“The state that has no business in the bedrooms of the nation seeks to insert itself into the fallopian tubes of its poodles.”
My op-ed in today’s National Post.
“The state that has no business in the bedrooms of the nation seeks to insert itself into the fallopian tubes of its poodles.”
My op-ed in today’s National Post.
“AS I read your retort to the vet, I had to pause and wonder about your punctuation. Did you mean to write: “But how will that affect her future as my foundation, BITCH!””
Love it, love it, love it!!!!!
I tend to keep what I find under the back porch, but good for you. I’d buy the Post today, if that were possible.
Joe @1:48 & 1:49 – speaking of the renaissance, Shakespeare said it too, but classy, like.
Right Davers! I really think the National Post s/b notified of their editing snafu.
there’s Kate, shamelessly promoting herself on her own blog:-))))))
well written Kate!!!!
Me I try to keep my dogs away from the vet as much as possible, but when necessary we use a “farm” vet, little smarter people they are:-))))
Hi Kate, very pithy post, but before you condem the vets, look at the schools that produce them and who is contoling the curriculem. Most importantly strive to uncover who is promoting the “standards of practise” the vets are basing their position on.
I haven’t looked into at all, but am certain their will be a UN standard (probably via Agenda 21 that covers these points and paints you as a barbarian.
btw our dog is a goldie and he is as wonderful a beast as a family could ever hope for.
Great article and so very true.
Some years ago we took in a starving tomcat.
It preferred clawing our leather furniture over all scratchposts offered. I took it to the vet and enquired how much they would charge to remove it’s front claws. The cat loving vet stated that they felt this practice was cruel, and would not perform the procedure.
I then asked how much they would charge to euthanize the cat.
The declawing cost $125.00
Well-written article Kate. I am a semi-retired veterinarian, and an animal lover without reserve (although I like to think with a strong practical side – e.g. I am not a vegetarian, not anti-hunting, think PETA does way more harm than good, etc). A big part of the reason that I took fairly early retirement from the veterinary profession was that I did not like the direction the profession was taking, and I still don’t. When I went to school, we were frequently told that people entered the profession for the love of animals, because it was way down on the pay scale in comparison to other professions. Well, not anymore, I can tell you – veterinarians have rectified that quite nicely, thanks very much, and not always justified, in my humble opinion.
Just one small point of clarification, Kate, with respect to the last line of your article. Perhaps a few rare breeds could die out if people are over-zealous with the spaying and neutering, but I think that the average vet will never run out of patients – there is still a lot of reproducing going on!!
Yeah, isn’t it funny that those on the “other” side of the political spectrum who said the government has no place in the bedroom of the nation have now shoved their way into EVERY room in the house, bedroom and kennel included?
Great article, Kate. You’re a woman of many talents.
After a poodle came our way — a neighbour bred them, and my family — well, I — wanted a dog that didn’t shed — we fell in love with him, and began to appreciate “show” dogs. His father and umpteen of his cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters — some filling dual roles — were champions.
A testicle that didn’t descend ended any possible championships, which was actually a relief to me, though getting to know our puppy’s extended family and the person who bred them gave me a new appreciation of the dedication and care involved in dog breeding.
Keep giving them Hell, Kate!
Catherine? What a lovely name. Saintly and yet, imperious. Of course Kate would be its diminutive.
I’ve always said that C/Katherine is a dangerous name. There are lots in my family. I don’t know a K/Catherine who doesn’t know her own mind and who isn’t shy about expressing it!
Nice article Kate Thanks, It seems there’s an activist Statist working every freakin corner, trying to take away our right for everything and they’re all so convinced they’re right.
Miss Kate,
You are a formidable lady. Looks good on you. Give them hell. Take no prisoners is a good motto.
Don’t ever watch demolition derby, this one looks good to me.
Congrats on a great article Kate.
I’ve had mutts all my life, they just seem to fall into our house, in need, our last mutt was a greyhoundX. After Christmas we are going to look for a rescue Greyhound (or two). They are a gentle breed that have been abused by humans for profit, and their lives are so short if they can not run fast.
I have no problem with spaying or neutering if you just want a family pet, but if it is a potential champion of it’s breed you would be crazy to do that. Vets unfortunately only look at dollars in some cases. My vet wanted extensive tests done on our 16 year old greyhound, who could not walk anymore, had stopped eating and was blind, we found a compassionate vet instead.
I read the article. I don’t know much about the subject and I’m not an animal person generally, but it sounded good.
Personally I think the really good news is that, with multiple mentions in Lorrie Goldstein’s Toronto Sun columns and now exposure as with this article, and also with the efforts of Ezra Levant to expose the phony human rights commissions, word is getting around that the blogs are pulling their weight and then some.
