I'd love it if there was a way to get everyone to just respect all others...all living things...and treat them with the respect and consideration they deserve, but I do not think it is possible to do that with legislation. I do not see how common sense, logic, morality, or reason can be legislated with positive results, and I have seen no examples that it does. Legislation creates criminals from perfectly nice people who were 'law-abiding' before being 'transformed' into 'outlaws' by a 'quill and a vote' which do little else besides providing a revenue stream so more people can impose their will on the remaining, non-governing others.
I am not involved in the battle between 'home/hobby' breeders and 'standards/show' breeders. They have their positions for what they do and why they do it, although I do think caution regarding inherited health issues must be voluntarily taken by all who deliberately breed to prevent unnecessary suffering by innocent animals.
Cruelty is already covered by legislation, but legislation has not stopped cruelty, abandonment, or any other mistreatment of innocent animals, so, logically, I think I'd want to see something like that lawsuit, well-meaning as it is, tossed in the bin due to the inability and inappropriateness of humans to legislate logic, reason, common sense, or morality.
I can see by looking at them that my fuzzbutts are living, breathing, thinking individuals, with minds and talents of their own, and the capability to love, care, trust, respect, and give due consideration to other, and different kinds of, creatures. I treat them as such, and they return my love and respect multi-fold. |