Place the Blame on the Guilty

Recently, I was reading through the local paper's comment section on a letter regarding the cruelty of factory farming and I came across this comment:

The problem with letters like this is that it encourages people to be against
things like the regulation of puppy mills, using the argument that factory
farm-like breeding of dogs, which are intended to be companion animals, should
not be regulated because "then they'll come after those who are raising cows,
chickens and hogs for food."

This comment highlights one of the animal industry's big successes in its fight against the animal rights movement. Presently, many in what I would call the “animal welfare” movement are blaming animal rights activists for their own lack of progress. The reality is that someone who is opposed to puppy mill regulation will find an excuse to work against it. I've been down to the Capitol to talk to legislators about puppy mills, and I've heard a thousand different justifications as to why they can not vote for stronger regulation.

The reality is that, if we want stronger regulation of puppy mills there is only one solution: a large, well organized block of voters that is willing to punish opposing legislators at the polls.

There are a ton of points that could have been targeted by the commenter here: the puppy millers themselves, who are engaging in the cruelty; the paper that prints the classifieds allowing them to sell their “product”; the lack of federal regulation, allowing them to ship across state lines with no oversight; the people who actually buy the “purebred” dogs, allowing the system to perpetuate; the group that issues “purebred” papers, lending a cache to the purchase of these abused animals; etc. Instead, this person has decided to shoot those who are on the same side in the back, what a waste.

Here is an idea, if you belong to a humane group target the abusers. We know the majority of the public supports us, do the hard work of organizing them and getting them to vote their conscience. If you can't agree with those who support animal rights, you don't have to work with us, just ignore us. But don't waste your time shooting those on your own side in the back, that only helps the people who abuse animals.