AZA Whistling Past The Graveyard

Throughout history, evil has persuaded man by masquerading as good. But when evil masquerades as good because it believes it is good, there in lies a bigger challenge.  

That's my interpretation in a nutshell of Wayne Pacelle's keynote address before the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) convention this morning. (Video of his speech is embedded at the bottom of this page.)

Wayne Pacelle opened up his address by stating, “I'm here as an ally, not an adversary."   

Contrary to that statement, Mr. Pacelle is a wolf in sheep’s clothing where his actions speak louder than words.  As the CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), he has turned the alleged animal rescue organization into the world’s most radical animal rights-driven organization committed to destroying all animal enterprise and animal ownership.

In case you didn't know, Pacelle and HSUS are: 

• Opposed to capitalism, or making a profit from raising, breeding, working with animals.
• Opposed to the breeding of animals.
• Opposed to pure bred dogs; dog breeding kennels.
• Opposed to the breeding of domesticated animals & livestock.
• Opposed to pet stores.
• Opposed to the circus and animals in entertainment.
• Opposed to zoos.
• Opposed to animal agriculture; meat, dairy, and egg consumption. 
• Opposed to animal confinement of any kind. 

No, Wayne Pacelle is no ally. 

Wayne Pacelle is at the helm of an agenda to fundamentally transform our country and destroy animal agriculture, animal enterprise, and animal ownership, at the heart of which is our foundational Constitutional right to private property.  

HSUS has also consistently pushed ill-advised legislation affecting the Horse industry, Animals in entertainment, Dog breeders, Egg Production, Pork Production, Exotic Animal Ownership, and others.  HSUS has also historically targeted the defeat of pro-agriculture Members of Congress, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to attack Members who oppose their animal rights agenda.  

HSUS has been behind the radical transformation in the philosophy that drives the regulation and treatment of those who raise animals for profit using pressure on retailers, promoting misleading state referendums, and pressuring agencies to make federal rule changes to do their dirty work. Time-tested science-based husbandry practices that ensure the health and safety of both people and animals are being redefined as ‘inhumane’ treatment of animals by those, including Wayne Pacelle, who have this emotion-based agenda. 

When it comes to zoos, everyone needs to heed the warning that organizations like HSUS are pushing zoos toward the rescue-sanctuary model; to create a profit driven monopoly accessible only by the most affluent under the guise of “saving” species. Impossible to do without breeding programs, which Wayne Pacelle also vehemently opposes. He made this clear during his efforts to stop SeaWorld’s orca breeding program stating, “During my discussions with [Joel] Manby, I was clear that the agreement we forged should deal with all animals – not just orcas.”

Pacelle’s performance on stage at the AZA Convention was nothing more than his smooth talking the zoos about ‘common ground’ and ‘working together to be a force for good,’ arm over their shoulder as he walks them toward the guillotine.

"One way that SeaWorld and animal advocates can find even more common ground is for the company to choose not to breed any more dolphins in captivity and to bring rescued animals that cannot be released back into the wild into its facilities for any exhibition needs. SeaWorld can morph into something of a sanctuary over time." – HSUS CEO, Wayne Pacelle as quoted in TakePart, June 29, 2016  

Pacelle’s actions tell us that his ultimate goal is to eliminate human interaction with animals even if that results in the elimination of animal species, themselves.  Behind all the ‘let’s just get along’ rhetoric espoused by Pacelle, his true commitment to destroy animal enterprise and animal ownership shows through.   

Americans are tired of being lied to and lied about, and will see through the veil of Pacelle’s true intentions and the potentially devastating results of buying into emotion, not facts.   We must allow time-tested animal husbandry practices to proceed free of interference from organizations like HSUS who claim to care about animals but know nothing about animal care!  Who deemed Wayne Pacelle the expert on the care and keeping of animals?  

We hope that the Members of AZA will see through the manure that was tossed in their laps this morning and recognize the false ideology that will ultimately lead to their own extinction.

Mindy Patterson is the President of The Cavalry Group, a member based company protecting and defending the Constitutional and private property rights of law abiding animal owners, animal-related business, hunters, and agriculture concerns legally and legislatively nationwide.

Taking a Step Down the Path to Extinction

The California State Assembly's Arts, Entertainment, Sports & Tourism Committee is scheduled to potentially outlaw elephant conservation efforts on July 14, 2015.  The bill before them, Senate Bill 716, would outlaw the use of a tool called an elephant guide.  Elephant guides are no different than leashes for dogs or reins for horses.    You can't walk an elephant in public without one. Animal rights activists call this simple tool, cruel.   They claim that these tools cause injuries, puncture wounds, abscesses and other types of trauma to an elephant.

"They are weapons with only one purpose:  to cause pain, suffering and fear in elephants."
 activist Nicole Pagquette, HSUS.

Funny enough, these activists from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) have no injured elephants to show the public to prove their statements.  If these simple training tools cause puncture wounds, where are they?   The Ringling Bros Circus, in particular, is one of the most inspected shows around.   In 2012, during "one 11-week stay in California last summer, a total of more than 18 state, local and federal government agencies sent 44 different inspectors to look at Ringling’s pachyderms.  The 82 visits spanned more than 221 hours, or more than 3 hours for every day the circus was in the Golden State.”  At no time during those 221 hours of inspection did any inspector find an injured or "traumatized" elephant. 

Nicole Paquette went on to say that Ringling was stopping their elephant acts because of "the public's overwhelming opposition to the mistreatment of elephants for entertainment."   Again she lies.    Last year, HSUS lost a RICO Act lawsuit and paid Ringling $15.75 million to settle claims that activists had lied about how Ringling treats their elephants. You would think that activists from the HSUS would give up after being outed in court but here they are again lying to legislators and the public.

Earlier this year Richmond, Virginia banned elephants and other cities across America have listened to the same animal rights puppet masters.  These efforts are all part of the activists determination to remove all animals from our lives, one specie at a time.   Today its elephants, tomorrow its carriage horses, such as the long running campaign by New York City Mayor DeBlasio to ban carriage horses from Central Park, and tomorrow it will be your dog.   Ringling made a business decision to remove their elephant act because they have spent millions defending their reputation, wining, and the activists just continue to lie. 

Activists scream that elephants belong in the wild but in the wild they are dying in large numbers.   The vast majority of elephants in America today are domestically born.   They were born in captivity.  they are not 'wild' animals.   Animal rights activities want to remove them from our lives.  Today it's the circus, tomorrow they will disappear from our zoos and sanctuaries.   Activists are already attacking zoos nationwide and forcing the closure of many elephant exhibits.    Just up the road from Richmond, the Virginia Zoo recently announced that they are closing their elephant exhibit and getting rid of two elderly elephants under pressure from the animal rights infiltrated Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).    Just a few months ago, the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington got rid of their elephants under continuous pressure from activists.  Once elephants are no longer in the public eye, people will forget about them.   In today's electronic world, people have notoriously short attention spans.   Once out of sight, will anyone care that they are quickly becoming extinct in the wild?  A world without elephants, what a sad world that is. 

Katharine Dokken is a Public Affairs Specialist at The Cavalry Group and the  author of a new book, The Art of Terror:  Inside the Animal Rights Movement, available on Amazon. 

Follow Katharine and The Cavalry Group on Twitter:   @KatharineDokken  @TheCavalryGroup