Ownership VS. Guardianship - Keep Your Paws Off My Property

Ownership VS. Guardianship - Keep Your Paws Off My Property

"Guardian is a kinder, gentler, nicer word than owner, don't you think"? 

A friend of mine - a dedicated volunteer at our local shelter - was defending the term guardianship - we were in a passionate discussion about ownership vs. guardianship.

She went on, "After all, we don't own our children do we?  And we're just temporary caretakers of children until they are adults, right"?

Now I respect this friend deeply.  She was there for me,  a total stranger showing kindness, sharing her time and knowledge - supporting and guiding me through the first months of owning Zsa Zsa - a (very doggy) dog.

But on this point we disagree.  Strongly.  I'm not shy about sharing my opinion with her or you.  So as for "guardianship" of animals being kinder, nicer, gentler word for owner - I've got one thing to say..........

What a load of crap.

A Big Load Of  Crap

What if you no longer owned your dog or cat, but were somehow reduced to a mere "guardian"?

Anyone or any organization that says that "guardian" is just a kinder, nicer word to replace "owner" either is naive, or has an agenda, or is just plain stupid. 

Now my friend is certainly not stupid, nor is she deliberately trying to push an agenda - so she falls into the "naive" category. 

My friend volunteers at the local shelter, as she has done without fail for many years.  She walks the dogs, and gives them love, and socializes them to be ready for new and loving homes.  She is dedicated and faithful friend to the shelter - and a friend to the animals - a friend to me - indeed.

A Jewel Amongst Thorns

My friend values kindness and humane treatment of animals.  We should all share those values - as well as her commitment of sharing her time and service to others. My friend is an animal lover who genuinely cares and wants to make a difference - she is a jewel amongst thorns.

My friend - and other animal lovers like her - also fits the target demographic profile of animal rights groups.  She's just been marketed to - quite effectively, by people in the animal rights movement - with a message that guardianship is kinder than ownership.

She has been sold sold a bill of goods on guardianship by those that have an agenda - and considering PETA's 90% kill rate - that agenda doesn't quite match what my friend has in mind.  And HSUS seems to fall short on using the term "ownership" on its site - instead making references to "responsible guardianship".

Now many would argue that animal rights groups are concerned about the welfare of innocent puppies and kitties and dogs and bunnies - especially those groups themselves.

I think that there are thousands of people just like my friend who honestly want to help animals and are not aware of the larger agenda of those groups.  They are oblivious to the difference between animal rights and those concerned with animal welfare, and oblivious to the fact that animal rights groups have hijacked the humane movement, according to noted author, Patti Strand, whose book details the history of the movement.

Exploitation Of The Innocent

Those animal rights groups are sophisticated marketers  that complain loudly about the exploitation of animals, but have absolutely no qualms about exploiting the very humans who want to help animals - their members and volunteers.

These animal rights groups victimize animals as pawns  - with big sad brown eyes - to build big membership rolls and big bank accounts through tons of donations by sappy-eyed 15-year olds who want to save Fluffy. 

To facilitate their agenda they also victimize the good people  - making pawns of the animal lovers who genuinely want to help animals. 

Animal rights groups that push the term "guardianship" as an "addition" to the term "owner" , or as a replacement word for the word "owner - have an agenda - theirs. 

The Not-So-Secret Agenda

What is the agenda?  The agenda, my friends, is to gain control of the people, the policies and the politicians as it relates to animals and animal laws.

They want control - and they want you out of the way. You are a barrier.

To fulfill their mission - they first need to remove any barriers - animal owners.  Ownership denotes property.  That also means that property rights are a barrier.

To legally change property rights  granted to citizens under the Constitution would be an enormous challenge, so to overcome that challenge - their strategy is to change the definition of what is considered legal property.

Which is why HSUS and PETA  are working to change the legal definition of animals as property - and shift animals out from under the legal definition of ownership to guardianship.  Because if your animals are no longer your property, then you no longer have inherent property rights to that animal, do you?

To accomplish all of that - they'll need to convince the public and lawmakers of the necessity of that change, and of its "reasonableness.

So they need to "sell it" first.  That means they're gonna run the operation pretty much like the roll out of any strategic marketing campaign.  They'll build, in what's known in the ad agency biz, a "killer" campaign.  A campaign so strategic - so finely crafted - and so flawlessly executed that it'll knock 'em dead.

