Animal Welfare or Human Welfare?
People outside of the animal welfare field frequently hold the view that animal rescue is of less importance than other nonprofit enterprises, because it does not benefit people. Many even go so far as to suggest that those of us who work in this field do so because we dislike human beings, or because of some deep, emotional pain we received at the hands of our own species. It seems a valid theory at its face value, until you find out what sanctuaries and other animal welfare organizations actually do. Animal welfare is not just for the benefit of animals; we serve people, too.
There are many examples; take natural disasters, for instance, when animal welfare organizations are called upon to reunite pets with their owners. In the past, when people were evacuated to emergency shelters, pets were not allowed, and as a result, many people refused to leave their homes. It became immediately clear how important their pets were to them. After the destruction caused by hurricane Katrina in 2005, the importance of companion animals in people's lives was finally recognized, and in 2006, the PETS Act was passed, requiring that emergency preparedness authorities include pets in their evacuation plans. To reinforce the legislation, a disaster plan for pets is now required in order to receive grant money from FEMA.
In the case of non-companion animals, animal welfare groups help people in a different way, by keeping the animals away from them. Sanctuaries are filled with dangerous animals; some are powerful predators, some have venoms they use for defense, and others carry potentially fatal diseases that can be transmitted to humans, pets, or livestock. While a sanctuary's primary purpose is the welfare of the animal, public health and safety are also very real motivations.
It is well established that murderers and other violent criminals usually get their start by abusing animals. Animal welfare organizations and law enforcement agencies work together to stop the cycle before it escalates from animal abuse to human abuse.
Education is also a part of any legitimate animal welfare program, and its purpose is not only to encourage people to treat animals better, but to prevent them from making poor decisions that could one day result in their serious injury or death. In addition, this service is provided simply to enrich the lives of children and adults, and if it leads them to seek careers or volunteer opportunities in animal welfare or conservation, so much the better.
We've established that animal welfare work is work for the benefit of the human community as well, but as animal welfare professionals, we also spend the majority of our time working with people, not animals. So much for escaping those horrible human beings: staff, volunteers, board members, students, government agencies, foundations, donors, vendors, press, not to mention the opposition: exotic animal dealers, backyard breeders, smugglers, fur farms, auction houses, hunting ranches... that's a long list of human beings.
The truth is that we work with animals because we like them and we care about their wellbeing, not because we dislike people. In fact, most of the animal welfare professionals and volunteers we know are also involved with various human rights and human services organizations. We certainly aren't trying to escape from anyone; there are much easier and less expensive ways to do that.
Posted on January 17, 2007 | Link
The Lies Wild Animal Collectors Tell
Just as animal welfare proponents tend to come together in like-minded communities, wildlife collectors often form clubs and advocacy organizations, either in person or online, and as a cooperative effort, they've become fairly adept at lying to themselves and to everyone else about the true nature of what they do. Learning to recognize propaganda for what it is is an unfortunate necessity for wildlife rescuers. Here are some of the more common lies the collectors tell to justify their unethical activities:
Wild animals can make great pets if you know what you're doing. Wild animals, regardless of what anyone says, do not make good pets. They have special needs and instinctive behaviors that make them unsuitable for life in captivity. Even some of the smallest species are capable of inflicting serious injuries to people and destroying property, and many wild animals carry dangerous diseases that can be transmitted to humans. 'Knowing what you're doing' is a pretty relative term; animal husbandry is a trial and error skill set, and even the most experienced animal caretakers have a great deal still to learn. We think that if people knew what they were doing, they wouldn't be trying to make wild animals into pets.
I'm breeding endangered species for conservation purposes. This is one of the most common lies you will hear. It is important to realize a few things about captive breeding programs and their role in conservation. First of all, they are a last resort; it is almost always preferable to relocate animals from existing wild populations than to reintroduce captive bred animals. When this is not possible, captive bred animals may be released, but in many cases, even the Endangered Species Survival Plans administrated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums never result in captive bred animals being released. Often, surplus animals are sold or given away to the public instead. Private collectors may claim they operate captive breeding programs, but unless the program is the work of a government agency or a legitimate conservation organization, it's not viable. Furthermore, the vast majority of the animals found in these so-called captive breeding programs are of mixed genetic heritage, lacking the pure bloodlines that zoos try to preserve. They are therefore of no value to conservation programs and it would be not only ecologically disastrous but also illegal to release them. They are, however, of value in commerce, and this is what most breeders are up to. Real conservation programs don't sell animals.
