Bird magazines either - nor were there any of the folks that burn up the newsgroup chat group wires.
Why weren't you there?
My life in dogs has taken me places that I could not have imagined as a child. Because of dogs I have camped out under the stars in the Rocky Mountains, I have paddled canoes on the Chesapeake River, I have walked the halls of the National Portrait Gallery, I have attended the great Westminster Kennel Club dog show, I have ridden to hounds, photographed the Kentucky Derby, chronicled herds of Mustangs running free in Wyoming, shot over bird dogs, authored award winning articles, rescued dogs in the aftermath of Katrina, mentored under greatness and much much more. Of all the things I've done in my "life in dogs", I feel nothing has been more important than my attendence at this conference because if someone is going to keep dog ownership and breeding as a way of life in America, it falls to me. No, I'm not being arrogant. What I mean is, it falls to me and everyone else in the United States that loves dogs and is committed enough to put their words and energies into action.
It is time to take a stand. Stop being afraid of what your readers will think. NAIA Director, Patti Strand likes to quote a famous poster that once hung on the office door of an associate. It read, "Lead, follow or get out of the way." Are you afraid your readers will be against you because they've been brainwashed by the animal rights movement? Remember, "lead follow or get out of the way". If you happen to make your bread and butter from animals, I would suggest that you start leading your readership to the truth - a truth you can articulate through the many pages of facts on this very website.
We are in a battle for our right to own and breed dogs. And it really is simply black or white. You are either for the rights of an individual to own and breed dogs or you are not. All else - philosophy of gang members, irresponsible ownership laws, animal shelter issues - all these things can be discussed within our own circle of animal die-hards while our rights as breeders and users of animals remain in tact - but only if we participate in a solution.
Where were you?
Today in California a very important bill is being decided. (AB 1634) which will either be defeated or cause thousands of California citizens to lose their right to breed dogs. Its a mandatory spay and neuter - to be frank, this bill is a cow patty dressed up in silk ribbons. The pet people don't understand a shrinking gene pool so getting the word out to state representatives and laypeople fell to the small, sect of purebred enthusiasts. Has it passed? Has it failed? What is certain is that those old arguments we all have - over tail sets and croups, shoulder lay-back and length of forearms, will all be mute points if our right to breed and own dogs is removed from our American way of life.
And while we jealously keep an arms length distance between ourselves and our competitiors, the animal rights movement is embracing everyone who is against us. Collectively, the animal rights supporters are working systematically to eliminate dogs from our society - so while Whippet breeders worry over size and misplaced croups - while English Cocker enthusiasts discuss the proper cobby body versus the "English Setter look" - and while Briarders malign American type in favor of the long bodied "Euro-style" - the Animal Rights promoters see us all as simply "The enemy".
"Where were you when the lights went out?" is a question we may all someday soon be asking ourselves. What will be your answer?