Post by muskyhusky on Oct 18, 2008 18:47:56 GMT -6
Much of the fear and ignorance surrounding wolfdog ownership and breeding has come about from misinformation and irresponsibility. And a lot of it comes from the very people who claim to own wolfdogs.
From my own personal experiences I would say only about 1/3 of the people claiming to own wolfdogs really do. Probably half of them have been mislead on the percentages of wolf that is really in their wolfdogs. Unfortunately many people own dogs and are under the impression they have wolfdogs. Not entirely their fault either. They have been deceived time and time again by unscrupulous breeders. I have as well as most folks I know.
The word “wolf” has been misused over and over again. There are people and Orgs who have tried to call a wolfdog something else to cover up the fact that they own wolfdogs. There is always groups who think if they can get away with it. What’s the point? If people feel they want wolfdogs, but are so afraid to treat them like wolfdogs and offer them the kind of safety and structure and assurance they need why do they have them then? The only exception I see are the places where people own wolfdogs once were legal but now aren’t. Unless you already have wolfdogs and are by some catastrophe forced to move to an illegal area, why bring them into an illegal area at all?
People do this and when they get caught cry out for help to save their wolfdogs. They either should have complied with the regulations in their state or county or should have moved to a legal part of the country before they got them. They want to blame others who aren’t illegal and make them feel guilty at times if they don’t have the money to run to their aid.
The controversy is not anything new. It has been here for years. Most of the general public is and always has been afraid of wolves. They are afraid of all the things wolves stand for. They don’t want to know anything different. What they don’t know can’t hurt them. They don’t want to be told wolves and wolfdogs are not the scary; kid killing; menace to society they think they are.
They don’t want to know there are responsible loveing people who can and have successfully raised and lived with wolfdogs for decades. It would bore them to death. It takes “effort” to learn and change ones mind about something the media, parents and storytellers have instilled in our minds for years. It takes “effort” to try to understand wolves and wolfdogs. It takes “effort” to actually listen to responsible owners and learn that its “ok” that these owners can live harmoniously with them. Its “ok” that most owners have changed their whole lives to live with them.
But, it takes “little effort” to gossip, malign, and threaten owners and have their animals taken away, or banned because of others fear and ignorance. Its called the “ destroy what you can’t have or don’t want to understand” syndrome.
Dog bite stories don’t often make the front page or big headlines. They don’t usually last more than a day or two. But put the word wolf before the “dog” and you get front page news sometimes for weeks. The witch hunt begins. Its more exciting for the media and for those who weren’t there to supervise their children or dogs to lay blame on the supposed “wolfdog” because of their own guilt and irresponsibility.
www.wolfcountry.net/
From my own personal experiences I would say only about 1/3 of the people claiming to own wolfdogs really do. Probably half of them have been mislead on the percentages of wolf that is really in their wolfdogs. Unfortunately many people own dogs and are under the impression they have wolfdogs. Not entirely their fault either. They have been deceived time and time again by unscrupulous breeders. I have as well as most folks I know.
The word “wolf” has been misused over and over again. There are people and Orgs who have tried to call a wolfdog something else to cover up the fact that they own wolfdogs. There is always groups who think if they can get away with it. What’s the point? If people feel they want wolfdogs, but are so afraid to treat them like wolfdogs and offer them the kind of safety and structure and assurance they need why do they have them then? The only exception I see are the places where people own wolfdogs once were legal but now aren’t. Unless you already have wolfdogs and are by some catastrophe forced to move to an illegal area, why bring them into an illegal area at all?
People do this and when they get caught cry out for help to save their wolfdogs. They either should have complied with the regulations in their state or county or should have moved to a legal part of the country before they got them. They want to blame others who aren’t illegal and make them feel guilty at times if they don’t have the money to run to their aid.
The controversy is not anything new. It has been here for years. Most of the general public is and always has been afraid of wolves. They are afraid of all the things wolves stand for. They don’t want to know anything different. What they don’t know can’t hurt them. They don’t want to be told wolves and wolfdogs are not the scary; kid killing; menace to society they think they are.
They don’t want to know there are responsible loveing people who can and have successfully raised and lived with wolfdogs for decades. It would bore them to death. It takes “effort” to learn and change ones mind about something the media, parents and storytellers have instilled in our minds for years. It takes “effort” to try to understand wolves and wolfdogs. It takes “effort” to actually listen to responsible owners and learn that its “ok” that these owners can live harmoniously with them. Its “ok” that most owners have changed their whole lives to live with them.
But, it takes “little effort” to gossip, malign, and threaten owners and have their animals taken away, or banned because of others fear and ignorance. Its called the “ destroy what you can’t have or don’t want to understand” syndrome.
Dog bite stories don’t often make the front page or big headlines. They don’t usually last more than a day or two. But put the word wolf before the “dog” and you get front page news sometimes for weeks. The witch hunt begins. Its more exciting for the media and for those who weren’t there to supervise their children or dogs to lay blame on the supposed “wolfdog” because of their own guilt and irresponsibility.
www.wolfcountry.net/
The Shambala bill
covers private ownership of wild, exotic, non-native species, subspecies, and hybrids of cats, bears, foxes, wolves, and primates; requires non-transferable permits issued by the Secretary of Agriculture to own or breed the animals; exempts zoos, research facilities, government agencies, animal parks, and wildlife sanctuaries from its provisions; sets standards for wild animal housing and care; restricts import and export of covered animals.
covers private ownership of wild, exotic, non-native species, subspecies, and hybrids of cats, bears, foxes, wolves, and primates; requires non-transferable permits issued by the Secretary of Agriculture to own or breed the animals; exempts zoos, research facilities, government agencies, animal parks, and wildlife sanctuaries from its provisions; sets standards for wild animal housing and care; restricts import and export of covered animals.