Taking A Firm Stand

I run a very small, very quiet exotic pets list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/exotic_pets.

Most pet owners and breeders, however, have sold themselves out to at least some degree to the animal welfare extremists, and this is quite evident on the biggest club of exotic animal enthusiasts at Yahoogroups, Phoenix Exotics. There are breeders on that list, but there are also "rescues" "sanctuaries" "wildlife rehabbers" and all that ilk. Each of those is working to wittle away pet owners' rights bit by bit, and they are succeeding.

I will not put up with animal welfare extremism and "I'm so great because I CARE about the animals!" attitudes on my list.

Description:

Info, stories and how to acquire animals besides cats and dogs. List position: pets are not "children", children are not pets. Animals are animals, and people are people. Animals may be bought, sold, traded or given away for free, rehomed, not "adopted" "fostered" or "rescued". "adopt" and "foster" are terms meant for child care, not pet owning. "Rescue" implies the animal was suffering with the previous owner or in dire straights. If an animal is in need of a new home, it needs a new home, not "rescuing" from the previous owner. When you need to sell or rehome an animal, make sure it's going to a pet owner and not a rescue for the sake of your own reputation. This list does not promote in any way the popular animal welfarist position that every new potential owner is bad and must have the heck screened out of them before proving worthy of owning a pet. When selling or rehoming an animal, give some info about the animal and how to contact you. That's all. None of this "I will only consider people who will provide a good, responsible, 'forever home'" It goes without saying you want your animal in a good home and no one wants to be turned down just because they might not have answered one of your ridiculous "screening" questions right as a potential pet owner. You are placeing an animal, not a child, and you're not auditioning for American Idol. Talking about your "rescues" is considered bragging and you won't last long here. Wildlife rehabbers/animal sanctuaries need not apply, as they tend to be against their favored animal being owned as a house pet besides themselves. We do not support the ar idea that they should be only in the wild, or their agenda to end pet ownership through speuter. No telling anyone what or how many animals they should and shouldn't keep.

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That was the original description and I thought it was made clear enough what is or is not acceptable.

But then somebody subscribed, with this comment:

"I raise fennec foxes. I try to educate potential new owners BEFORE they
make an impulse buy."

I initially approved, then immediately removed their membership. Simply owning and breeding animals isn't enough to be on this list, you have to stop assuming the worst about potential pet owners, period.

Therefore, I have added this to the description.

* * *

No bragging about "educating potential owners from impulse-buying" No promotion of animal welfare activism. Anyone should have the right to keep the pet of their choice. (within reason, that is understood.)

* * *

In addition, I added this link.

We have got to stop trying to police ourselves out of our basic rights to happiness while calling it "for the good of" this or that.

 

http://animalwelfarecruelty.pbworks.com

http://capri.pbworks.com/Let's+Get+This+Straight+Right+Now

Posted via email from capri