A beautiful piece of writing, Kate. It made a real emotional connection here despite my general indifference to the subject.
Here’s the deal: I now feel that I could recognize a passage of your writing, were it presented to me unsigned. You have a truly distinctive voice.
It rings true from start to finish and is utterly free of superfluity.
John Begley: LOL.
Brilliant, Kate. Thank you.
I once visited a vet who began the examination of my Pomeranian by checking behind the ears for mats. I guess had she found any, I might have possibly lost possession of my dog!
Where I live you must belong to a breed club with an enforced code of ethics in order to get state permission to breed a litter (limit one litter per year). How stupid is that? Where is our freedom to breed creatively, as we see fit, for beauty, or health, or work, or whatever purpose we choose. Where is the encouragement to induce newcomers to try their hand at breeding?
Not only is there a five-year window towards extinction considering the reproductive years of the bitch, but also most likely there exists a five-year window for eliminating the interest and passion of new dog hobbyists. Either condition will bring extinction of breeds in the not-so-distant future, and both in combination are frightening.
Brilliant, Kate. Thank you.
I once visited a vet who began the examination of my Pomeranian by checking behind the ears for mats. I guess had she found any, I might have possibly lost possession of my dog!
Where I live you must belong to a breed club with an enforced code of ethics in order to get state permission to breed a litter (limit one litter per year). How stupid is that? Where is our freedom to breed creatively, as we see fit, for beauty, or health, or work, or whatever purpose we choose. Where is the encouragement to induce newcomers to try their hand at breeding?
Not only is there a five-year window towards extinction considering the reproductive years of the bitch, but also most likely there exists a five-year window for eliminating the interest and passion of new dog hobbyists. Either condition will bring extinction of breeds in the not-so-distant future, and both in combination are frightening.
“Conspiracy Theory 9/11 1/4 Jesse Ventura”
WEll I did and do Kate. I have had Brittany’s for some 30 years – some trial champs, some hunting dog EX winners but by and large they were my hunting buddies and I have a good deal of respect for them. It Pees me off when I have vets lecturing me about the morality of hunting animal cruelty as they stich up the back of one of my dogs who went through a barbed wire fence incautiosly in the heat of a hunt on a hot sent. Yeah it’s happened more than once and always from the usual source. As one other poster said it usually comes from some politically indocrinated tyro fresh from college.
This experience has led me to do much of my own non surgical vet work. These vet clinics in larger urban areas are bastions of PC retaliation against the tradition of the working gun dog.
A superb piece Catherine. From a very narrow perspective you painted a broad picture that all concerned citizens should at least thoughtfully consider.
The lamestream media in this country have overlooked what you bring to their table.
Of course being predominantly vegans the meat and potatoes don’t appeal.
Sad that.
Syncro
I loved the article. You know the anti-Jews use the same arguments against circumcision. Hard to counter out right lies or innuendos. To plant seeds of mistrust in order to force their view. Which of course is more power & funding for them. They will regulate dogs out of existence in the name of their health. Gee sounds like the same rhetoric used in Health care.
I let my Animals if female to have a litter. I find they live longer. Oh yeah guess who owns most of the Pet food Companies. Yup you guessed it.
JMO
Something which appears to have gone unconsidered is that there are breeds which are used for specific purposes that would end up “non-existent” if the “pet police” have their way. And these aren’t breeds used for hunting or show, they are ones which are downright “helpful”:
1) Dogs used by police to locate humans and/or bodies (frequently used during major catastrophes, particularly such as earthquakes)
2) Drug-sniffing dogs
3) Explosive-sniffing dogs
4) Food-sniffing dogs (used to enforce quarantines against various things; I recently ran across one in Australia that was checking for items coming in that may have foot & mouth disease)
5) And, the “biggie” – “Service dogs”, those utilized by the blind, deaf, and otherwise handicapped to allow them to “Mainstream”. It’s my understanding that many of these dogs are specifically bred for reasons of intelligence, personality and obedience (Kate, feel free to correct me if necessary). If “breeding is wrong” becomes a truism, then many of these breeds which have been developed to work with humans and perform important tasks will vanish – and no one has yet identified a reasonable alternative to replace them.
I’d love to hear a government mouthpiece try to explain to a blind person that “you can’t have a guide dog; breeding them is forbidden by law”.
As a dog lover, I learned a lot from this article. The tie-in to environmentalism was also astute as the ‘green’ movement is as irrational, unscientific, and mystical a doctrine as are most forms of groupthink including those who advocate the mantra of spay/neuter while espousing that domesticated dogs eat only ‘raw’ food.