4 Gen Gap
The people in the animal rights movement sometimes do not seem to understand which issues they could win on and which issues are not ripe yet.
For example: hunting. It is not possible to stop deer hunting, the deer multiply too quickly, and would slowly starve in the winter, if not shot in the fall. And rodents and rabbits multiply even quicker. Deer, rabbits, and gophers eat our vegetables and our cereals. We would starve if they weren't killed.
You can't say "stop hunting" unless you have a better plan for population control of the animals that would destroy our crops.
On the use of pets for research, the time is ripe for explaining more humane methods, but not for ending the medical torture of animals, because enough alternatives have not yet been thought up.
But improvements in how experimental animal are handled and housed are do-able. Improved conditions for laboratory animals are good for PR.
And the scientist themselves are less emotionally damaged by negative thoughts about what they are doing, if they can clearly see that the animals live well between applications.
It is easier for both the scientists and the public,to justify medical experiments if they know that the lab animals are kept humanely and where the animals have freedoms and pleasures - like a social life with others of their kind, and an environment to explore and enjoy.
This is more easily done with dogs like beagles who can live in packs, than with dogs that can't get along well with each other. (Similar to a problem that dog breeders, and pet dog owners have.)
Where possible & practical, if the people who are involved with experimenting on animals, can see that the animals have plenty of kind handling by humans so that when the experiment is over, the animal can go on to a new life as pets, then the scientist and lab workers, can feel less bad, and more humane, about themselves, and how they believe the public sees them.
Many Animal Rights people might not feel that this Animal Welfare compromise goes far enough, but Rome was not made in a day, and all big issues are done one step at a time. As each improvement is made, costs and effects observed, and new ideas thought about & commented on, then another step in the right direction is taken.
I love animals, but I understand people & industry well enough to know that you can't just paint a picture of an ideal situation, and tell other people or industry to "Make the world like this".
You have to think up an improvement, get it used, then think up yet another improvement.You lead industry towards a better goal, one step at a time.
On the issues of pets and the industries and organization that produce and structure them, the time is right. Not always because of the pets themselves (pets have no legal voice in courts) but because of side issues which affect people, and our future.
Yes, SOMETIMES an admission that it is not good that animals suffer, can be gotten from people who use animals, but they want to hear alternatives - useful ideas for improvements, not just "You want to shut me down?".
The hard part that some people have with being against pets suffering, is that it is a slippery slope. Is a dog that much more alive than a cow? Is a cat really entitled to more than a sheep or goat? Is a Yorkie more worthy of being free of pain than a rat?
Progress to end suffering must really work on the whole concept of animals as beings with feelings.
I think the animal rights people have done themselves a great disservice by not looking into the many areas where laws and regulations (and the great lack thereof) contribute to the suffering of people.
For example: breeding & selling diseased and deformed puppies. The animal rights people harp on the suffering of the puppies, but they ignore the issue of the suffering of the consumers (the people who bought the puppy).
Yes, the AR care about the suffering of the puppies, but the law doesn't recognise animals rights.
The puppies could get better treatment, if the Animal Rights people would just step in and help the consumer, because, does it really matter WHY the puppy is treated better, so long as he is treated better?
The law recognises the consumer. There are real problems between the public and the dog industries. And I think that the animal rights people, and the animal welfare people, should be happy to help the public.
Let's progress intelligently and without hatred or anger.
Hatred wont win you anything you want to have - unless you like prison.
Don't hate the ignorant, or those who can't understand animals the way we do, help educate them, and help our laws move forward, one step at a time.
