ARFF (Animal Rights for Florida).... a Bunch of Junkyard Dawgs

Rabid Dog from To Kill A Mockingbird

Junkyard dogs...

The words evoke images of large dogs like Rottweilers or Pit Bulls, frothing at the mouth, snarling & snapping at those who would trespass into their territory...  a junk yard. Well, animal rights extremists, pretty much fit that description. The first time I met one up close & personal, I gained the understanding of the word, apoplectic, and he truly was foaming at the mouth, spittle flying everywhere in his hatred. He reminded me of a rabid dog.

Then, there was the movie, Junkyard Dog, which is a gritty psychological, horror movie that delves the demented mind of a murdering serial rapist, who engages in the cannibalsim of his victims. The movie is supposed to be based on actual events. The madman in the movie is oddly charismatic, yet vicious in his attacks.

For better or worse, right or wrong, the phrase "junkyard dog" has come to signify the bad, the ugly, and the dangerous in our society. And, in this writer's honest opinion, Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) pretty much fulfills that description.

I'm guessing dear reader you are wondering why.

Well, for one, there is their modus operandi.  They harass, browbeat, antagonize, and attempt to coerce & intimidate those who have a different philosophy than they. They do this with protests, which are conducted in ways similar to the Westboro Baptist Church protests. They are way less than tolerant of any and slander those who humanely employ animals in any way. And, like Grey2K, they employ lies, propaganda, and misinformation to support their political agenda, which includes pushing everyone to a vegan diet.

ARFF (how funny that their acronym sounds like a junkyard dog barking) supports the banning of the following activities (partial list):

• hunting 
• fishing
• farming & ranching
• any & all animal in entertainment (zoos, bio parks, aquariums, racing venues, and circuses)
• any & all breeding of domestic animals

ARFF believes that there should be no dairies as "Cows milk is for calves, not humans".  ARFF tells people on their webpage, "The best way to help end the suffering of cows in the dairy industry is to eliminate dairy and all animal products from your diet."

ARFF believes that people should not eat eggs and they say so on their webpage, "Don't buy eggs. Adopting a vegan diet, one free of animal products, is the most important thing you can do to stop the suffering of chickens."

ARFF believes that all animal agriculture should be done away with. They especially have it in for pigs & pig farms. "Farms not only abuse animals, they are notoriously bad for the environment. Typical pig farms use an astounding amount of water and produce tons of manure every day. Too often, waste from pig farms leaks into rivers and streams, killing fish and contaminating drinking water. Pig farms also foul the air."

Where the domestic animals to go?  What's to become of them?  If they are not bred, the breeds & species will become extinct.  But, I guess that's OK by ARFF.  After all, those animals are not a part of Florida's wildlife.  Contrary to proven wildlife management principles, ARFF wants to "protect" invasive species, as they are now part of Florida's wildlife, even if those species wipe out the native flora & fauna!  "We need to learn to coexist with all wildlife" including coyotes, armadillos (reservoirs for leprosy), and feral hogs. I'm assuming that they also oppose the capture other invasive, non-native species such as Burmese pythons and Nile Monitor lizards.  (LISTING of non-native reptilian species currently found in FL)

With regards to greyhound racing, ARFF really goes over the top with the lies.  For instance,

Quote from ARFF, Campaigns, Greyhound Racing page

Numerous people have requested backup documentation, a source for their statement that "thousands are killed".  None has been forthcoming.  There is nothing that can provide supporting documentation because about 95% of greyhounds go into pet homes upon retirement. Others are reserved for breeding and continuing the greyhound breed.

Another lie from them,

Quote from ARFF, Campaigns, Greyhound Racing page

For the past several years, fewer than 12,000 greyhounds have been whelped on an annual basis. That number includes stillborn puppies and those that die as neonates. The last year there were 25,000 pups whelped was in 2005 - 10 years past.  Here are accurate numbers taken from the NGA's whelping report.  Numbers are not yet available for 2014 but there is no reason to expect a sudden increase to >12,000, especially since as of Aug 2014, there were 7,265 reported births. 

Year	Number                 Born
2013	10,657
2012	10,157
2011	11,759
2010	12,801

Dogs, in general, have a whelping mortality rate of about 20%, which means 1 in 5 puppies die before they are 5 wks old.

Another lie spread by ARFF is

ARFF Webpage, Campaigns, Greyhound Racing

Anyone who owns a greyhound of any kind can testify that the dogs, in general, spend 18 - 20 hrs a day sleeping. Doesn't matter.  As for the size of the crates, they are much larger than anything available on the pet market.  The crates in the racing kennels measure 48" x 48" x 48", more than roomy enough for the dogs to stand, stretch, and lay flat. Definitely not "cramped".

 Human contact...  Dogs are handled daily. They're rubbed down, inspected for injuries, petted, kissed, and loved upon in general.  A most egregious misstatement of fact.  Just look at the pictures. Happy hounds are not made happy by neglect or abuse.

 ARFF negotiates in bad faith. At the Sanford Orlando Kennel Club (SOKC), racing folks that are fed up with being portrayed as abusive, greedy people. As a result, they have been staging counter-protests at the same time as ARFF has been holding their anti-racing ones. Prior to their most recent protest on June 6, ARFF complained to the Longwood Police Dept about the SOKC counter protests. The LPD requested that the racing folks stay on the other side of the street from the ARFF protesters. Just like Grey2K...  trying to stifle the truth! Anyway, at the protest, ARFF teamed up with another extremist organization, Take Your Blinders Off (TYBO), which was founded by a veterinarian and makes both ARFF & Grey2K look somewhat reasonable. Yeah...  scary isn't it.

TYBO's main man bills himself as Randall "Vegan" Cannon.  He bought a Toyota Tundra and installed a digital billboard in the bed on which he uploads a slide show. It changes according to the venue.  It could be farms scenes; orcas & dolphins, greyhounds...

 This man is nuts. I cannot say anything about his clinic, the Fairbanks Animal Hospital in Winter Park, FL. I have never been there and I'm never going to go there for a couple of reasons: 1) this man is over the top and 2) by his own admission, he has "never seen an orthopedic injury" that a greyhound got in their backyard" or one with "heat stroke". Makes me wonder how much knowledge about sighthounds in general he actually has.  He certainly is blinded by his hatred of greyhound racing & greyhound people.

The extremists found in these two groups are nasty little people. They cannot see beyond their own agenda. They don't care who or what they hurt to accomplish that agenda. They would rather see the animals dead & extinct, than have a job.

The war against the extremists has only just begun.  It's going to get worse before it gets better.

Yours in greyhounds