How To Build A Killer Campaign

To build their killer campaign, first they figure out the demographic profile of their target audiences -which groups of people are receptive to the message  and why. 

Then they'll "craft" the message to sound reasonable, plausible, as not to raise any alarms within the general population or the municipal governments. 

Then they'll hone the message - refining it 'till it hits the sweet spot with the target audience.

They'll sugar coat  it by pitching it as being "kind" so that you - the animal lover, you the dog owner will be more receptive to the message.

Then - they'll go in for the kill by adding a "goodness" factor, so that when people resist the message, they'll look like evil, Grinches

Then they'll broadcast it out through any number of communication channels to make sure it reaches the most people who are the most receptive. But there is another "target audience" - your local elected officials.  They need to "sell it" to them too.

Positioning Ownership As Evil

Allow me to deconstruct the messaging surrounding  guardianship, since this is a marketing concept.

In the animal rights agenda - animals are victims - and there must be an evildoer. That would be you.

They want the public, especially animal lovers,  to associate ownership with something wrong, something bad, something evil.

They are inferring that ownership - and pet owners are evil - or bad by positioning guardianship as kinder and gentler,  contrasted against irresponsible or cruel owners, then incorporating this positioning into all of their messaging.

Here's the mental association that these groups want you to experience when you hear these words: Ownership - Bad, Cruel, Slavery and Guardianship, Good, Kind Nice.

Here is the process they used to get you to make those mental associations:

Step 1 - Create Position Attributes

• Ownership = bad, slavery, cruel
• Guardianship = good, kind, nice

Step 2  - Communicate Position

• Animal lover = good, kind, nice
• Animal abuser = bad, slave owner, cruel

Step 3  - Repeat Position To Reach Market Saturation

• Animal guardian = good, kind, nice
• Animal owner = bad, slave owner, cruel

Step 4  - Target Audience Self Selects New Position

• You - Animal guardian = good, kind, nice
• Others - Animal owners= bad, slave owner, cruel

They create this positioning, and repeat the positioning because they want you to self identify with the "good", thereby buying into the concept of guardianship.

This is a sophisitcated, slick marketing strategy  - positioning "owners" as people who are careless, cruel or irresponsible.

What's really insidious is linking ownership to "slavery" with use of the concept that "one cannot own another living creature".

Think guardianship is a good thing? You've just  been sold a bill of goods - a load of crap - and it made you feel good too.

They have you pegged, don't they?

Wanna Buy A Bridge?

They use all of the marketing tools that product companies use - including using celebrity endorsements -  to deliver that messaging and make it more palatable - to reach people like my friend, and the people sitting on local town or city councils.

These groups and their helpful, do-gooder followers either try to convert the language in the local municipal animal laws to "guardianship" language - all the while telling you - John Q. Public - that there's no real difference.  Yeah, right.

If you believe that crock - I've got a bridge in Brooklyn for you too.

Transfer Of Power

That then means that they - or the municipality that passed that term "guardian" - can dictate to you - the former owner - the terms of your "guardianship, can't they? 

From a legal standpoint - moving from the legal term owner to guardian essentially means this  - there is a large transfer of power - from you to them.

Now instead of you having the power to control the terms and conditions surrounding your animals - they do.

• Maybe they'd like the power to dictate to all of you former "owners" what breed of dog you can and can't have
• Or what size or weight of dog you can or can't have
• Maybe they'd like the power to dictate to you mandatory spay or neutering of your dog
• Maybe they'd like the power to dictate to you what to feed them
• When or where you can walk the dog?
• Maybe you'll have to report in & you and your dog's history and movement will be logged into a database to make sure you are a compliant guardian.

Now as a guardian -  if you don't like the terms - or if you fail to comply with those terms - well then maybe they'll think you are no longer entitled to be that dog's guardian, right?

What Constitutes Property?

Get this straight bub.  As a parent of children, I have full legal rights and responsibilities toward my children.  As a responsible and loving parent, I feed, clothe, house, nurture, educate my children as I see fit, imparting my values to them as I see fit. 

Now if I were the children's foster parent - or guardian - I would have  many of the same responsibilities, but not same rights.  That's because there is a difference in the legal definition between parent and guardian.  There is a legal difference between parent and foster parent.

My dog is my property - my private property. As a dog owner, I have full legal rights and responsibilities to my dog.  I own my dog.  Period.  But suppose I were no longer my dog's owner - but her guardian - what then?  If I wanted to be a  dog or animal "guardian", meaning I did not have "ownership", I would foster a dog. 

