S.F. Sets Dog Standard of Living

wpvi.com - AP ^ | January 12, 2005 | Staff

[hobson]

My cocker loves rain, pools, ponds, puddles... I guess they would put me in jail.

[cgbg]

food has to be palatable and nutritious

My Springer got loose in a grocery store (long story) and nipped at two people who tried to catch her.

Now she is doing two weeks hard time.

If I had known about this SF law I could have argued that she was just trying to get "palatable and nutritious" food and the store employees should have let her run loose and respected her rights. :-)

[HairOfTheDog]

I haven't read this particular law, but I am all for reasonable and consistant standards.

They went in and took dogs away from abusive and neglectful homes before, but without clear cut guidelines there is actually ~more~ room for abuse by enforcement run amuck, than there is with a more specified minimum standard.

[HairOfTheDog]

My cocker loves rain, pools, ponds, puddles... I guess they would put me in jail.

That's silly. Do you provide any shelter and food at all or just tie him in the puddle he loves?

[hobson]

Actually, for now anyway, he still allows me to sleep in my own bed. I liberated him from my brother who had him tied to a tree. He had "issues" but after a lot of patience and many months of nurturing he's turned out to be a very smart dog. I love my Max!

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh - so you were just painting an exaggerated picture of how dogs should be treated - I never would have guessed! ;~D

[Beaker]

She rings a bell when she needs to go outside. When I hear the bell, I get up and take her for a walk.
My dog will hunt around the house for my shoes, drop them at my feet, and then hunt for his leash and drop it there too, (all without being told) then look at me and say "Hey stupid! Lets go!"

[Beaker]

I have a cocker who loves water, epscially showers. He'll be 15 this year.

[OKIEDOC]

It is easy to see that many on this thread never lived on a farm or in a rural environment.

This is just another attempt by those idiots at PETA and other vegan nut organizations to upgrade animals to the equal of humans.

Sin Fraudcisco has gone more loony than thought possible.

Personally the people of Sin Fraudcisco deserve all the crap they heap on themselves. Any group of people who elect fruits and nuts to local offices as they do have it coming.

[EveningStar]

For the record, I am a dog lover. As I said before, I posted this article merely to make fun of the official designation of pet guardian. In reality, when I had a dog years ago, I took it as a serious responsibility. In fact, the only reason I don't have a dog today is that I don't have time to give it proper care.

[HairOfTheDog]

It is easy to see that many on this thread never lived on a farm or in a rural environment.

I do. Both.

[HairOfTheDog]

I know... It's easy for these things to go too far, and if anywhere is most likely to go too far, it's SF.

I haven't read it to know if that is the case here.

[hobson]

My concern is the so called know-it-alls in SF will penalize people for their dogs natural or learned behavior. Anytime law-loving people get involved common sense and judgment goes out the window.

If Max, God forbid, ever ended up at the pound they would euthanize him because he appears to be food aggressive and "guards" things like stuffed teddy bears. He was seriously aggressive (attacked us several times) when we brought him home but my husband turned it into a game. His growl sounds ferocious but that's the way he plays. When he gets too ruff we say the magic word "ouch" and he'll stop and sit.

I know this was the ideal way to handle the situation but we tried everything and this worked.

[BIGLOOK]

I'm sure the Board of Supervisors have good intentions; building fees, property reassessment, rising property taxes......Dog houses, gotta love 'em!

[hobson]

Max will take my hand in his mouth and lead me to where he wants me to go.

[OKIEDOC]

Good for you.

I don't believe in cruelty to animals.

When I was five I saw my farther knock a neighbors ranch hand off a horse he was trying to break. The ranch hand had ridden into our front yard. He had a piece of barbed wire and was whipping the horse every time it did not obey a command.

However under the Sin Fraudcisco law he would have been jailed. We had 10 dogs, 14 cats, 8 goats, 28 horses, 52 rabbits, 35 hogs, 1,400 chickens and 228 head of milk cows. All lived out side and the dogs and cats stayed in the barn or out buildings at night. The dogs and cats ate scraps from the table and drank from the creek or a stock tank. Definitely a violation of a NUTTY law.

[HairOfTheDog]

If you don't believe in cruelty to animals, your stock and your animals were fed and had shelter, I don't see how you think you would be in violation of this law. I haven't heard the details of it, but it would seem to be written for those who do ~not~ properly take care of suburban and city pets who are neglected and starved. This is an actual problem they too often face.

[Bernard]

An earlier version of this story was posted a while ago. That one mentioned that homeless people are exempt from the requirements. So if you are in San Fransisco and you are homeless, you can abuse your dog and be within the law, but if you have a home you must provide a standard of living for your dog that is better than what a homeless person lives in.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"Most people don't abuse their pets."

Agreed. In the rare instances that it happens, it gets plenty of media coverage because it is just plain wrong and sick to hurt kids and animals and everyone goes, "Oh, My!" and then goes on about their normal lives.

That said...please spay and neuter your pets, unless you intend to breed them. I have two female Black Labs, and one male Basset Hound. The girls are fixed, but Rufus is not because he is an AKC Purebred and we stud him out at $200 a pop. Yeah, he's got it made, I'd say, though he's the only pet I've ever owned that's pretty much self-supporting, LOL!

[OKIEDOC]

I believe there are laws already on the over crowded books protecting animals.
However, I believe there is a greater point that is being over looked in this Sin Fraudcisco law.
This is a way for NUT groups to put animals on the same levels as humans.
The next thing we know farmers and ranchers will not be able to sell their livestock to slaughter houses.
All in the plan of those PETA and vegan supporters.
Just more stupid creeping liberalism.