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Does PETA oppose the keeping of pets?

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closeupready Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-06-10 03:47 PM
Original message
Does PETA oppose the keeping of pets?
What does this language mean?

>>We at PETA very much love the animal companions who share our homes, but we believe that it would have been in the animals' best interests if the institution of "pet keeping"—i.e., breeding animals to be kept and regarded as "pets"—never existed. The international pastime of domesticating animals has created an overpopulation crisis; as a result, millions of unwanted animals are destroyed every year as "surplus." This selfish desire to possess animals and receive love from them causes immeasurable suffering, which results from manipulating their breeding, selling or giving them away casually, and depriving them of the opportunity to engage in their natural behavior. Their lives are restricted to human homes where they must obey commands and can only eat, drink, and even urinate when humans allow them to.<<

http://www.peta.org/campaigns/ar-petaonpets.asp

Can someone explain, for dummies like me, exactly what this means?
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VMI Dem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-06-10 03:51 PM
Response to Original message
1. Yeah. PETA is idiotic.
It's laughable.
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closeupready Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-06-10 03:57 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. Seems like it. Also,
they seem to be trying to do this balancing act, I don't quite get it. It seems clear to me that, sort of like how Obama said he would create from scratch single payer if he could, likewise, they seem to be saying, "We have no power to do this, but if we could, we would prohibit the practice of animal domestication." Even as it seems pretty clear that they love animals.

I don't believe that this is necessarily mutually exclusive, but some seem to think that this language does not evidence opposition to animal domestication.
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lukasahero Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-06-10 08:24 PM
Response to Reply #2
7. "They seem to be saying"
Why would you put your imaginary quote in quotation marks? "They seem to be saying" something that they have never said. Why would you do that?
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closeupready Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-07-10 10:56 AM
Response to Reply #7
9. plonk.
n/t
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FreeState Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-06-10 04:00 PM
Response to Original message
3. They are not against companion animals they are against the current system
Edited on Wed Jan-06-10 04:01 PM by FreeState
Most PETA members have pets. What they* are against is the system we have now were they are irresponsibly treated like a commodity to be bought, sold and discarded at the markets whim.

* They meaning the organization - there are members that would disagree of course.
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Ignis Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-06-10 04:22 PM
Response to Original message
4. It means you should read the whole page, not cherry-pick.
From the last paragraph of your link:
Contrary to myth, PETA does not want to confiscate animals who are well cared for and "set them free." What we want is for the population of dogs and cats to be reduced through spaying and neutering and for people to adopt animals (preferably two so that they can keep each other company when their human companions aren't home) from pounds or shelters—never from pet shops or breeders—thereby reducing suffering in the world.


From PETA's "companion animals" (pets) FAQ:
“Does PETA believe that people shouldn’t have pets?”

The earliest fossils that resemble the bones of modern dogs are about 12,000 years old, so we know that humans’ fascination with domesticated wolves began at least that long ago. About 5,000 years ago, Egyptians became the first to tame cats, whom they used to control the rodent population. Since then, the breeding and care of cats and dogs has exploded into a love affair, a sport, and a booming business. This international pastime has created an overpopulation crisis, and as a result, every year, millions of unwanted animals suffer at the hands of abusers, languish in shelters, and are euthanized. Adopting a cat or dog from a shelter and providing a loving home is a small but powerful way to prevent some of this suffering. The most important thing that animal guardians can do is to spay or neuter their animals and avoid buying animals from breeders or pet stores, which contribute to the overpopulation crisis.

-- http://www.peta.org/about/faq-comp.asp

From PETA's "Doing What's Best for Our Companion Animals" factsheet:
What You Can Do
• Spay or neuter your dogs and cats.
• Adopt from shelters—and don’t forget adult animals, who are often overlooked by people who want a puppy or a kitten.
• If possible, adopt two animals. Animals need both human and animal companionship. Having an animal friend can help alleviate the boredom and loneliness of long hours spent waiting for you to come home.
• Cats and dogs are safest and happiest living inside with their human families. For safety’s sake, they should only be allowed out into securely fenced areas or under close supervision.
• Walk and play with your companion animals every day.
• Take strays to humanely run shelters.
• Work within your community to legislate mandatory spaying and neutering. See PETA’s “Spaying and Neutering: A Solution for Suffering” factsheet for more information.
• Speak up if someone is planning to breed an animal. Urge people who desire the companionship of animals to adopt from animal shelters.
• If you witness neglect, talk to the animal’s guardian, send an anonymous letter, or contact the humane society. Be persistent! (See PETA’s “Chained Dog” leaflet for more information.)
• Read Making Kind Choices, by Ingrid Newkirk, for more tips on how you can help animals.

-- http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=133

From PETA's "Help an Animal" site:
Get Active for Animals!
Get Active for Animals! Dogs and cats may tug at our heartstrings, but despite all the love they give us, an estimated 4 to 6 million must be euthanized annually in the United States because there aren’t enough loving homes for them. Abandoned animals often become victims of road traffic, disease, starvation, or cruel people. Sometimes they are stolen by laboratory dealers or used as bait by dogfighters. Tragically, while millions of animals are killed for want of a good home, breeders churn out millions of animals each year. You can help keep dogs and cats from suffering from homelessness by promoting spaying and neutering.

Spay/Neuter Companion Animals—Ask Legislators to Make This Mandatory in Your Town or County
The single most important thing that we can do to save animals from all the suffering and death caused by their overpopulation is to spay and neuter them. Just one unaltered female cat and her offspring can produce an estimated 420,000 cats in only seven years. In six years, a female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies.

Ask Neighbors to Unchain Their Dogs—and Take Them Inside
Many dogs spend their entire lives in “solitary confinement,” trapped at the end of a chain or in a small pen, where they suffer through frightening thunderstorms, suffocating heat, and bitter cold. They are aching for friendship and are left without vital medical care. Learn more.

Adopt a Homeless Animal From a Shelter—Never From a Breeder or Pet Store
Did you know that puppies sold in pet shops typically come from nightmarish “puppy mills,” where dogs are forced to live in tiny, filthy, metal cages and they suffer from neglect, loneliness, boredom, and even disease? Females are treated like breeding machines, and their offspring are taken from them at a very early age, packed into crates, and shipped to dealers, often without adequate food, water, or ventilation. This separation breaks the hearts of both mother and puppy, and the customers who buy these puppies often find that they have diseases or congenital defects caused by inbreeding. Learn more.

Ask Your Legislators to Take Crimes Against Animals Seriously!
Animal abuse is not just the result of a minor personality flaw in the abuser but rather a symptom of a deep mental disturbance. Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals don’t stop there; many of
them move on to hurt their fellow humans. Learn more.

Spread the Word to Others!
One of the best ways to help is to encourage others to learn more and get active. Please recommend HelpingAnimals.com to your friends and family.

-- http://www.helpinganimals.com/ga.asp


So, in other words, no.

Next question?
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Xenotime Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-06-10 04:25 PM
Response to Original message
5. It means that pets suffer everyday for the whimsy of man.
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lukasahero Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-06-10 08:25 PM
Response to Reply #5
8. So succinct.
So simple.

Why is it so hard for others to understand?
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flvegan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-06-10 04:30 PM
Response to Original message
6. No. Matter of fact, PETA headquarters resembles a doggy day care
during most weekdays. Employees are welcomed to bring their pets to work with them.
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