Fostering means the dog is not mine, but I am it's temporary caretaker and am bound by the rules of the organization granting me this temporary status. Fostering an animal does not grant me ownership status in the eyes of the law.

Ask yourself which organizations push the term "guardian" and "guardianship"?  What interest to they have in pushing those terms?  What reward will those organizations reap for the successful implementation of the term "guardian" in any local ordinance or state bill? What need or agenda will be fulfilled by those so called "animal welfare" organizations pushing guardianship?

If you no longer have control of your property - ie your dog - then someone else -or some other entity does. Who or what entity has a self interest in guardianship? I'll give you two guesses.

Replacing Ownership

Guardian is not a nicer, kinder word for owner.  Guardian is not a synonym for owner.  Guardianship is a strategy to to replace ownership.

If the goal of such terminolgy is to legislate responsible ownership - we already have those laws on the books - lots and lots of them.  We've got cruelty laws, and dogfighting laws and we've got leash laws and pooper scooper laws.

They're busy visiting local municipalities peddling this concept as the answer to problem dog owners. 

They're telling local governments that they have the answer - and that answer is that the government must take control of the situation by eliminating the big problem - owners. 

But as towns and cities are struggling to balance the books and really - who has the budget for animal control these days?  Not to worry, they say - guardianship can help your town or city deal with the issue of problem dog owners.

Right.

There is only one outcome for the term guardianship to any local or state laws - and that is to separate you from your dog by the successful elimination of your property rights.

They - the people and the organizations behind "guardianship" don't want you to have control over the care and feeding your dog - they want to control how you care for your dog.

Controlling The Market

Let's take the 50,000 foot view.  Say over 80% of U.S. households own pets. That's a lot of households. And let's say those households no longer have ownership of their property - meaning their pets. Who then does? Who is dictating to those households the terms of having a pet?

Like real estate - CONTROLLING the property is more important than actually owning the property.  And like data privacy - CONTROLLING the data is more important than owning the data.

Let's put it this way - we don't need no stinkin' guardianship.  And I don't need anyone to come between me and my dog.  Or my cat. Just in case I haven't made my position clear - let me spell it out for you.........

A Spelling Lesson

O-W-N-E-R - that's me.

O Is For Owner.  I am my dog 's owner, you moron, not her guardian.  I am her owner and will always be her owner.  As an owner, she is mine to do with what I will, whether you like it or not.

If you don't like it that I dress her in a purple tutu, kiss my ass.  If you don't like it that I feed her broccoli and she farts - too bad. If you don't like what I do with her - such as agility, or confirmation or hunting or flyball - because you think it's exploiting her as my animal slave - tough nuggies.

W Is For We.  As in We, the people - with property rights.  As in We The People whose property includes animals.  And you ain't never gettin' over on that one - 'cause We will kick your ass.

N Is For Never.  As in you ain't never passing any guardianship laws in my town 'cause I will kick your ass.

E Is For Ever.  'Cause if you EVER come to my town and try push your guardianship crap here, I will make sure you are sorry you EVER tried.

R Is For Rights.  As in the property rights I have as a dog owner, and I ain't EVER gonna give those rights up.  'Cause if you try you're gonna wish you NEVER brought it up.

There - I feel better now, don't you?

Are Dogs A Front For Democracy?

For those of you who read this blog regularly, perhaps you' ve come to know this blog isn't really about dogs.   Dogs are the metaphor for what I really write about.

This blog is about Democracy - no matter what side of the fence we sit on, no matter where we live,  what color our skin is or how much money we make.  This blog is really about the the Constitution - and the rights spelled out within that living document, and the Bill Of Rights. 

At the end of the day - we are all dog owners, united by our love of dogs.  At the end of the day, we are all citizens, living in a free and democratic society. 

At the end of the day - it is up to us to protect that democracy by exercising our rights, and making sure we vote to elect candidates that will protect those rights, which in turn equates to preserving the right to responsibly own a dog.

A Kindness Campaign

Now I have some parting words here.  Be kind. 

Be kind to humans and be kind to animals.  Walk softly upon this earth, use our resources wisely.  When you take, be sure to give.  When a kindness is given, return it threefold.

Be kind to all of your local elected officials, too - and anyone running for local or state office - Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Communists, etc.  Call them up - they're all so lonely without you - their beloved constituents. They're just waiting to hear from you - pining away for the sound of your voice.

