To Kill or Not to Kill? That IS NOT the Question!

The Question is "How not to kill"

Pet Over-Population & Needless Euthanasia a Societal Problem

There is no doubt about it. Experts agree, and it has been said over and over time and time again throughout the years, "pet over-population is a societal problem." Though clearly identified as such, the problem has never been solved and in fact is growing worse.

And what do we do in this great Nation of ours when we have problems in society?

Like any other social problem, if it is to be taken seriously, it must be addressed by a coming together, a "meeting of the minds," so to speak, of all parties; the communities and the people directly effected or affected by the issue. The needed change must start through their efforts. Neither the government nor anyone else is going to take the initiative on their own to correct the problem for us. Put simply, it is up to us to start the ball rolling for real change.

It has also been said by experts, that if we are to overcome the problem, we must "together focus upon" the underlying social factors causing it. I wholeheartedly agree and offer this:

Control the Breeding. How?

One social factor we can "together focus upon" in the fight against over-population of animals, is societys' failure (OUR FAILURE) to more strictly regulate, control, and even TAX the breeding of all animals. But instead of taxing animal enterprises, we give them tax breaks as well as lucrative breeding incentives that further encourage their activities that are problematic to our animal-loving communities.



Another social factor we can "focus upon together" is the failure of "the will" of society (US) who apparently lack the necessary determination (my mother used to say "where-with-all") to commit ourselves to attack the problem head-on. We treat the symptoms but fail to seek a cure for the disease. WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR A WAY TO END THE KILLING --by whatever means necessary it might take. This is what we must ourselves do. We must commit ourselves to the task of ending the needless killing. It is not acceptable to kill something we care about,...not if there is a way on earth to avoid it, and there is. How nice it will be if we can live to see the day when we can help animals without feeling like we "have to" kill them. There will be no more killing them prematurely "FOR THEIR OWN GOOD," or for ECONOMIC reasons or to free up space! Killing is not caring and is no way to go about "showing them our love." We simply must end all un-necessary killing. Saving some is not enough. As long as there is any animal being killed before its time, none of them are safe.

Not Enough Shelters. Why?

As it is now there are not nearly enough rescues or shelters to handle all the "unwanted" animals our society has produced and somehow failed or rejected. And things have gotten worse for them, not better over time. Due to the lousy stinkin sinkin economy, most rescue workers have learned a new "rescue-term" this year,....that of the "Foreclosure Pet." Shelters and rescues all across the land are full of them and their numbers continue to grow. Now, at our greatest time of need, when we need more rescues not less, everyday we hear of another good shelter or rescue having to close its doors due to of lack of funding. There is little help for these struggling rescues and shelters, big and small, private or non-profit. They are pretty much all on their own. Most of the ones I know go out-of- pocket everytime for the work that they do. Most are constantly operating "in the hole," especially today. No wonder they are going broke. They have little or no support, some even facing the loss of their own homes. I have heard the stories. I know some of them first-hand.

The solution to pet over-population can only be realized if we all pull together, pool our resources, and help one another when we can. Differences aside, and commit ourselves as one caring body, to helping all animals...to live and not to die.

Control Breeding and the need for shelters & rescues will decline accordingly, and the so-called "need" for the euthanasia of adoptable animals can be seen for what it truly is: Un-necessary and extreme. Killing is the easy way out. Choosing life is the battle.

Mandatory Spay & Neuter & a Tax

Mandatory spay and neuter for non-breeders on a local level would help, of course. Every little bit helps. But on a National level, we need to "focus together upon" concentrating our efforts towards initiating & supporting new, powerful, innovative legislation, along the lines of something like this:

"The Animal Enterprise Exploitation Act"

which would mandate a tax on all producers. Anyone who profits off of animal exploitation through breeding should be made to pay so much in tax for each animal life they produce. The monies thusly garnered could be used to build new shelters or to support existing ones. It can also be used to pay for low cost spay and neuter programs throughout the lands. The funds could be used in so many helpful ways, not only in making it possible to end needless euthanasia but to provide a dis-incentive for breeding as well.

Due to that not-so-little "free-enterprise" thing, a total ban on breeding is un-realistic, so we must content ourselves with regulation and taxation. It is our only real tool in solving, not treating, the problem, and who could be against that? There is only one group that could be opposed to breeding regulations, and that is the breeders themselves.

I would advocate that this new "Animal Enterprise Exploitation Tax" be applied to the agricultural sector also, who consider their animals livestock and not pets. For the purposes of application of the tax, it shouldnt matter if an animal is considered as "livestock or pet." What matters is the simple fact that the animal(s) are being bred for profit, and that makes livestock producers just as guilty as any other breeder-of-anything, - maybe even moreso guilty than most. A recent study by the United Nations Agricultural Commission concluded in no uncertain terms, that livestock production is one of thee greatest polluters in the world today. In light of this information, a new tax applied to livestock producers for every animal they produce is not quite as outrageous an idea as one might ordinarily think. Compare to the USDAs' recent brain-storm of an idea seeking to tax the farmers for the farts that their cows emit! Brother, did the farmers (and the whole world) have a good laugh over that. They laughed so hard and loud that the idea was quickly and quietly nixed by the PTB. No one could take it seriously, and I dont blame them. A Cow-Fart Tax indeed! Surely there are better things to tax them for,...like animal exploitation.

In view of the problems imposed upon our communities by the unregulated, unrestrained production of animals, ---who are, by the way (for those who didnt know) actually sentient, feeling, living beings and not innate "objects" or products," - the idea of a tax on animal-exploitation is not so far-fetched. A new tax upon the breeders would be particularly apprapoe' in these troubled economic times, when the public out-cry is LOUD & CLEAR for accountability.

Working Together for Life

A No-Kill Nation IS within Our Reach,...but we must all work together towards the same ultimate lofty but not impossible goal; to end the so called "need" for premature euthansia. We MUST get all on the same "no-killing" page if ever we are to make any progress in the movement for a truely kinder, more compassionate world where we dont have to feel like we have to kill animals to save them.

As things are now, we are fishing round in murkey waters for a solution, floating in a leaky boat that needs constant bailing and we cannot bail fast enough. I say its Time to Quit Bailing and Fix the Boat for real. Lets make a brand new start in a new direction. What have we to lose? We can and must turn things around for who could be for maintaining this current status quo of going nowhere and killing so many adoptable animals? Who could be happy with that? Not any real animal lover or so-called protector.

A No-Kill Nation is within our reach, if only we would work on it together in our full & dedicated capacities. "Twill take a UNITED front, and there is only one way to approach it; US animal lovers, advocates, and rescuers talking "in one voice" to our legislators asking only one simple & reasonable thing; Industry Accountabilty through Taxation.


"Those who say it cant be done need to step out of the way of those who are busy doing it."

Those who are standing in the way need to get on board with us or step aside.


We DO NOT show we care about something by killing it. Its not rocket science. We are going about it in the wrong way. We MUST try another way,...and there is only ONE. We must ALL make a COMMITMENT to end the killing, if that is truely our ideal. Anything less than no-kill advocacy is doing the animals a dis-service and not being true to ourselves or the purposes of our stated goals. If we are to pay more than lip-service to our "caring about animals" we must move forward in the movement from "the killing fields of shame." There is no doubt about it, our National euthansia rates are a National disgrace. Dont you think it time for some real change?

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