Mandatory Spay/Neuter law proposed in Chicago, here is my letter:

To the Alderman Mr. Ed Burke of the 14th ward,

I am a dog owner in the city of Chicago 60614, I am also a professional dog trainer, and involved with dog rescue.  I have a problem with what you're proposing in mandatory spay/neuter legislation, and I consider it the definition of shortsightedness.  While you may have the dog fighters and irresponsible people in mind, you are simultaneously stomping on the rights of the rest of us responsible pet owners.

It is dead wrong to propose ANY type of mandatory spay/neuter legislation. First of all, how is it legally sound?  In the eyes of the law a dog is considered personal property. Nobody has the right to order a pet owner what medical or reproductive choices to make for their pet. Amputating parts of my dog's natural anatomy is something that should be left up to two people- myself and my vet, who is a medical professional and knows my dog.  My vet also knows that it is not healthy, and is quite risky, for a large-breed dog to be neutered or spayed at the young age of 6 months, before their bones are fully developed and they need their proper hormones.

Pushing this type of legislature is taking away our rights as pet owners, and begs the question, what is next on the agenda?

Spay/Neuter legislation causes much animal suffering. It puts veterinarians in a policing role. People who are trying to fly under the radar will avoid taking their dogs to the vet. Dogs will not be getting vaccinations or receiving routine medical care, due to the owner's fear of being reported and fined.
If they can't even enforce LEASH LAWS, because ACC does not have the man-power, there is no way this could be enforced.  Do you propose a Gestapo-style search into each and every house?

The people who are breeding fighting dogs are criminals and the scum of society, who are doing it UNDER THE RADAR to begin with!  They will always do it, bans or not.  If you give them fines, what makes you think they will bother to pay them?

These types of laws also make it a nightmare for the truly good and responsible breeders out there, while allowing puppy mills to flourish with their business licenses. The costs, red tape, and fines will also deter quality breeders who don't do it for the money, but the betterment of the breed. You have no idea how this can impact the quality of breeding stock and working dogs, not to mention rare breeds. I see there will be an exception made for show dogs.  What about performance bred working dogs? Who has the right and the AUTHORITY to decide which dogs are suitable to be allowed to have an in-tact permit for future breeding?  It will ruin the future gene pool of breeds that fanciers have worked HUNDREDS of years of selective breeding to create.

Last time I checked, I lived in America, not some fascist state that can take both my rights as a pet owner AND my dog's reproductive rights away. I will never, ever be forced or fined into amputating part of my dog's natural anatomy. Dogs are not only my personal property which I privately own, they are living beings that I care about. That is why my pet's health is one area where government and law has no reign. By studying communities where there is s/n legislation, we can conclude that it is not enforceable, un-predictable, and simply DOES NOT WORK.

More punitive legislation does not solve anything, it just creates more problems, which are of a magnitude that we do not understand in our shortsightedness to put a band-aid on the problem. The true solution is Education, not Legislation.  It is a fact that the many locations that offer free, or low-cost spay/neuter have helped reduce the pet overpopulation in Chicago, and they will continue to do so.

I will never neuter my dog.  It is my right, my choice.  People have been practicing animal husbandry for thousands of years, dog has worked besides man, with the finest genetic specimen's of the stock being bred.  So who are YOU to determine that a dog can be bred or not?  I will not lose MY rights because of some scum-bag idiot dogfighters out there.


Thank You for your careful consideration, and for hearing another side to this issue.

Sincerely,

Jennifer N. Hack



(BELOW: my response to someone who said “I am all for this law.  Responsible people sterilize their pets, and they should all be sterilized because it is healthier for pets.”)

If you believe that someone with in-tact animals is automatically irresponsible, you are ignorant.  Insane animal rights activists want to completely eliminate the ownership of companion animals, and they can go to hell with that.  This is another one of their steps to further their agenda.

If you are for this horrible law, you don't know anything about dogs, and you are not looking at the whole picture.  (Sorry, but I think only cat breeders would care about the cats, so I'm leaving them out of this, as mine are sterilized)  The whole picture is that laws like this will end up ruining the quality of dogs out there.  It is no the ethical breeders and hobbyists whose dogs are in shelters!

Although I am not a dog breeder in any capacity, and basic common sense has ensured that I have never had an “accidental” breeding, I do have the RIGHT to breed my dog if I see fit, no matter how many irresponsible assholes are out there doing bad things with animals.  I am not going to pay huge fees and go through whatever the hell their "approval" process is, if I want to breed my dog.  Who are they to say if my dog can be bred or not?  Are they an authority on pedigrees and health?  Or does this licensing favor commercial breeders aka puppy mills, who already have business licenses?

