Why is the AKC like the KKK?

It IS a clever ad. However the image of the KKK is repulsive to me in this context as well as others. I was also one of the PETA supporters who protested the "Holocaust on Your Plate" exhibit. I value the lives of animals and do not eat them. Nor would I declaw dock nor crop any part of an animal. Nor do I breed animals. Every animal in my care was rescued or adopted. I also value the lives opinions and emotions of human animals. Images of the Holocaust in which 6M innocent men women and children were killed and images that bring to mind thousands of lynchings burning homes and crosses make it MORE difficult for me to promote what PETA stands for. I consider these sorts of ads to be "preaching to the choir". I have heard from many people to whom I spread the message of animal rights and vegetarianism that they simply cannot get past the first page when they see these images. On other Web site forums when I bring up PETA or speak against untrue representations of PETA it is difficult to get the message out for being asked to defend ads such as this one especially to my African American and Jewish friends. I also want to mention that "All Breeds Are Created Equal" while a sentiment that I heartily agree with is another statement that is thrown at me as an example of hypocrisy in light of PETA's stance on Breed Specific Laws. I know that PETA's goal is to limit breeding of ALL animals so as to reduce prevent the suffering of the homeless and abused but again it's sometimes very hard to make that point when confronted with "PETA wants ALL ANIMALS DEAD." Not true but I am called upon to defend this statement before I can pass on the positive aspect of animals rights and veganism. I am a huge supporter of PETA's work. I strongly believe in the mission and I applaud PETA for making clear its position on many issues. My first longing to be vegetarian was when I was five years old and fell in love with the animals on my aunt's farm. At one dinner my aunt stood up and proudly announced that everything on the table came from the farm itself. I looked at the ham and was filled with horror when for the first time I made the connection between meat and the animals in this case my pig friend Buster it came from. I looked into the gentle eyes of my purebred Beagle Scout and could not reconcile my love for him with eating any animal. The fact that he was purebred made no difference to me but I do love and admire the wonderful temperament of a beagle which is a hallmark of the breed. I do NOT support breeding in a world where so many animals are homeless. I also believe that people are often first called to believe in animals rights through their love of an animal companion. Thank you for letting me express my opinion. I am happy that different points of view are valued here.

The AKC is NOT trying to create a master race or discriminate mixed breeds or encourage people to breed. In fact the AKC almost allowed mixed breeds to compete in companion events. It accrues to me that PETA has only seen Puppy Mills and thus thinks that all breeders must be Puppy Mills. NOT true. I've also met people who have had problems with rescue dogs and people who looked at shelters but ether couldn't find the right dog or the breed that they wanted. Besides if everybody adopted then where would all those Pet Quality puppies that are from socalled "Irresponsible" Breeders And I don't mean BYBs Pet Stores and Puppy Mills. I mean the people that actually care about the dogs that they breed and where they go. People who PETA has obously never seen.? And if we all adopted from shelters and spayedneutered our dogs pretty soon there would be almost no dogs. I adopted my dog and she's one of the best dogs ever and I'd like to adopt more dogs but I wouldn't get all of my dogs from shelters and not all of them would just be pets nor would all of them be spayed or neutered.

Ok we will stick you in one of the chicken farms and see if you still feel the way you do. I believe the commercial was awesome and a damn good point! I shared it with all the people in my buddy list. I pray that somehow we can get protective legislation for ALL of God's beautiful creatures!

Commentary by animal rights theorist Gary Francione httpwww.abolitionistapproach.com?pageid73 3. Question Does the institution of pet ownership violate animals basic right not to be regarded as things? Answer Yes. Pets are our property. Dogs cats hamsters rabbits and other animals are mass produced like bolts in a factory or in the case of birds and exotic animals are captured in the wild and transported long distances during which journey many of them die. Pets are marketed in exactly the same way as other commodities. Although some of us may treat our companion animals well more of us treat them poorly. In America most dogs spend less than two years in a home before they are dumped at a pound or otherwise transferred to a new owner more than 70 percent of people who adopt animals give them away take them to shelters or abandon them. We are all aware of horror stories about neighborhood dogs on short chains who spend most of their lives alone. Our cities are full of stray cats and dogs who live miserable lives and starve or freeze succumb to disease or are tormented by humans. Some people who claim to love their companion animals mutilate them senselessly by having their ears cropped their tails docked or their claws ripped out so that they will not scratch the furniture. You may treat your animal companion as a member of your family and effectively accord her or him inherent value or the basic right not to be treated as your resource. But your treatment of your animal really means that you regard your animal property as having higher than market value should you change your mind and administer daily and severe beatings to your dog for disciplinary purposes or not feed your cat so that she will be more motivated to catch the mice in the basement of your store or kill your animal because you no longer want the financial expense your decision will be protected by the law. You are free to value your property as you see fit. You may decide to polish your car often or you may let the finish erode. The choice is yours. As long as you provide the minimal maintenance for your car so that it can pass inspection any other decision you make with respect to the vehicle including your decision to give it to a scrap dealer is your business. As long as you provide minimal food water and shelter to your pet any other decision you make apart from torturing the animal for no purpose whatsoever is your business including your decision to dump your pet at the local shelter where many animals are either killed or sold into research or have your pet killed by a willing veterinarian. Many years ago I adopted a hamster from a law school classmate. The hamster became ill one night and I called an emergency veterinary service. The veterinarian said that the minimum amount for an emergency visit was $50 and asked me why I would want to spend that amount when I could get a new hamster from any pet shop for about $3. I took the hamster to the veterinarian anyway but that event was one of the first times my consciousness was raised about the status of animals as economic commodities. As someone who lives with seven rescued canine companions whom I love dearly I do not treat this matter lightly. Although I regard my companions as family members they are still my property and I could decide tomorrow to have them all killed. As much as I enjoy living with dogs were there only two dogs remaining in the world I would not be in favor of breeding them so that we could have more pets and thus perpetuate their property status. Indeed anyone who truly cares about dogs should visit a puppy milla place where dogs are bred in the hundreds or thousands and are treated as nothing more than commodities. Female dogs are bred repeatedly until they are spent and are either killed or sold into research. We should of course care for all those domestic animals that are presently alive but we should not continue to bring more animals into existence so that we may own them as pets.

Great adI don't suppose we'll be seeing it any time soon on Animal Planet! HA.