Animal rights?

What is up with animal rights? Animals are. They are animals. They do not have rights. They they live in the moment. They are our devoted companions, and provide us with happiness, but I don't believe they have any rights. Rather, I believe that we humans who own animals have responsibilities. We have the responsibility to treat our animals humanely. We are responsible for their well being, making sure their needs are met. Part of our responsibility is to treat them well, never being cruel or neglectful.

I am tired of all the people who insist that animals are children. These people believe that animals *are* equal to people. These are the same people who won't put a suffering animal down because they don't have the guts. Man up people. If you love widdle Pookie so much, make the tough decision. Do the right thing even though it hurts. Making your baby suffer when you have the ability to end that suffering is cruel and wrong. I don't get this at all. I have worked at barns and vets, and I have seen first hand what animals go through when their owners don't have the intestinal fortitude to do the right thing. If this is love, I would hate to see cruelty. There are things worse than death. I know because I've seen them.

The end goal for a lot of animal rights people is that no animal should be "exploited" by humans. This means that no animal be under the control (or responsibility) of humans. No pets. No livestock. Nothing. No breeding, or ownership period. If that isn't crazy, I don't know what is. Anyone who has ever owned an animal of any kind knows that domesticated animals are dependent on humans for everything. If you have ever lived in the country, you know what a dumped dog looks like. How it gets thinner and thinner until it disappears either because it starved to death, was run over by a car, or eaten by something bigger. Anyone who thinks that horses can live just fine running free, take a gander at what the mustangs are going through. Starvation is an ugly thing.

People who are responsible animal owners must keep on top of what our government is doing. We have to write letters to our representatives and let them know that we are here, and we don't want them telling us what we can or cannot do with our animals. If we don't, we will not have anyone to blame when it becomes illegal to own a pet or breed our horses or cattle. I for one do not want to live long enough to see that day, and it is happening slowly in bits and pieces now. How sad for us all.

I know I am rambling, but I am so annoyed by all the bleeding hearts that I just can't help it. I am tired of their bleating and bawling. The ignorance is amazing and unbelievable. I am appalled on a daily basis. Sheesh....