And also, since people like to bring up slanted statistics, it is wrong to make a blanket statement like "sterilized pets live longer".  That is NOT  a true statement.  The stats are skewed by certain factors.  Sure, spay/neuter has some health benefits, but it also has negatives, too, that are not often publicized.  Someone like me, who is an avid dog owner would want to consider both of those, before making a decision to have surgery on my pet.   You are using a word like "sterilize" when in reality you are AMPUTATING a body part (or several in case of females) and removing glands that produce hormones that the dog has for a reason.  If you are not responsible, and you will let your dog run at large, your pet should be fixed.  But if you have common sense, it should never be a problem to handle a dog in its natural state.

-Jennifer Hack

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DOG WALKING, SITTING, PRIVATE BOARDING

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ADOPTING A DOG

-The Anti-Cruelty Society.  They have dogs and cats for adoption.  Last time I was there, they had several puppies and a few purebred dogs. Their adoption fee is just $55.  They are at 501 N. LaSalle, which is close to Grand.  You park in the parking garage for free, then walk over to the front of the building. http://www.anticruelty.org/  NOTE: Unfortunately, they do not adopt out Pit Bulls, that is a bad point about them, they euthanize them.

-If it's a specific breed of dog you are looking for, there is a breed rescue for many of them!
Here is a list of breed rescues

-Also try www.PetFinder.com, you can search multiple shelters and rescues that all list dogs on the site, and have pictures, too. 

BUYING A DOG

You may just find the exact type of dog you want in a shelter or rescue!  However, if you are going to buy a dog, please ask me, so I can help point you in the direction of a responsible breeder who contributes to the betterment of the breed.  A good place to start is a breed club.  A good breeder does not advertise in the paper or on puppy sale websites!  Those are majority backyard breeders who do not have quality dogs or care about health.  I can give you further details on what makes a breeder "reputable" or not.  Contact me for further information.

PET-FRIENDLY HOUSE CLEANING

I had a hard time finding a cleaning service that was dog friendly! Most cleaning services have a short list of things they don't do, and many of them will not clean up after pets.  However, Kathy and Candace will walk your dog AND clean your house while you're gone.  Serving Chicago and near suburbs.

Cinderellas Old Fashioned Cleaning
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 773.573.8345

DAYCARE PLAY

 
DOG FOOD

I usually recommend a raw prey-model diet, or pre-made raw diet.  However, these are my picks for commercial pet food as well, in which case I would only choose a super-premium low-grain kibble.

1.  Raw Meaty Bones Diet- Start with the small informational book "Work Wonders: feed raw meaty bones diet" by Dr. Tom Lonsdale, you can find it on Amazon.com or Ebay.  www.rawlearning.com is another place to get info.  A biologically appropriate diet that dogs love.

2.  Orijen- This is a very impressive commercial kibble pet food. The company sent me info and samples and I was very impressed.  My dogs liked the taste.  All of their ingredients are local, fresh ingredients out of Alberta, Canada.  Such as grain-fed chicken, lake whitefish, and local cranberries.Their food is low-grain and cooked at a lower temperature.  They make both cat and dog food.  www.championpetfoods.com

3.  Fromm, Solid Gold, Wellness Core- Trustworthy companies with quality food, I like Bark at the Moon dog kibble and Fromm Surf and Turf, and Wellness Core is good for grain-free, too.

4.  Nature's Variety Raw- Can be more expensive than Raw Meaty Bones diet, because it is pre-made.  But since it's pre-made, its convenient to feed.  You just defrost the patties in the fridge and feed them the next day.  

A FEW NOTES ON FEEDING: 

- Don't feed dog food dry.  It is boring for the dog and encourages picky eating and scavenging, since the dog does not enjoy his food.

- DO rotational feeding.  This means switch up your dog food every so often.  This helps prevent food allergies from developing, like when the dog eats the same food for years, and also provides some nutritional variety.  I switch dog's food maybe every month or few months.  If your dog is too sensitive, you can just switch varieties within a brand of dog food!

- When feeding kibble, I recommend adding things to it!  I always add canned food and a bit of hot water. Some other things I add: eggs (good protein), a bit of cottage cheese, plain cultured yogurt, Keifer cultured milk, bits of meat, cooked green beans, and so forth.