Reach and and touch your elected representatives - and while you're at it, ask them to kindly state whether they still support the United States Constitution - the one they swore to uphold when they were elected to office.  Ask them if they support property rights - yours - the ones specifically mentioned in that very document.

Then ask them if they're in favor of enforcement of animal cruelty laws, dogfighting laws, leash laws and pooper scooper laws.  Then ask them to enforce those laws.

Be Kind To Politicians

In a kind and friendly voice, ask them to kindly state - in writing - where they stand on ownership versus guardianship. If they respond in kind - great - - but make sure their actions - AKA their voting record - matches their words.

What if these local and state elected officials failed to protect those property rights - your property rights - the ones spelled out in the Constitution under the Fourteenth Amendment, what recourse do you have? You do have legal recourse -  it's called a vote.

And what of local and state officials who fail to effectively enforce local dog laws, and yet propose ever more restrive laws concerning dogs? You do have legal recourse -  it's called a vote.

So just kindly take yourself along to the voting booth this June for the primaries, and for the mid-term elections come November.

There -behind the cool curtain of the voting booth in the school gym - you can kindly vote them out of office. Then smile and wave as you leave the building - and shake their hand on the way out.

Remember This Thought

Do we "own our children? Of course not.  But as a parent, I am not about to let anyone shift parenthood  - and all of the legal rights and responsiblities that come with that - to some other meaning.

And any attempt to shift the term "guardian" into the legal code as a synonym for the legal term parent  - well - let's just say that I guarantee you that every parent in this country would have none of it.  Why? 'Cause it ain't the same - is it?

Do we "own" our dogs. In a legal sense - you betcha.  Is it "bad" to own another living creature?  If you want to feel bad about it - go ahead. 

But don't expect me to share in your guilt or shame - over owning my dog. Guilt or shame about "owning" a dog - or a cat - or any other pet -  is a concept that's been manufactured  and marketed to you.

So if you feel bad about "owning" your dog - you have some sense of guilt - then I suggest you give up your dog to a rescue.  Then - you can take it back and be it's foster owner.

But don't think for a minute that I should do the same.

Why Am I Telling You This?

Why am I telling you all of this? 

I don't want you to be used as a pawn by these groups, like my friend.   I don't want your love of animals to be taken advantage of, like my friend. 

I don't want you to lose sight of what's really at stake.

My Own Killer Campaign

BTW - I've got my own killer campaign going  - and I've identified my own target audiences. 

Who are my target audiences? You - the dog owner, you - the animal lover - and every local and state elected official or candidate (including those that regularly read this blog :-))

I have an important message for you - one I want you to hear and remember.  I want this message to be palatable, easy to digest, memorable.  It must ring true.

That's why I've identified the USP  - the Unique Selling Proposition - that's ad agency speak for distilling the message down to its simplest form  - so it can be heard and received by the most people.

I've carefully crafted and honed this message too - designed specifically to win the hearts and minds of consumers and voters, to appeal to the goodness in people to do what's right, as well as to do their civic duty - regardless of political affiliation.

This carefully crafted message is clear, simple.  It resonates with target audiences across a wide range of political, racial, cultural and economic demographic profiles. 

My message doesn't need any sugar coating whatsoever.  Ready?  Here it is.....

My Dog Votes.

Comments

[Maria]

I agree with the concept of being a dog owner versus dog guardian. I have a semi-related question. I signed into a bad deal on a puppy contract with a breeder. Does anyone know if these are usually enforceable? The breeder I got my dog from heard 3rd or 4th hand that because I took my puppy to a dog trainer, I was looking to sell her. Not true, but at any rate, the contract I unfortunately signed, has a clause that reads if at anytime in the dog's life, I can't or don't want to keep it, I cannot sell it or place it in a home myself, but must return it to the breeder for free. I don't ever plan to do this, but I'd like to think I would be able to place her with a friend of family, and not surrender her to the breeder I paid $500 to for ownership of the dog. Now the crazy breeder is pestering me on the phone, threatening me with legal action if what she got through her grapevine is true, and asking me if I have her shots up to date (I do, of course), and just generally being rude and insulting to me. I don't know who gave her the notion in the first place that I was selling the dog, but she is so weird and harassing, I wish I had never visited this breeder. I do love my little dog so giving it back to the breeder just to be rid of the crazy lady is not an option. Has anyone had a similar experience or have advice on dealing with this? Thanks in advance!

