Opinion: PETA offers pet advice to the Obamas: Save a shelter dog
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Barack Obama is supposed to have something like, what, 300 economic advisors. But as yet his family doesn’t have one single pet.
Unlike two out of three American households, there’s no dog or cat or other living creature in the Obama home. Nothing. As Hillary Rodham Clinton knew, having a dog is an integral part of the commander-in-chief test. No dog? Likely no White House.
Obama says he has promised his two daughters a dog after the election. And there’s been all kinds of speculation and on-line voting about what kind of freaky-looking purebred they might get.
Well, today PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) offered itself as advisor to the Obamas on what kind of pet to get. Even though no one remembers asking.
In a letter to the couple at the Federal Building in Chicago, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said:
‘No one needs to tell you that this country is proud to be a melting pot and that there is something deeply wrong and elitist about wanting only a purebred dog. Millions of great American mutts -- the dog that should be our national dog -- are set to die in our nation’s extremely overcrowded pounds and shelters for lack of good homes. ‘Compassionate people nationwide are choosing to adopt a homeless pound puppy -- a grateful refugee from a society that has not always treated the true ‘underdog’ kindly -- rather than cater to special interests who do not have dogs’ interests at heart. ‘Adopting an animal not only saves a life but demonstrates compassion, and the companion-animal overpopulation crisis deserves attention from all Americans. ‘Every animal purchased from a breeder or a pet shop takes a home away from a needy animal at an animal shelter, waiting and hoping for a chance at the American dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’
All right, that last paragraph is gonna cost Obama the Westminster and American kennel club votes and the support of all those puppy farms in the Midwest.
But it’s a very good point. Why not give a new home to a homeless critter? Set an example for other families. Talk about the American dream. And, like gas, those purebred-pup prices have gotten way out of control anyway.
John McCain, the Republican nominee-to-be, doesn’t have to worry about such selections. As The Ticket recently reported, even before running for the White House, he had three mutts, a cat, two turtles, three parakeets and a ferret sharing his Arizona home. As one result, a recent poll shows the Navy veteran leading, 47% to 32%, among pet owners.
What do you think -- purebred or mutt for the Obamas?
-- Andrew Malcolm