[ SHOWGSD-L ] L.A. Times Editorial
- From: Stormy435@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2006 19:14:32 EST
The misinformation competes the the information
Stormy
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-mutt12mar12,0,4662581.story?coll=la-news-comment-editorials
Barking up the wrong tree
March, 12 2006
REMEMBER "BEST IN SHOW," the spot-on satire about the over-the-top world of
show dogs? If only Los Angeles' real-life remake about show dogs were so funny.
Call it "Dances With Pedigreed Lhasa Apsos."
A proposed ordinance being drafted for unincorporated areas of Los Angeles
County aims, nobly enough, to reduce the number of unwanted dogs in animal
shelters. But this regulation would have too many teeth, prohibiting people
from
owning almost any dog that isn't spayed or neutered â?? except for show dogs.
ADVERTISEMENT
It's as though anyone who isn't in angst over a dog's muzzle-to-head ratio
can't possibly be a responsible pet owner. What started as a law aimed at
controlling vicious Rottweilers and pit bulls is morphing into the canine snob
rule. What's next, randomly pulling over cockapoos for a license check?
Show dogs are fine, for people who like that sort of thing. And they're
seldom seen in the pound. But they come with their own issues, starting with
prices
that approach $1,000. There's also inbreeding and its related health and
temperament problems. Many people prefer mutts for their variety and health â??
not
to mention their low price.
As it happens, the trend now is the designer dog: the intentional crossing of
purebreds to create new breeds. The labradoodle â?? combining, in theory, the
easygoing mien of a Labrador retriever and low-allergen coat of a poodle â?? is
particularly popular, but like other designer dogs, it is not recognized by the
American Kennel Club and thus would be illegal for breeding under the
proposed ordinance.
Owners who license their dog, and pay an extra fee to keep it unaltered, are
probably not the ones whose pets end up crowding the pounds and being put to
death. It's likely that the canine euthanasia problem is caused by people who
don't license their dogs in the first place.
Still, why not just go after the problem of dog overpopulation? Anyone with
an unaltered dog, whether show pooch or mystery mutt, should pay a hefty extra
sum for a license. (At $30, the current fee is twice what owners of a spayed
or neutered dog pay.) And anyone whose dog runs loose should pay a steep fine.
The extra money would go toward increased license enforcement and to subsidize
spaying and neutering.
In other words, require all dog owners to do the responsible thing â?? and
forget the de facto breedism.
Stormy Hope
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Dog's love is different, it requires no return
UPDATED 2/11/06....CHECK IT OUT!!!!
www.FairhopeGSD.com
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