To quote this last post: "dogs are no longer wild animals who can fend for themselves; cats....it's up to us to protect them, not set them free when they won't survive".
In my own last post, I stated quite strongly: "As always, I am NOT advocating turning our current domesticated critters out onto the pavement to fend for themselves. We must support and maintain the lands where these creatures once roamed free, as they were before mankind made other decisions for them."
When we can assure that each species has their own safe, secure environment, then we must allow them to remain there, to procreate future generations of their kind, on their own lands. Until that time, of course the animals currently in our care must be loved and nurtured for their lifetimes.
I believe that most of us here on AAS do work well with the public in every possible way. We certainly do not go about beating people over the head to force them to adhere to our way of thinking.... but we do feel it is our responsibility to teach. This is precisely one of the important reasons for this forum - so we can learn from one another and grow in our concepts of animal welfare. Most people cannot at first grasp the 'abolition' theory; as noted above, many think that we actually do want to turn out all existing 'pets' and other captive creatures into the wild. This could not be further from the truth.
However, while we rescue, treat, re-home, and love the animals in our care, we also realize that in order to end every form of animal abuse we must get the message across that we do not have the right to keep any creature in captivity.
Are we not animals ourselves? Do we not value our freedoms? Are not nations worldwide literally fighting for their own liberty and the right to live their lives in their own culture and on their own lands? Is mankind the only creature on the planet that has these priviledges? Because we have discovered methods to capture and contain almost every kind of animal from the wild, do we therefore have the right to have absolute rule over all weaker, less powerful beings?
And just who gets to determine which creature should be imprisoned and which should not? At one time, white humans decided that black humans were inferior and were fair game to enslave. In 1940's Germany, Jews were persecuted for similar reasons...and on it goes.
I have to believe that it is precisely because we do have the might and power that we are obligated to ensure those same freedoms to every other being on earth.
Yes, we are at the very beginning of this quest and certainly we have a lot of teaching to do in order to help others understand and accept this theory. It has taken me a long time to come to this point in my life, as well. Ten years ago, I would likely not have been able to agree wholeheartedly with these tenents. Slowly, however, from reading and researching, from watching and observing, from listening to folks who have already grasped this 'radical' concept, I have finally been able to open my eyes and my mind to the truth about animal rights.
Thus, I have made it my personal mission to help others learn what I have taken so long to come to terms with...even a benign or loving dictatorship is abuse.