Inside This Issue:
- Lawsuit Against AKC Tossed, but Damage to Purebred Dogs Continues
- Wake up Babe, New Tapeworm Just Dropped
- Free Handling Friday
Lawsuit Against AKC Tossed, but Damage to Purebred Dogs Continues
French Bulldog in its natural environment.
PeTA’s lawsuit against the American Kennel Club (AKC) for promoting “unhealthy breed standards” was tossed this week. This is good news in the here and now, and we are also grateful for the AKC's efforts and willingness to fight this nonsense. But the win has an undeniably Pyrrhic feel to it - like yet another example of winning in the courtroom while losing precious ground in court of public opinion.
This is by design. When it comes to most animal rights-backed legislation and lawsuits, winning is just the gravy. Sure, a win would be great, but the main goal – and what happens regardless of a win or loss – is generating publicity and funds while using the campaign to frame issues from an animal rights perspective. And with some luck, they might even score a “please leave us alone” settlement or concessions from a wealthy target along the way, too. For these groups, legislative campaigns and lawsuits are classic no-lose scenarios.
The current lawsuit fits the playbook perfectly. PeTA “lost” because they were thrown out of court. But with each article that is posted about the lawsuit, the animal rights organization is given a quote where they excoriate “greedy” dog breeders and their “deformed” dogs, and the concept of “unhealthy purebred dogs” is mainlined into the public consciousness. While the Frenchie is still popular today, the AKC description of them as “playful, alert, adaptable, and completely irresistible” is being replaced in popular culture, brick-by-brick, with phrases and terms you are no doubt aware of (and ones we don't feel a need to grant any more air to). How long is this popularity sustainable? And after breeds like the French Bulldog fall out of favor or are banned, how long will it be until anti-dog breeder groups go after the next most popular breed (not long.)
As the aggrieved party in all of this, it seems unfair, maybe even a little victim-blamey, to ask more of breeders. But for us, this lawsuit only highlights how important it is for breeders – along with breed enthusiasts, animal lovers, and frankly anybody with a distaste for ideologically-fueled sensationalism, half-truths, and lies – to be more vocal about the good work they do and their wonderful (and healthy!) animals. And it must be sooner, rather than later – because purebred dogs really can’t afford many more victories like this.
Source: Judge tosses PETA’s lawsuit against the American Kennel Club over dog breed health
Wake up Babe, New Tapeworm Just Dropped
In a survey of 100 Puget Sound coyotes, 37 had E. multilocularis.
Hey – gross! A potentially deadly parasite that was a rarity in North America until about 15 years ago is now officially in the Pacific Northwest. The worm, Echinococcus multilocularis (EM), is actually pretty well-known in Europe and Asia, and has been spreading throughout the United States and Canada in recent years. While it is generally harmless to the foxes and coyotes that carry it, EM weakens and kills rodents (a favorite food of foxes, coyotes, and possibly your pet), and in some cases, can lead to fatal complications in pets and human beings. EM has shown up in a small number of sick dogs in Washington over the last few years, and a recent survey of Puget Sound coyotes showed that more than a third of them were infected with it. Wow! This mirrors the number of infected wild animals found in a 2009 Quesnel, BC survey that was conducted after EM was discovered in a local dog.
It is worth noting that this parasite appeared in North America about a century ago, most likely imported by fox hunters from across the Atlantic. More recently, the culprit is also probably importation (coupled with lax health screening and deworming protocols). The best evidence is that it hitched a ride on a European dog. While EM can be deadly, these findings aren’t shocking, and aren’t something to panic over. But this is something to be aware of – treat it as a horrifically fascinating reminder of why we always had such serious concerns about the slapdash importation of stray dogs – and to make sure our pets are up on their monthly preventatives (and make sure your parasiticides contain praziquantel)!
Source: Parasitic tapeworm—a risk to domestic dogs and humans—found in Washington coyotes
Free Handling Friday
Look ma, no hands!
Most people can appreciate a good-looking reptile or amphibian from a distance. These folks are called “normies.” For some, however, it goes beyond mere appreciation – these people want to learn more about lizards and salamanders, pick up the frog they found under a rock, maybe even care for some of these unique animals as pets. These folks are often called “herpers,” or, if they interact with reptiles in an academic or professional capacity, “herpetologists.” Now, if you narrow it down further, to people who specifically love snakes, you get ophiophilists (does anybody actually use that term?). And then, if you narrow these people down even further – much further – to a small–but-overrepresented subset of the herper community, you get the “free handlers,” a controversial group of snake enthusiasts who, as the name implies, love handling their venomous animals without the use of traditional safety protocols. If you haven’t heard of them, that’s OK – while videos of free handling receive outsized attention, these folks generally only make the news when they get bit.
And those bites are why free handling is an issue. Because a venomous bite doesn’t only affect the handler, it strains emergency services and hospitals, puts the handler’s other animals at risk, damages the reputation of the herper community, and inevitably leads to laws that restrict the ownership of exotic animals.
To dive further into the issue of free handling, we asked the opinion of attorney and NAIA Advisory Board member Art Parola, whose background in conservation and exotic animals (and exotic animal laws) provides a unique perspective. According to Art, “This is America, and being a jackass isn’t illegal, nor should it be.” But he draws a clear line when “jackholish” behavior impinges upon the safety, lives, and livelihood of others. We're obviously biased, but that makes a lot of sense. Here are several questions to ask:
- Who wrangles the venomous snake after someone gets themselves bitten?
- How will these snakes be taken care of? And yes, “taken care of” sounds ominous for good reason.
- The antivenom is often “borrowed” from a generous zoo – what is the cost, and will it be replaced?
- Free handling videos receive a lot more attention than your standard reptile care video. Does this effectively push – or incite – people toward the practice?
- And, of course, there is the community harm – what of the inevitable anti-exotic pet legislation that gets pushed every time one of these people get bit?
Source: Snake Bros Keep Getting Bitten by Their Lethal Pets. Only Zoos Can Save Them
Also in the News...
★ What’s the fastest land mammal in Australia? (A Well-Known Animal and Unexpected Answer)
★ NASA Just Responded To A Cat On Social Media, And It's Going Super Viral (Felines & Space Travel)
★ Expect to see black bears in Maryland as they wake up hungry after winter nap (Sleepy & Famished; Avoid the Porridge)
★ Man fined US$300 for entering hippo Moo Deng's pen: Thai zoo (Zoo Security; Hippo Stalking)
★ 'Oldest octopus' fossil is no octopus at all, scans reveal (Paleontological Surprises; Cephalopod Cousins)
★ (Video) Golden Retriever Slowly Builds up the Courage To Go Swimming in the Pool (Dog Life; It's Almost That Time of Year Again)
★ This Photographer Captured Exactly Why Cats Are So Endlessly Entertaining (Photogenic Lists; What the Internet Was Made For)
Click here to see what is happening legislatively
