Tea Party and Joe the Plumber declare War on Puppies

Yes, you read that right! The Missouri Tea Party groups, Joe the Plumber, and a whole host of conservative douche-gobblers have all come out against a law that would stop puppy mills in Missouri. The War on Puppies stance from the Teabagger groups is gobsmackingly dumb, but not as dumb as some of the quotes from the various nutjobs. Be warned that this article will eventually have quotes about abused dogs at some of the puppy mills run by some of the people orchestrating the War on Puppies.

Proposition B (or the “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act”) in on the Missouri Ballot this November and is intended to stomp out 3000 puppy mills in Missouri, which is 30% of puppy mills nationwide. It is supported by Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and practically every animal rights organization in the country.

Evil bastards Alliance For Truth (we are fair and balanced here!) take exception to the law, claiming the HSUS has a “radical agenda” and is “misleading the public with its intentions on Prop B. The society seeks only to raise the cost of breeding dogs, making it ever-more difficult for middle-class American families to be dog-owners.” This is the kind of arguments usually used against PeTA and Cass Sunstein, but as HSUS isn’t a bunch of wackos, it doesn’t play well here.

Anita Andrews from Alliance For Truth told TPM that it’s a “deceptive, lying bill” that is “trying to purposefully get rid of the breeders.” The state of Missouri, she said, has been given a bad rap as “the puppy mill capitol” of the U.S. but “in truth we have the best ribbon breeders in the country.” And, Andrews said, the state already has anti-cruelty laws on the books.

“They don’t like animals,” she said of the Humane Society of the United States.

Yes, “They don’t like animals” – This is real life, folks, not The Onion. Someone actually said this.

Andrews also explained that Cass Sunstein, “one of the biggest animal rights activists,” and President Obama’s Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, is tied to the HSUS, and is helping them give Obama “a punch list” of the animals rights activists’ agenda.

Hey, look, Cass Sunstein! Someone watches Glenn Beck.

Joe the Plumber (aka Sam “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher) even wrote for Alliance for Truth, saying:

This would almost be comical if it weren’t for the OTHER, more insidious parts of this bill that hit at the very core of our liberties. This bill forces breeders to limit the number of dogs they can own – regardless of care. Think about this a minute . . . . Should the government have the right to limit the number of houses a realtor can sell? Or the number of cattle a rancher can raise?

These new regulations will put almost every breeder in Missouri out of business forcing the price of dogs to sky rocket and allowing pet ownership only for the very wealthy. But this bill is just a stepping stone. HSUS eventually wants to extend this law to ALL animals. Their idea of utopia is a United States with NO animal ownership; NO meat to eat; NO pets; NO hunting; NO fishing; NO service animals. If chicken farmers would be forced to own no more than 50 chickens they could no longer afford to stay in business. The same will hold true with hog farmers and cattle ranchers. Eventually, agri-business will be forced to go over seas, just as our manufacturing and tech industries.

But even the extinction of our food industry isn’t the scariest part of this whacko liberal agenda. A law is only as good as it’s enforced. And HSUS is happy to fill the void. HSUS has now become the self-appointed law enforcement of the animal world. In some states, HSUS employees are running around with guns and police-like badges breaking down doors, confiscating animals and business papers, and obtaining warrants with false information. Lawsuits are cropping up against HSUS, sheriffs and governments for blatant violations of the most basic of constitutional rights.

Even Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum has even gotten in on the War on Puppies, calling Prop B a hoax.

RightWing Watch broke the story, then TPM cracked it wide open.

The brand new group Mexico Tea Party (as in Mexico, Missouri) is even hosting a Puppy Mill- excuse me, puppy “farm” operator, Cathy Griesbauer, as their special guest for their first meeting! Mexico Tea Party is affiliated with Tea Party Patriots, the Freedomworks front group.

Mexico Tea Party’s special guest Cathy Griesbauer (President, Professional Pet Association) has quite a rap sheet of animal misdeeds at her puppy mill- excuse me, puppy “farm” (also click the link to read other animal abuse taken place at the puppy mills- excuse me, puppy “farms” run by others opposed to Prop B)

Cathy Griesbauer (President, Professional Pet Association) and Mary Foster, co-owners of Country Pets kennel, commercial dog breeders and MoFed PAC contributors:

Griesbauer and Foster run one of the largest puppy mills in MO. A USDA Animal Inventory Count for MO, Inspection Dates From 10/1/2007 – 10/1/2008, noted 550 adults and 262 puppies at their Country Pets facility in Montgomery City.

A 7/31/2008 USDA inspection report of the Griesbauer/Foster facility notes severe eye problems with several of the dogs, including bulging and a dark crusty coating on the surface of the eye, a pug with “bulging of both of its eyes,” and a dachshund with “an injury to the eyelid” and a “white greenish discharge.” The inspection report notes: “The injuries of these four dogs may be painful, possibly infected, and can lead to other health issues.”