[Joanne]

I agree that we should not become guardians. A few points that you missed re: how bad it could be. By being a guardian, we should not be able to euthanize our pets. What about the terminally ill dog who is suffering? We can't euthanize humans/children when THEY are sick. Also, what about spay/neuter? These elective surgeries are not in the best interest of the pet - their "natural" life dictates that they should breed. And what about people who cannot afford veterinary care? Who will take care of those pets and pay for their care (vaccinations, emergency care, etc.)? As guardians of children, we cannot let these things go, or else we'd be convicted of child abuse and neglect. What about dogs that bite? Do we incarcerate them for "x" years, like a criminal, and then release them? Is there a death penalty? Who is the guardian then - the county, the original owner, who? And then shelter animals - who are their guardians? Same things apply to these animals. The county would have to take care of them until they die or are adopted out. Children in orphanages are not euthanized. (and in NO WAY am I stating that humans should be treated as such - it's just comparing animals - 2 or 4 legged).

[Paul Bonneau]

Your article reminds me of the importance of the meaning of words, and how they are manipulated by those in power. This was commented on by Friedrich Hayek, in his book "The Road to Serfdom":

-----------
"The most effective way of making people accept the validity of the values they are to serve is to persuade them that they are really the same as those which they... have always held... The people are made to transfer their allegiance from the old gods to the new under the pretense that the new gods really are what their sound instinct had always told them but what before they had only dimly seen. And the most effective way to this end is to use the old words but change their meaning.

Few traits of totalitarian regimes are at the same time so confusing to the superficial observer and yet so characteristic of the whole intellectual climate as the complete perversion of language, the change of meaning of the words by which the ideals of the new regimes are expressed....

If one has not one's self experienced this process, it is difficult to appreciate the magnitude of this change of the meaning of words, the confusion it causes, and the barriers to any rational discussion which it creates... And the confusion becomes worse because this change of meaning of words describing political ideals is not a single event but a continuous process, a technique employed consciously or unconsciously to direct the people. Gradually, as this process continues, the whole language becomes despoiled, and words become empty shells deprived of any definite meaning, as capable of denoting one thing as its opposite and used solely for the emotional associations which still adhere to them."

[sam anderer]

Comments about guardianship are correct.
Your comments about our Constitution and democracy are incorrect. Our beloved country and form of government was not founded as a democracy which is mob rule. We were founded as a republic. Big difference. We only became a democracy with the acceptance of the de facto 17th Amendment, electing out Senators instead of the state legistlators appointing them to the Senate. This gave 100 people more power than those in the House. The Senate is supposed to represent state interests.
As for the 14th Amendment it made us 'citizens' of the ten square miles called Washington, D.C. Suggest you examine the marketing ploys used to feed you false info concerning exactly what our fore- fathers intended. See if you can find the following book:
Pied Pipers of Babylong, by Verl K. Speer, D.C.L. copyright 1985
There are many other texts available that will set the record straight. do a google search on "common law". Good hunting. sam in az

[Stephanie]

The animal rights people (not to be confused with animal welfare folks) want to elevate animals to equal status with humans. They want all animals to be wild.

This means no one will be able to own pets or animals. Oh, you won't be able to eat any, either.

But what of the animals? Don't they eat other animals? Yeh, but the AR people really want a vegan world. Never mind the fact that this planet is one giant food chain and never has been a vegan world. They want to change the very nature of the Earth.

Can anyone spell "God complex?"

[Micheline Hellwege]

To anyone who thinks changing our status from pet owner to pet guardian is benign, I ask ... Why do these groups want laws passed? Why do they think it's necessary? Wouldn't a simple change in vocabulary be enough? What's in it for them?

[Denise]

Thank you for taking this stand. It has encouraged me to be more vocal in my desire to retain ownership of my pets, as opposed to being their guardian. Guardianship is a slippery slope that will hurt both pet-owners and pets in the long run.

[Steve Bodio]

This needs saying, repeatedly. I'll be linking on my blog. And-- I have a post there on the California coursing controversy you might want to look at too:http://stephenbodio.blogspot.com/2006/03/coursing-redux.html

[Janice in GA]

Thank you for stating this. So many people who want to do good for their animals are being sucked in by the kind of propaganda you're describing. And they do NOT have our best interests at heart.