Why lie, when the truth is easily found?
By Gina Spadafori
August 10, 2009
Back home from San Diego, which has to be one of the dog-friendliest cities in the world. Every time I visit, I think about that San Diego newspaper job offer I turned down years ago and say to myself, “What kind of crazy were you?”
And speaking of crazy … Judie Mancuso, the spittle-spewing hater behind forced spay-neuter, sent a fund-raising pitch out to her e-mail list while I was gone, quoting me out of context and claiming that I was a regular contributor to AKC publications.
Uh, no. Haven’t taken an assignment from any AKC publication since the ’80s. But hey, why start with the truth now? Mancuso continues to insist that Santa Cruz was a success and that forced spay-neuter works, even though it hasn’t worked anywhere, and everywhere it kills more pets than it saves.
It’s just not that hard to find out what I really think and write about just about any pet-related issue, so why lie about it? I’m against puppy-milling scum and their defenders among otherwise reputable breeders, and I’m in favor of spay-neuter incentives and assistance but against force spay-neuter because it kills more pets than it saves and puts the government into a decision that should be made by pet-owner on an individual basis after consultation with a veterinarian. I support ethical breeders and I am against breed-specific legislation. As for my personal history, I am an ethical breeder (one purpose-bred litter, six puppies), compete in dog sports with my retrievers and have run a rescue (three years, 100 dogs saved).
And don’t get me started on the problems with corporate agri-biz and cruel, unsustainable and dangerous concentrated animal feeding operations, a/k/a factory farms.
Yes, something for puppy-milling scum and their supporters to hate, and something for the forces of breeder-bashing, pet-killing mandatory spay-neuter legislation to hate, too.
Really, you don’t have to lie about me (although I certainly understand why Mancuso has to lie about the failure of forced spay-neuter in Santa Cruz and Los Angeles). Chances are you can find something right on this blog to quote directly and in context that will be a truthful representation of how tired I am of the extremist haters and liars on both sides. These people really do care more about shutting down “the enemy,” rather than finding a way forward that helps all pets and people.
And no, I’m not glad to be home. I’d rather have sent for the pets and stayed in San Diego. Sacramento sucks, in part because people like Mancuso keep coming up here.
Image: Borias, companion to the wonderful San Diego artist Tamandra Michaels, whose Heart Dog Studios is an incredible source of gorgeous work! That’s the San Diego skyline behind him. All the well-loved dogs of San Diego help me to remember that some people actually do care more helping pets than hating others.
Beautiful photo Gina :O)
Comment by Kim — August 10, 2009 @ 7:04 pm
I thought you were pretty cool already, but whoa, you ran a rescue too? I’m impressed.
Comment by Rochelle Lesser — August 10, 2009 @ 8:12 pm
Thanks for posting the link to Heart Dog studio. Fabulous!
Comment by Nancy Freedman-Smith CPDT — August 11, 2009 @ 12:01 am
Woo hoo! Save Our Dogs made Judie’s latest pack-o-lies-fest as well!
Mancuso wrote: “The Save Our Dogs website, registered to someone in Oregon, also provides misleading graphs for download. The site consistently tries to influence opinion by presenting only part of the available data. In my opinion, this group was formed solely to provide misinformation about spay and neuter laws.”
Uh, no, we are not registered to someone in Oregon. Our ISP is located in Oregon. We live in California. But then, Judie knows that because she has our contact info. She first contacted us more than 2 years ago.
Our charts contain the facts from sources such as the California Department of Public Health, the US Census Bureau, and official records from Santa Cruz County itself.
Mancuso’s oft-repeated claim…
“In Santa Cruz County, where a similar law was passed over 10 years ago, shelter impounds dropped by over 64%!”
…is not true. Not even close. Repeating it umpteen times doesn’t make it true, Judie.
Comment by LauraS — August 11, 2009 @ 7:51 am
Laura, I’m proud to be in such good company. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — August 11, 2009 @ 7:54 am
The problem is that so few people are taught to critically think and analyze data, its easy to get mislead. And Judie is the mastermind of misleading information, coupled with all the emotional baggage she adds to her data. She is a very dangerous woman.
Good for all of you for being on her least favorite side.
Comment by Katrina — August 11, 2009 @ 8:10 am
http://lakotasong.com/blog/?p=90
Apparently these folks don’t want comments that might correct the lies they are publishing (see comments closed notice).
Apparently she says she says in her email that, “At this point, you may be asking yourself, are all pet breeders bad? My answer is no.
There are many types of pet breeders, including responsible ones who love their animals. Through this process I have been in contact with breeders who do abide by the law, and understand the suffering and expense of pet overpopulation. These breeders do feel that laws are needed to address the issue. And some of these breeders reported death threats when they started expressing their opinions. Today, these good breeders have learned not to speak out.”
But over two years ago, in an interview from an L.A. Weekly article, page 2: http://www.laweekly.com/2007-0.....-busters/2
“Getting this spay-neuter bill through is like moving the Earth — but [the earlier bill] was impossible.” She has repeatedly insisted, “There’s no such thing as a ‘hobby breeder,’ ” and when asked about them, she laughs out loud. “Don’t let them fool you,” she says. “They’re all one in the same.”
More lies.
Chris L.
Comment by Chris Lewis — August 11, 2009 @ 9:17 am
So glad you enjoyed your stay, Gina!
We, who live in San Diego (or San Diego county), put up with bad traffic (by our standards) and a high cost of living by saying its our ‘tax’ for all the wonderful things the region has to offer! smile….
You’re welcome back anytime!
Comment by Liz Palika — August 11, 2009 @ 10:14 am
Chris, if you’d like to comment go to Dogster:
http://www.dogster.com/forums/.....ead/632910
Comment by Jean — August 11, 2009 @ 11:45 am
Thanks for the link, I will do that.
Comment by Chris L. — August 11, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
Glad you had a good trip down here! Tamandra is wonderful!
Comment by Lindsay — August 11, 2009 @ 1:46 pm
Laura, please tell me that you guys will publish Ms. Mancuso’s comments on the front page of the Save Our Dogs site, along with her first (and any subsequent) correspondence with you.
Comment by H. Houlahan — August 11, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
H2, SaveOurDogs.net is focused on effective strategies to defeat MSN. Criticizing Mancuso or other MSN supporters doesn’t serve that aim. Key legislators and their staff in Sacramento have told us repeatedly that they are sick and tired of all the personal attacks in this debate. Mancuso is only harming her own cause with the approach she is taking.
Comment by LauraS — August 11, 2009 @ 5:17 pm