White tigers/black panthers/albino boa constrictors/etc. are critically endangered and captive breeding is the only way to save the species. 'Designer' animals are very popular among collectors, and many of them will tell you that the animal is an endangered species. Do your research; in most cases this simply isn't true. White tigers are not a species, they are simply animals with a genetic condition that would make it difficult for them to survive in the wild. A black panther is just a leopard or a jaguar that happens to be black, which isn't that uncommon. In the reptile trade, breeders are constantly trying to produce new color morphs, in the hope of selling them for thousands of dollars; none of these are new species, and in many cases, they are hybrids, or intergrades of two or more subspecies, making them worthless to any legitimate endangered species conservation program.
I'm contributing to the pool of scientific knowledge by sharing my experience with others. The internet is full of this 'shared scientific knowledge,' and much of it is incorrect or unsupported. Most animal collectors are not scientists, and they are not applying scientific principles to their 'work'. They contribute far more to the pool of misconceptions and half-truths than to collective scientific knowledge.
I use the animals to educate people about wildlife. People don't need to see an animal in captivity to learn about it; there are plenty of ways to educate people without putting animals in cages. What's more, there are usually plenty of non-releasable animals at legitimate wildlife rehabilitation centers to be ambassadors to the public. Education is important, but it should not take precedence over animal welfare.
This is a wildlife sanctuary/I'm a wildlife rehabilitator. There are a number of legitimate sanctuaries and rehabilitators out there, but chances are the person you're hearing this from isn't one of them. Sanctuaries have a variety of permits, and hopefully they are accredited. Wildlife rehabilitators have to be licensed. Click here to read about pseudo-sanctuaries.
This is a home for retired animal actors. The truth is that there aren't enough retired animal actors in the world to fill all the so-called retirement homes we've seen. This is usually just a ploy to generate interest and revenue. Some collectors will even tell you the movies their animals have been in; if you're around long enough, you'll meet other collectors that will cite the same films. (Can't tell you how many of "the original" Charlie the Lonesome Cougars we've come across.) Animal actors are a lot like human actors in some respects, in that most of them don't retire. We wish they could all retire; animals aren't here for our entertainment, but in most cases, the retirement scenario is as phony as the scenes in which the animals were supposedly 'acting'.
I have a right as a pet owner to keep any animal I want. When they get tired of hearing about animal rights,
collectors often start crying about their own. The truth is that people do not have the right, natural, legal, or otherwise, to possess any living thing simply because they desire it. Animals have a right to live lives free from cruelty, and that right supersedes any human desire to possess a unique pet. Wild animals have the additional, natural right to freedom, and they should only be kept in captivity when there is no other good option. We understand why people want to spend time with wildlife, because we do too; we suggest that if you really love and care about animals, you be a part of the solution. Get involved with a legitimate sanctuary or rehabilitation center, become a field biologist, go to work for a conservation organization, or start an eco-tourism company (make sure it's ethical). Animals have a lot to teach us, and we don't need to 'possess' them for them to enrich our lives.
Posted on January 13, 2007 | Link
The Animal Welfare Crisis
There's no way around it -- animals are in trouble. If someone asks you to think of an animal in crisis, the first species to come to mind might be a highly endangered animal like the giant panda, or perhaps your thoughts would turn to pet overpopulation, but the animal welfare crisis is worldwide and spares no species. Pet overpopulation, the captive wildlife trade, fur farming, poaching, unregulated hunting, traditional medicine, habitat loss, pollution, introduction of nonnative species, and deliberate acts of cruelty and neglect all take a heavy toll on the animals with which we share our world, and the extent to which our impact on animals is made continues to shock even the most seasoned animal welfare and conservation professionals.
Animal sanctuaries are only one part of the solution; one of our main functions is damage control, but we also strive to educate people about this animal welfare crisis, in the hope that, little by little, things will change for the better. When Olympic Animal Sanctuary was first envisioned, it was to be a sanctuary for wild cats and canines, bears, and reptiles, but it quickly became clear that the animal welfare crisis was a much broader problem. We now envision a facility capable of permanently housing and caring for all types of animals. This is a truly ambitious undertaking, and one that will take a great deal of time and resources to accomplish, but the need is too great and we cannot be daunted by the magnitude of addressing it.
As you read through the following sections, you will probably be struck by the diversity of the species discussed, and surprised to learn how many of them are common in captivity.
The unfortunate fact is that any animal you can find in a zoo can also be found in back yards, basements, and garages throughout America. To exotic animal collectors, nothing is off limits, and if the law says it's not allowed, the lawmakers are to blame when the law is broken. Rare and endangered species are given no special consideration; they simply command higher prices. In fact, many exotic animal owners and breeders claim to be conservationists, and insist that they keep wild animals for the good of the species. This is simply not true. (Read more.) The individual reasons people have for keeping animals vary, but the constant and the sole motivation behind the animal trade is profit.
The following are descriptions of the kinds of animals we are working to save. Some, we do significant work with already, while others are part of our plans for the future:
Posted on January 8, 2007 | Link