- Supplements like Missing Link are a waste of money, look at the ingredients you are paying for.  You are paying for a bag of liver powder and flaxseed.  It's a waste.  Nupro is a much better supplement, and fish body oil is also good.

VETERINARY CARE

Animal Ark, www.AnimalArk.us

Clean, up to date facility, a very knowledgeable vet Dr. Landini gave my dog a thorough exam.  One of the better vets I have been to.  I got my cat neutured there, everything went well, and they even called the next day to check on how he was doing.

THE WORST-  aka the bad list!

PetSmart Dog Training??? Chicago or otherwise, what a joke!

PetSmart is a large retail store chain, NOT a dog training facility.

If you can walk in off the street, never having owned a dog in your life, get hired, then go through their 90 hour training, and call yourself a "Dog Trainer" that is not professional. That is a joke.

They use one-sided techniques (all positive) that don't work.  They cannot consider their employees to be educated enough to use and teach corrections in a proper manner, so the training is ineffective.  It is not balanced.  Treats are used as bribes, and treats are used heavily as lures.  After going through the 8 classes, most of the dogs cannot even "heel", in fact, heeling (a basic essential obedience command) is not even TAUGHT in their basic obedience course.  The best you may get out of one of these classes is a dog that sits for a biscuit, or some housebreaking tips.

I have even seen trainers at PetSmart accepting aggressive dogs into their training and thinking they can help solve or fix such a problem.  That is dangerous and unethical.

Please find a reputable professional trainer.

1. WARNING: beware of "rescue" scam artists.  They go on places like Craigslist, (a free classified ad and community website), and find people trying to rehome their animals, getting them for free and re-selling them.

BEWARE OF FAKE AVIAN RESCUES:

stayathome4birds.com is a scam, NOT an avian rescue whatsoever. Real rescues do not buy birds or sell them like www.stayathome4birds.com does. Do not under any circumstances ever deal with Crystal Creek Avian Rescue, or www.stayathome4birds.com or Indiana Exotic Parrot Reswcue, or IL Parrot Rescue. It is a SCAM, BEWARE! Please help get the word out, SHE NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN.
Crystal Creek Avian Rescue , IL Parrot Rescue , Stayathome4birds , is all a front for Crystal Creek Avian Rescue.  She will give you fake references and her website is simply a front for her scam.  They also lie about having an agriculture license.  They are advertising in Chicago Tails Magazine!  Also asking for donations (which is illegal since they have no non-profit status!)

Michelle Tharp is her real name, although she goes by false identities, such as Charity, Ameila, Amela, etc.  She is living in Valporazo IN. Also, Shannon Hogan, also known as Mazzy, is doing the same thing.  Michelle Tharp tried to trade and sell dogs, too.

 THESE ARE SOME OF HER NAMES:

Indiana Exotic Parrot Rescue

Crystal Creek Avian Rescue 

2. BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL 

I have been a client there.  They are a very poor choice for medical care for your animals.  I have personal experience with them, and I have made the mistake of brining an animal there.  It is not just any one individual Banfield (although the Chicago ones are bad, too), it's their whole company and policies and procedures.  They give totally unnecessary vaccines (ie corona).  They did not explain any of what they did, and they are PILL PEDDLERS with no interest or knowledge of real wellness or holistic health.  Worse still, they have ridiculous prices, and they try to get everyone to sign up for a "Wellness Plan" which is a CONTRACT, and you end up spending WAY more than you ever should. 

They give vaccines that are not only considered non-core, but are actually "not recommended" by AAHA, such as Giardia vaccine (which does not protect the dog themself from getting giardia) and Corona Virus vaccine.

They are not a family-type business as they project- they are a corporation with ONE thing in mind $$$$$$$$$ however they can get it- over-vaccinating, selling poor-quality prescription diets to the majority of animals that come in, giving antibiotics like it's going out of style, scare tactics, telling people their dog has a dull coat and needs their omega-3 pills they sell, and getting people to sign their "wellness plan" contracts.  Their staff would make people with vet emergencies WAIT because they refused to make appts for Saturdays.  While you sit on a ghetto looking wooden bench in their tiny little corner of PetSmart, their receptionists give mis-information to people on basic medical and health issues.  At least two of their vets were rude, condescending, and misinformed.  If they wanted to make money from someone like me, maybe they should start by having clean updated facilities and a knowledgeable polite staff.

But don't take it from me!  If you simply google "Banfield Pet Hospital Complaints" you will see they have numerous consumer complaints, Better Business Bureau, and customer reports on them.  Some people believe they have killed pets.