[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: FW: [MississippiPetLaw] Spay/Neuter Religious Objections
- From: sheila lieberman <dgshwpromo@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: caretti1@xxxxxxxxxxx, "'Showgsd-L@Freelists. Org'" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:33:30 -0700 (PDT)
It can be argued that health is the best reason to neuter. It prevents
specific cancer from occuring and extends the life of the animal. It also
releaves the stress on both animal and involved humans if said animal cannot
reproduce. It could indeed put the animal's life at risk, if for no other
reaon than the humans involved no longer want to deal with the issues the
animal brings forth.
Now I am not for any legislation to neuter at all, but I do see it as pro
health and say as much to my clients. I have spayed or neutered all the dogs I
have had that I did not want to breed, with the expection of Bucko who cannot
have surgery becuase of the lupus and Bertha who is just not done yet. Liddy
was spayed when I knew I would not breed her again.
sheila
sheila
Cyndi Flautt <caretti1@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
_____
From: MississippiPetLaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:MississippiPetLaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of sookeycapote@xxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 1:18 PM
To: pet-law@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; VCNM_Animal_Control_Forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
VA-pet-law@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; il-pet-law@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
PennDogLeg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; FloridaPetLaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
MississippiPetLaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; DFNYDogLaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
wi_petlaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; CApetlaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [MississippiPetLaw] Spay/Neuter Religious Objections
Mandatory Spay and Neuter Laws Violate
Right Of Religious Freedom For All Jews
by JOHN YATES
The American Sporting Dog Alliance
http://www.american
sportingdogalliance.org
Laws and ordinances that mandate pet sterilization violate the
constitutionally protected right of religious freedom for all practicing
Jews, not just those who adhere to Orthodox beliefs, The American Sporting
Dog Alliance has learned.
This issue was part of the brief filed by dog owners in a lawsuit against
the City of Los Angeles, which recently passed a pet sterilization
ordinance. The court document did not elaborate on the sources for this
opinion.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance has independently verified that
traditional Jewish law - called Halachic Law - specifically forbids all
followers of Judaism from spaying or neutering their pets.
The lawsuit document says the ban on pet sterilization applies to Orthodox
Jews. However, the American Sporting Dog Alliance has verified that it
applies to all practicing Jews, regardless of how reformed, contemporary or
liberal their beliefs.
Jewish law does not prohibit keeping animals, and indeed many practitioners
of Judaism own dogs, cats or other household pets. However, Jewish law does
raise some complications for pet owners ranging from feeding to confinement.
One of those complications, surgical pet sterilization, amounts to an
outright ban of the practice.
Rabbi Howard Jachter of Yeshiva University in New York City summarizes the
issues for practicing Jews.
"Halacha forbids removal of reproductive organs from humans or animals,
whether male or female," Jachta wrote in the Journal of Halacha and
Contemporary Society.
Jachta also wrote that it was a violation of both Rabbinic and Talmudic
principles for a Jew to ask or hire a non-Jewish veterinarian to spay or
neuter an animal, or to transfer the animal to a non-Jewish third party to
perform the procedure.
Jewish law contains 613 Halachic commandments, many of which are routinely
practiced by many if not most Jews. Many regard them as a blueprint to the
practice of Judaism. For non-Jews, perhaps the most familiar Halachic
commandment is the requirement for eating only kosher food, which is
practiced by a large majority of Orthodox Jews and a rapidly increasing
number of liberal Jews. Other well-known Halachic commandments are observing
the Sabbath on Saturday and not working on Saturday.
The issue of pet sterilization arose last year in Israel, where new laws
were aimed at reducing pet populations.
Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, the chief
rabbi of the city of Ramat Gan,
Israel, and one of the leading rabbis
of the religious Zionist
movement, strongly opposed spaying and neutering of pets and other animals.
Last June, Rabbi Ariel issued a ruling that forbids practicing Jews from
spaying female animals or castrating male animals. He cited Halachic law as
the basis for his ruling.
The Torah (Lev. 22:24), a major holy book for practitioners of Judaism,
specifically prohibits castrating a male animal of any species, and the
neutering of female animals is prohibited by general laws against tza'ar
ba'alei chayim (causing suffering to an animal for any reason except to save
the animal's life or cure a dangerous medical condition).
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a part of the Bill of Rights,
forbids government from infringing upon the religious beliefs of any
American. The amendment says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.."
Mandating Jewish people to spay or neuter an animal thus would violate the
"establishment" clause of the First Amendment, if a person adheres to any
part of Halachic law. This potentially applies to all practicing Jews.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance represents owners, hobby breeders and
professionals who work with breeds of dogs that are used for hunting. We are
a grassroots movement working to protect the rights of dog owners, and to
assure that the traditional relationships between dogs and humans maintains
its rightful place in American society and life. Please visit us on the web
at http://www.american
sportingdogalliance.org.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance also needs your help so that we can
continue to work to protect the rights of dog owners. Your membership,
participation and support are truly essential to the success of our mission.
We are funded solely by the donations of our members, and maintain strict
independence.
PLEASE CROSS-POST AND FORWARD THIS REPORT
Have You Joined Yet?
The American Sporting Dog Alliance
http://www.american
sportingdogalliance
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