Impound PETA

Anyone needing proof of organized insanity need look no farther than PETA.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is at it again, this time targeting Vice President Joe Biden and purebred dog breeders in their myopic sights. Seems Biden, by choosing to purchase a purebred German shepherd puppy from a breeder, is helping proliferate the needless destruction of unwanted animals in animal shelters.

Of course, people have been breeding dogs, cats, potbelly pigs and all kinds of pets about as long as humans have been walking the planet. Yet, this becomes a national travesty and point of contention for PETA only when the vice president buys a purebred. If PETA were truly concerned that not enough animals are being adopted from shelters, perhaps the group could use its resources to adopt and place these animals instead of funding high-profile smear campaigns that do nothing but feed their inflated egos and self-righteous propaganda.

Instead, Biden and this poor breeder (who, by all accounts, is a reputable and humane breeder) are being vilified by PETA and other animal “rights” wackos more interested in political face time than doing good for animals. The rub here is the contention that every dog purchased from a breeder is a death sentence for a shelter animal. It’s gone so far that Biden and the breeder have reportedly received death threats.

I’m certainly not an advocate of being cruel or inhumane to animals, but this over-the-top attitude that animals have “rights” and that we’re obligated to kowtow to those “rights” is absurd. Well, I do believe animals have some rights. Pets have the right to be cute and adorable, while cows, pigs, chickens, et al have the right to remain delicious.

If PETA wants to make the argument that people can only get pets from shelters and not breeders, then why not also outlaw the purchase of new cars? Only used cars can be available, because the purchase of every new car means a used car is off to the crusher. Instead, the PETA people sit in their big leather chairs with their huge advertising budget cherry-picking high profile people to make the biggest media splash.

There’s nothing wrong with Biden, myself or you from wanting or having a purebred dog or cat. Growing up, our family had a purebred Persian named Edgar, a wonderful cat who lived more than 17 years. Responsible pet ownership is a noble cause. It’s too bad PETA has no interest in promoting the responsibility people have in being good pet owners (especially having your dogs and cats fixed) no matter the source of the pet. This would do far more to reduce the population of unwanted animals in shelters.

—Greg Johnson