Animal welfare groups have received multiple complaints from constituents about sick puppies bred by Country Pets Kennel and sold through pet stores. Complainants reported puppies with severe pneumonia, digestive disorders and parasites, including two with rare bacterial infections.

Reputable breeders do not sell to pet stores because they want to meet the families who are purchasing their puppies. Most national breed clubs discourage their members from selling to pet stores and many consider it a violation of their codes of ethics.

In 1986, Jim and Mary Foster (doing business as “Oak Leaf Kennels”) were determined by The USDA to be “dealers engaged in business without a license.” Other AWA violations included improper storage of food, improper sanitation of facilities and overcrowding. In a consent decision it was ordered that they cease and desist from these violations and they were assessed a civil penalty. Yet Mary Foster retains her Missouri state kennel license and is one of the co-owners of Country Pets kennel to this day.

Below is an email sent by some of the organizers of the War on Puppies detailing their “David and Goliath” stance against animal rights groups.

This is for the Missouri members,

This bill is another HSUS attack on dog ownership. HSUS has the money and people to get its agenda past. A lot of these proposals sound good and most of us would agree with, but as you get into the fine print and many restrictions, regulations and consequences it goes far beyond just making sure animals are properly cared for. Examples: 12 sp feet per dog on indoor space would close down every kennel I’ve ever been to; Sufficient space is another unreasonable, crazy proposal. This bill is a disaster if passed. Please read this and take action, don’t think it won’t affect hunting dogs. At first you think, well that logical and fair but then when you read on it gets more and more restrictive. It written to appeal our sensitivities and sense of fairness and then gets into details that most people will ignore or ever even continue to read. The most effective we’ve been in stopping this kind of legislation is getting involved early.

Dennis Foster
Executive Director

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Julesno
Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2009 8:26 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [NAIAandNAIATrustMembers] RE: [] Missouri 2010 Ballot Measure by Animal Rights Group HSUS

Missouri in the HSUS crosshairs….
Jean

Live Free With DOGS or Die
http://www.naiaonline.org/ – National Animal Interest Alliance
http://www.saova.org/ – Sportsmen’s & Animal Owner’s Voting Alliance
http://saveourdogs.net/index.html – Save Our Dogs
http://www.adoa.org/ – American Dog Owners Association
http://bluedogstate.blogspot.com/ – Blue Dog State
http://mnlreport.typepad.com/the_mo…national_legi/- The Monthly National Legislation Report – Animal legislation

—–Original Message—–

Dear MoFed Members & Associates,

MoFed has been closely monitoring activities of the Humane Society
of the United States in recent months and were informed late yesterday
that paperwork had been delivered to the Missouri Secretary of State for
a ballot initiative concerning dog breeders for the November 2010
election in Missouri. The submitted paperwork will be sent to the
Attorney General for review, a fiscal note will be added and then
returned to the Secretary of State for the ballot language to be
written. Signature gatherers (animal rights activists) will then start
gathering signatures for the issue to go on the ballot.
We have enclosed an attachment containing the language submitted.
Please be advised that we are 100% in opposition to the ballot
measure. We will be putting together information for you to give to
friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, puppy buyers, feed stores,
vets, and anyone else you can think of. Many of you will not personally
be affected by this ballot measure, but keep in mind that when the
animal rights activists take down one interest, they will merely turn to
the next one until everyone falls like domino’s.
MoFed President Karen Strange and Secretary Lewis Strange, MPBA
President Barb York and PPA President, Cathy Griesbauer will be meeting
immediately to discuss strategy. Please be advised that we are already
working hard on this but cannot reveal everything we are doing at this time.
Your first assignment upon receiving this alert is to inform
everyone you come in contact with that this is an animal rights ballot
measure geared to end the production of pets for those who wish to
purchase from a professional breeder. The HSUS and their allies are not
“animal protectionists” , they are “animal eliminators” . They don’t
want clean cages; they want empty cages. They want to change the face of
agriculture by picking off one group at a time. There will be many ads
and news releases about the “abhorrent conditions in Missouri’s
Puppymills”. Be ready for it and respond immediately with your
“Dispelling the Puppymill Term” and factual information of the loving
care that professional breeders give their dogs. We will supply you with
many talking points.
This will be a massive undertaking and a hard-fought battle. HSUS
brags that they have the money, the power and the public support to do
anything they want. We intend to fight and will not roll over and play
dead!! We never have and we don’t intend to start now!! We need each of
you to step forward and do your part as this progresses. We’re a team
and we’re in this together!
Keep in mind the story of David and Goliath….. ……..

MoFed

Don’t let these bastards win! Declare your support for the puppies, even donate to the Yes on Prop B people if you want.