The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

Opinion

Discussion

October 20, 2010

Voices: A wolf in puppy clothing

By David Whitson Special to The Globe

JOPLIN, Mo. — You have probably seen the large number of TV ads about the Missouri ballot issue referred to as Proposition B. You need to know all of the facts about this issue and why I believe that it is not really about what it says it is.

The ads are paid for by the Humane Society of the United States located in Washington, D.C. According to campaign financing reports, more than 75 percent of the millions being spent on this campaign are paid for with funds outside of Missouri.

While on the surface Proposition B may seem appealing, there is much more all of us as animal and pet lovers should know. Concerns with the proposal as it relates to Missouri’s dog breeders are numerous. Missouri already has laws regulating dog breeders. The breeders you see on the news are operating illegally because they are not registered and inspected by the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

The proposal does absolutely nothing to help put disreputable dog breeders out of business because they will continue to ignore the law. What Proposition B will do is to put many of the 1,400 good dog breeders out of business.

My major concern with this issue is that it will be the first step to put much of the animal agriculture out of business here in Missouri. HSUS has already had ballot initiatives in at least four states which will greatly reduce the ability of family farms to operate in a profitable manner. Animal agriculture is a large source in income for farmers in this area. Producing cattle, poultry and goats is a major source of income in Newton, McDonald, Barry and Lawrence counties. Farm income means jobs and money spent in our urban communities. Pet food production and sales provide jobs for hundreds of people in Joplin.

HSUS, which has an annual budget of over $130 million, spends less than one percent of its funds on the actual care of pets. Instead, HSUS uses our human emotions and attachments to pets to raise millions of dollars annually to finance its campaigns against farmers and animal agriculture.

HSUS and its president, Wayne Pacelle, have an agenda to not only eliminate animal agriculture but also pet ownership. HSUS cleverly disguises the real intent of Proposition B by presenting it as a way to protect pets by ridding our state of unethical dog breeders. I encourage you to vote no.

David Whitson

Joplin

 

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