Welfare, rights and keeping pets...

[crazywiggy]

Please don't think I'm trying to cause trouble by asking these questions... I have been looking through many of the threads here in "the kitchen" and I'm curious about one or two things.

Firstly - I know this forum is run by rescue, but is it technically about animal welfare or animal rights? I mean, the 2 are not one and the same, or is that just a personal choice?

Secondly - leading on from the animal welfare/ rights question - would you say that the ultimate goal is to totally stop people keeping animals as pets?

I totally agree that it is wrong to purchase animals from pet stores and encourage further breeding when we already have a problem with overpopulation and animals being put down because there aren't enough homes. I also think it is wrong that people breed or sell animals in poor conditions. But if nobody at all bred guinea pigs, then once all the current ones had passed away there would be no more guinea pigs as pets. Would this be a good thing or a bad thing?

Hope this makes sense, I was just wondering what people thought. Sorry if this has already been answered elsewhere.

[Susan9608]

Please read these threads:

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...al-rights.html

and

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...n-animals.html

There are many opinions on whether or not it okay to own animals. The second thread discusses some of those opinions.

This is a good one to read also: http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ser%26u%3D5235

[crazywiggy]

Thanks for the links Susan.

I've already read the animal rights essay one - that is one of the reasons I decided to ask. The introduction at the top of the page in the kitchen says the site is pro-animal welfare, but that essay talks about animal rights. That's what made me ask which it was.

[pamziaw]

Hello,
There's a lot of controversy in the forum especially on the 'should animals be pets' thread. My personal take on it is we should give animals the same rights as humans as according to science we are animals as well and just because an animal can't speak for itself doesn't mean its rights can be abused. My take on the pets thing is we should give animals the best care we possibliy can, as pets this means extra safety from preditors. You might have noticed but msot on this forum give piggies the same standards of hosuing, food, health etc that we have access to, this is because we believe our piggies deserve the best we can give them!

[Susan9608]

I really don't think we need to rehash the "should people own pets" issue.

As for animal rights vs. animal welfare, they usually go hand in hand. This site supports both.

[CavySpirit]

Originally Posted by crazywiggy

But if nobody at all bred guinea pigs, then once all the current ones had passed away there would be no more guinea pigs as pets. Would this be a good thing or a bad thing?

Hope this makes sense, I was just wondering what people thought. Sorry if this has already been answered elsewhere.

I have to say, I am soooooo tired of this question. I really, really am. It's nothing personal. I'm just fed up with it.

Here's my question. If we were to have world peace, what would happen to all the guns in the world? What would happen to all the billions of dollars and millions of people who make their living off of death and destruction? Wouldn't they go hungry?

What? World peace is a pie in the sky because of human nature? But something we strive for anyway, because the closer we get, the better off we are. Moving right along.

Here's another one. A stupid one. What if everyone became a vegetarian? What would happen to all the cows? We've been asked that multiple times.

Here's the ancillary to your question. What if everyone stopped breeding? Guinea pigs would go extinct! Gotta love it.

Or how about, What if everyone stopped breeding, the rescues and shelters would be out of business. Ha. I've actually had that as an objection multiple times.

The point is, you can take that question and argue about it until the proverbial cows do come home. You may as well ask any philosophical or theoretical question because it doesn't have anything to do with the issues. We are not going to stop all breeding. We won't even come close. The point is to fix the model.

The commercial pet trade model is broken. It doesn't 'work' from an animal welfare/animal rights perspective. There is no simple fix. It's not a simple problem. It is not easy to grasp the big picture for most people, especially kids and young adults who do not yet have an indepth understanding of business. And some adults never get it anyway.

I would really rather waste my debate and discussion time on issues and topics that matter.

Let's talk about reforming the ARBA/ACBA from the inside out! Let's have some real fun!

Just my two cents...