Animal Rights Vs Animal Welfare: Do you know the difference?

[WanderingRogue]

This is a subject that is very important to me, and I would like to see what others think. Do you know the difference between Animal Rights and Animal Welfare? How do you feel about the work done by organizations such as PETA, HSUS, ASPCA? Are your local shelters truly destroying adoptable dogs? How do you view dog breeders? I guess I'm just looking for some open discussion on this topic as it seems to be a subject that keeps rolling around my mind and it would be nice to have some other perspectives.

[WanderingRogue]

PETA

There is one thing that I indiscriminately hate: hypocrisy. And that's why I think that this is a great episode.

** Language (and hilarity) warning**

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=inFtOMx8nDU

HSUS

Watch this amazing story unfold of how the Humane Society of the United States fakes reports to get you to give them money, all while destroying someones reputation.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=3RsA_wDv2PM

[Flash]

Animal welfare is when ETs treat us well instead of bad, while taking all kind of samples from us, raising us for their purpose. Animal rights is when we are or we will be able to consciously agree or disagree and to stop it at will.

[WanderingRogue]

Flash, Thanks for a completely unexpected perspective. I can honestly say that if an alien owns me or has been taking samples, then he/she/it has done a great job of being humane because I haven't noticed! I think I like my alien owner.

[donk]

Funny you bring that up. I'm losing a family member tomorrow, because to 5 of the 9 members, their **** is more important to them than their "pet" (2, including the one I mentioned) don't get a vote.

My vote was, if you sick people think of a helpless animal we took responisbility for and lock it in a cage, you are out of your mind. You superior beings find a good home, me and my youngest (the only two that cares more about living beings feelings than the flippin' carpet, we forgive you but let us mourn right now.

Disgusted right now with the world, forgiving my family (trying to) as they never fully deprogrammed from the culture's horrible view that a pet is a possession to be gotten rid of if inconvenient or difficult to take care of, rather than a family member whose feelings are respected and is loved unconditionally.

Done venting, forgive me if i post and not come back to this one, too soon...

[WanderingRogue]

I'm really sorry to hear that Donk! Being forced to give up a pet is a terrible thing. I think that's part of why this topic is so important to me. I agree with you that a large portion of our population view animals as disposable and on the other extreme we have the portion that want animals to have the same rights that you or I have. Somewhere lost in the middle are the rest of us and a lot of animals depending on how we as a society decide to treat them.

Maybe your pet friend has a very special purpose in life and stayed with you for as long as was needed and is now going on to bring good things to someone else.

[TargeT]

Posted by WanderingRogue (here)
PETA

There is one thing that I indiscriminately hate: hypocrisy. And that's why I think that this is a great episode.

** Language (and hilarity) warning**

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=inFtOMx8nDU

haha, that video was awesome, gotta love Penn & Teller & they did a great job of exposing an organization that blatantly lies about its true purpose, leverages cult tactics to recruit the zealots and supports violence to acomplish its mission with no shame.

[161803398]

Right around I live we refer to dogs and cats as family members and most people who aren't vegan or vegetarian have drastically cut down their consumption of meat. I have a couple of raccoon families living in my yard.

[TargeT]

Posted by 161803398 (here)
Right around I live we refer to dogs and cats as family members and most people who aren't vegan or vegetarian have drastically cut down their consumption of meat. I have a couple of raccoon families living in my yard.

I would never give up or cut down on meat, in fact I think I'll be eating more as I am attempting to eat Paleo (forward facing eyes = predator, which is what we all are) but I agree on the pet status.
Bosch is a huge gentle clown, who loves to work and please.



My girl Saphira is a bit more stoic, but she puts up with my antics rather well considering the positions I some times put her in...


Hahaha!

My dogs are my constant companions, I refer to them as my mobile rugs (they just follow me everywhere and lay down to be near me) I take my girl to work pretty often too, she has a favorite spot under my desk


My dogs are South African Boerboels which were bred to be serious family guardians can not be treated like people. I love them like family members & trust them with my life; I sleep very well at night. But, I would NEVER confuse them with people. Dogs are not people, this projection of humanity on other species causes serious issues because dogs do not think like humans. They are not small furry children, they are purposefully bred predators that demand respect and understanding for what they are (if they do not have a strong leader/owner they will not be safe to be around). This is true of all dogs from Chihuahuas, Great Danes or any other breed.

Even though I am only talking dog in this post, I still feel the same about all other animals. I don't treat snakes, fish, cows, birds, turtles, or alligators like people. I respect them for what they are regardless of my emotional attachments for or against them.

