Best intentions?

I have seen so many stories in the news lately centering around animal rights, it kind of leaves me wondering who these advocates are and what their motives might be.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has fought for years to end the use of elephants in the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Baily Circus. They have filed multiple lawsuits for animal cruelty. You have probably read about these; they draw a lot of media attention. What you have not read is that each of these lawsuits has been dismissed as having no merit. In other words, they were not supported by fact. Facts are the things that are almost always missing from stories of this kind. Ringling Bros. has probably done more to save the Indian elephant than anyone on the planet. They have the most successful breeding program in the world. Of the one hundred plus elephants in their possession, only about a dozen actually work in the circus. The rest are carefully managed to assure that this magnificent animal does not become extinct.

A recent law passed in Mexico outlawing the use of exotics in circuses has created a situation where these animals are now languishing in government facilities, and most will probably end up being euthanized after suffering from starvation and neglect at the hands of those who were intent upon removing them from the hands of people who genuinely cared. Who was behind this? The Green Movement in Mexico and they did it to gain votes in the most recent election.

A film released a couple of years ago, Blackfish, tells the story of the whales at Sea World. But it tells a half truth. Sea World has been crippled to some extent by statements taken out of context, and statistics left out make Sea World a villain, capitalizing on these magnificent creatures. While it is true that the best place for wild animals is in the wild, many make the adaptation to captivity successfully. A great deal of the knowledge we have about whales comes from research done by Sea World, or done on the whales in their care. This knowledge has helped multiple times in crisis involving these majestic creatures. Having worked with Sea World over the years, I have seen the care their animals receive and have had an opportunity to witness the results of their rescue and rehab programs.

Earlier this year in Ohio, Kenny Hetrick had 11 animals seized and taken to a government facility that looks much like a prison. The state has passed a law making it illegal to own a number of exotic animals, mostly wild or carnivorous. Hetrick had run his sanctuary for over 25 years without incident. The animals were like family. One has already been put to death, and others will most assuredly follow. The rationale for this law is public safety and the restrictions were such that the cost of building new pens was impossible for Mr. Hetrick, and so his life's work sits in cells awaiting death.

It is happening everywhere: "Animal Rights" groups are lobbying government entities into passing laws restricting exotics. San Francisco has a new law restricting performing exotics from working in the city. This means no circuses, fair acts, or film making. San Diego is considering a similar ban. Where will it end?

Here in Kern our own Planning Department considers a zebu, the first ever domesticated cattle, to be "wild and exotic" and "not normally domesticated by man." Zebu were domesticated over 10,000 years ago. All cattle subsequently domesticated are the result of this domestication. That means there are no legal cattle in Kern. That means the earth is flat, the wheel has not been invented and we are coming out of the last Ice Age! Extrapolating from that, it is not hard to see what the next steps could be. The only animals on the planet domesticated longer that the zebu are sheep and dogs. So here in Kern, hide your horses and cats, and lock those hamsters away: They have only been domesticated since the 1940s.

On the backs of helpless animals, these organizations seek financial gain and power. They ask for your donations to help them. Their pleas show the faces of innocent dogs and cats, but PETA has never saved a dog or cat. They ask you to sign petitions and write your congressman. In doing so, they damage the people who have cared for and protected these animals for so long. They put the animals at risk. The animals are here and being cared for by people who care. Who will care for them when they are taken, or when the owners are forced out of business and can no longer support them?

I guess the problem is that so many of these stories end badly for the animals and the humans who care for them. But we never hear the ending. We only watch the victory celebration as these animals are torn from their owners. We applaud that "the abuse" has been stopped. We celebrate the liberation of these animals and then we forget them.

Not all animal rights organizations are bad, but it is incumbent on anyone that supports these organizations to understand the agenda of these organizations before writing that check. If not, the animals pictured here are victims of your kindness.

All of the animals here at Windswept Ranch have been domesticated for thousands of years. They are used agriculturally throughout the world. Come on out and meet them before some "do gooders" come along and decide they belong in the wild. We are open Saturdays from 10 – 4 p.m., April through October.