Now Fay (that they didn’t even get her name right calling her FAYE) is their new pit poster child – but as he carer states – they have not received a single dime in donations from the HSUS.

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=2318

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to this post. Whatever the reason I am grateful that you choose to no longer donate to the HSUS.

Despite what is often suggested, people who support the rights of pet owners are not advocates of animal cruelty. Quite the contrary. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee recently stated that keeping an animal in captivity is abusive. I pretty much fell down when she said that because it reflects a lack of awareness on her behalf. It also horrifies me that she is able to cast a vote that can have an impact on my life. I cannot characterize anything about the way in which my animals are kept as abusive. I feed them, keep them warm, keep their cages clean and give them fresh water. They have no desire for companionship, even within their own species (unless it’s breeding season, of course) so I am not neglecting them on that front. I do not inflict pain on them and if they are not well I take them to the vet. I also respect the rights of my neighbors to not have my choice of pet inflicted on them. I do not force my animals upon them, let them roam about the yard and I go to great lengths to keep them secure in their enclosures.

In your comment you suggest that pets and owners should both be gratified by the relationship. Here is where I think that animal rights advocates sometimes get confused. Anthropomorphism get the best of people sometimes and they think that their dog or cat see the relationship the same way they do. They don’t. But there is a relationship. I have a 4-year old Weimaraner that goes pretty much everywhere with me. She never leaves my side and she is keenly aware of my moods. I consider her a member of my family and spare no expense in seeing to her health and happiness. I love her. But she is not human. She is a dog. She sees our relationship in a different way than me. To her, we are a pack and I am its leader.

Snakes do not have the desire, need or the capacity to have a relationship with me in the way that my dog does. In the wild a snake is focused on 1) not being eaten, 2) getting enough to eat, 3) staying warm, 4) finding fresh water when thirsty and 5) having a good place to hide. If those five needs are met a snake, as much is as possible, is “happy”. I provide all five of those requirements PLUS vet care! This means that your suggestion that a pet relationship must be mutually gratifying is being met, just not in a way that many people readily understand. The counterpoint to my argument is that my snake is still a captive, not free to move about as it sees fit. Here again is an opportunity to clear up misconceptions. If I were to let a snake go in my house, what would it do? It would find the smallest, warmest, little crevice it could and it would jam its entire body into it and stay there. Snakes do not like large open spaces in which to spread out (like humans do). They prefer the perceived security of a small space. They are the antithesis of claustrophobia; they relish it. Snake owners who inflict large spaces on their pets (often in an effort to be more humane) often find that the animals do not thrive. The lack of security provided by a large space is stressful to them. Not every animal judges health, happiness …or abuse in the way that we do.

Finally, an escaped python, is not dangerous. This is misinformation spread by the media and organizations like the HSUS. Convincing ophidiophobes of this is an exercise in futility, of course. In the past 30-40 years in the United States there is no known instance where an escaped large constrictor did anything other than startle someone [who was not its owner].

Best regards,

Colin Weaver

Thank you for donating to local shelters and not the HSUS.

I do not live with a mindset that the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many. Your comment suggests that you do. I hope that is not true. Should we ban all things that are misused by a few? Think of the things that would no longer be available to you. There isn’t enough time left in my life to list them. How many dogs get surrendered each day because people were not prepared for the difficulties of the breed? Does that mean we should ban dogs? And since when is domestication a requirement for being a pet? You think dogs and cats started out domesticated? The overwhelming majority of exotic animals have no capacity to ever be domesticated but that does not mean they are not pet-worthy. Responsible ownership is the key. That is most commonly achieved through education. If education is not sufficient then compliance measures can be taken. But a ban it simply too extreme.

I do not support the irresponsible keeping of any pet. As someone who sells animals to others I consider it my responsibility to make sure they are aware of the caging requirements of the adult version of the animal. The ultimate responsibility is always on the owner, of course. You need to be aware that the overwhelming majority of large constrictor owners are very responsible people. They come from all walks of life and from every strata of our society. The day-in-day-out responsible husbandry always goes unnoticed. It is only when the tiny few do something stupid that attention is given. By way of comparison, did your local news report on how many people made it home safe from work today? I doubt it. But I’ll bet you a $10-spot that they let you know how many people screwed up and crashed into something.

Finally, there will always be “throw aways”. We are a diverse society with all levels of personal responsibility. Just because that is true does not mean you should remove the rights of the people who practice responsible ownership.

Colin Weaver

I personally do not donate to this group…if I am going to donate to an animal shelter – I donate local or sponser a particular animal…but usually my money just goes for the care and upkeep of all the pets I have, all of which are other peoples “throw aways”.

peace out!

With no intentions of disrespecting you on a personal level I have to say that Charity Navigator’s rating is worthless. HSUS is judged by their actions and their actions have worked to eliminate the rights of pet owners in this country. The type of pet doesn’t matter, they are working to eliminate them all. At some point in the past I suspect that HSUS had noble intentions. But along the way those intentions have become malignant and deformed. They are 100% the enemy of every pet owner in this country and to that end their star is falling. Each day more and more people who were once supporters of the HSUS are becoming aware of the lie that they are. I work through every channel available to me to spread the word to anyone who will listen. My message is clear: The HSUS does not have your pets best interest in mind. They want to eliminate your right to have one. They lie to the public about their goals and mislead with their media campaigns. No matter what you do, never again consider giving a single penny to the HSUS.

HSUS is based in Washington, DC. Why does an animal welfare organization need to use donations to pay the tremendous rent that DC office space requires? If they were as focused on animals as they are on lobbying and legislation they would have their headquarters in a much less costly location. Instead they plant themselves a few minutes away from congress, a place where they spend most of their time conspiring to eliminate the rights of responsible pet owners all around this country. This is only one subtle indication of their true nature.

The HSUS is a fraud. Their name is a lie and I believe with ther very fabric of my being that they are an organization with evil intentions. They are masters of deception and con more than 100 million dollars a year in donations using their lies and misdirection.

You should swing back by the Charity Navigator web site and look at the comments posted by people regarding HSUS. They are an organization hated by an ever increasing number of Americans. That makes me smile.

Colin Weaver