[WanderingRogue]

Here is another excellent video that contrasts the difference between dogs and wolfs, and how popular "abusive" training techniques can cause more issues than less.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pEXQsYEaYcI

Training is not about "the carrot or the stick" it's all about the carrot, or removal of the carrot.

While I do not agree 100% with the idea's presented in this video, I think it is one of the better ones for teaching the "mind set" of a dog trainer.

[TargeT]

I like all the videos from that guy so far, great training tips

Here is his channel
http://m.youtube.com/user/tab289

I bet he's an animal welfare proponent

[WhiteFeather]

Are animals closer to humans on an emotional level than generally has been believed? The many scientists, researchers, wildlife photographers, and other animal experts believe so. This 93-minute documentary tells stories of despondent dogs, grieving chimps, compassionate monkeys, devoted elephant mothers and much more...

If I May.....I know animals have consciousness and emotion, so i guess they could be like humans. And animals aren't destroying the planet, we leave that to us humans to do such.....

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=u5l_Mh2QAqg

[OBwan]

The below link contains a story of a dog being shot. The radio station in Denver Colorado is following up on the topic. This is a real-life developing story.

Home Vid Shows Police Killing Dog After Being Captured

Read more: http://www.khow.com/pages/boyles.html?article=10592840


On Saturday, November 24, 2012 at approximately 11:30 a.m., Commerce City Police responded to a 911 call of an unknown aggressive pit bull loose in the 9600 block of Nucla Street.

Neighbors indicated they had not seen the dog before, and police verified through neighbors that the animal did not belong to the homeowner at 9695 Nucla Street.
Officers attempted for 20 minutes to contact the homeowner or a responsible party without success. It was determined the dog needed to be caught and sent to the animal shelter.

When officers approached the dog, the aggressive behavior continued. An attempted use of a Taser was used to subdue the dog; but was unsuccessful.

The dog remained very agitated and continued to be unpredictable. An animal control agent was able to place a “catch pole” around the dog’s neck, but, due to the dog’s size and aggressive behavior, she had not attained control of the dog. For the safety of the community and the officers on scene, the officer fired his weapon multiple times to put down the dog and ensure the safety of everyone.

“Obviously, this kind of force is a last resort for our officers. It truly is a tragedy any time a member of our department has to use their weapon to ensure community safety. Our initial review of this incident indicates that the officers responded appropriately to the 911 call and used the force necessary to protect the public,” said Chief of Police Chuck Saunier.

“I have ordered a full investigationof this incident that is already underway. I am optimistic it will determine all of the facts of this tragic event. The home video is disturbing, however until the investigation is complete, it is inappropriate to speculate on the incident because we don’t have all of the facts,” added Saunier.

The dog was temporarily being housed at this location by the owner’s relative. She was charged with numerous violations, including vicious animal and the pit bull violation.

In 2010, the police department was involved in another shooting involving a vicious dog. That incident also was portrayed poorly by the media, although a jury later determined the officers’ actions were justified. Since that incident, all members of the Commerce City Police Department, including the officers on scene of this incident, attended mandatory training on dog encounters. This training included how to approach dogs and how to read their behavior.

Per department policy, all involved officers remain on active duty, and the police reports will be released at the conclusion of the investigation. The 911 call and dispatch tape are attached as they are not part of Commerce City Police Department’s created reports. We expect more information to be available at the investigation’s conclusion.

[WanderingRogue]

WOW....I am completely (though not shockingly) disgusted once again by our police force! The dog killed was doing exactly what a great guard dog was supposed to do: Holed strangers at bay. He sat in one spot and barked, never stepped forward, and when the police moved in you can see he backed up....what a tragedy for this family! While I do not see dogs as humans, I do think that we as humans have an obligation to protect them. Giving dogs equal rights as humans will make it harder for us to do that. With Equal Rights, this dog would have been seen as resisting arrest and assaulting an officer even though the officers were at fault! Under the mandates of Animal Welfare, this dog would be protected.

Thank you WhiteFeather for the video you posted. My 5 year old daughter and I just watched it together and she smiled the whole time while she chitter chatted with me about all of the animals portrayed.

[161803398]

Animals, like people, are individuals and I don't think anyone can push them into one pigeon hole.

I think most people understand though that animals, while having similarities to us, also have differences. Some of the misunderstandings are caused by the language barrier. I found it useful to learn to speak some of my dog's language in order to get my message across.