Dog News for the State of Kansas and the Royal Family Sparks Outrage / Pet Bloggers Blog Hop

Toto the Cairn Terrier with Dorothy



In case you don’t know Will got Kate a new puppy for her birthday. While I don’t think that puppies or kittens should be birthday presents I also think that the decision was one that the entire family had a say in including Will’s grandmother the Queen. Basically I don’t think this was a hasty decision and I don’t think that people should blame them for getting a dog in a breed that has been Kate’s family favorite for a long time. I am sure that they will have all the help they need grooming the dog and caring for it when they have to be away on official business. I don’t see why they can’t add a dog to their family without people accusing them of starting a run on their breed of choice. Its not like someone paid them to take the dog out and about a few times so that people would see them with the dog and want one of their own. I know that people might see the puppy and want one and without thinking about the consequences go out and get one. But how is that Will and Kate’s fault? They didn’t get the puppy to publicize it they got a puppy because it was the right decision for them as a family.

When they decide to have a baby will they be blamed for the birth of babies around the world? People need to realize that puppies are living breathing beings and require specialized care not a fashion accessory to imitate and after a season get rid of. Let’s face it the Queen has had dogs since she was a little girl and so has her sister. Will had a dog when he was younger. Heck the royal family has always been dog lovers. Not because they want to start a trend but probably they give them time away to just be normal they don’t have to be on display and can have a bad day around the dogs or break down and cry or get upset. The dogs will just be there to love them and be their companion.

As for the state of Kansas there is currently a bill being considered that would name the Cairn Terrier – the same breed of dog that the original Toto was in The Wizard of Oz as the official state dog. First I think this is only a big deal because it is being associated with the movie and that naming the dog as the official state dog is more of a marketing decision to get people to visit the state to see Toto from the Wizard of Oz and has nothing to do with wanting anyone to get a dog or even really caring what kind of animal is it. As a dog lover I had no idea that there are currently 11 States that have an official state dog and 3 others including Kansas that are considering introducing a state dog. I guess I figured Boston has the Boston Terrier and thought that Georgia has the English Bulldog but apparently they would like the Golden Retriever as their official dog. Then there is Pennsylvania with the Great Dane or South Carolina with the Boykin Spaniel. Most people even living in the state have probably never even heard of the Boykin Spaniel. No one is passing a law that in order to live in the state you need to own a Cairn Terrier or offering a tax break to those who do. It is just something fun to say there is a state dog. In fact Kansas has laws on the books that allow them to prosecute anyone who is determined to be running a shoddy dog operation including puppy mills or breeders who do not properly care for their dogs can be prosecuted. Maybe by having a state dog even more will be done to ensure the proper care of dogs in their state.

There are groups trying to push for the law to be withdrawn from consideration because they say it will have a hugely detrimental effect on dogs in the state. They feel that puppy mills will just start producing an abundance of the breed and they will wind up in kill shelters dead. Not because of the state law or the introduction of a state dog that has been associated with the state since The Wizard of Oz was first seen on home television sets in full color but because there are people who don’t think and just go out and impulse shop. By dogs having a bit of celebrity status in the State maybe more will be done to deal with animal abuse and more attention paid to animal care education and possibly more funds from the state to help off set the cost of spay / neuter for low income families in the state.

What are your opinions on these two dog news stories? Do you think there could be something good that comes out of these two news stories or do you feel the consideration of the law should be thrown out?







Pet Bloggers Blog Hop brought to you by Two Little Cavaliers, Life with Dogs, and Confessions of the Plume! Welcome to all of you joining us for the first time we are so excited to have you and welcome back to our regular Hoppers.

Here’s how you can join the Pet Bloggers Blog Hop celebration:

* Link up your blog name and URL using the Linky Tool below. You only need to add you link once to be seen on all the Pet Blogger Blog Hop Linky Tools for that week.

** Grab the Pet Bloggers Blog Hop button that our friends over on Life with Dogs made for us and include it in your Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop post so that your readers will know what is going on.

*** Follow your co-hosts listed in the first 3 slots of the Linky Tool and comment on their blogs to say hello!

**** Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you’d like

***** Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you’re from the Saturday Pet Bloggers Blog Hop

****** Follow back when you get a new follower through the Saturday Pet Bloggers Blog Hop

Please be considerate and do not link directly to a giveaway post. Doing so does not allow others to comment on the post and forces them to look around your blog to find an appropriate place to post. One link per blog please!

Amazon Native Ads – Pet Supplies

Comments

  1. This is a very difficult one. On one hand the UK isn’t over run with Corgis just because the Queen favours them. But we did have a massive surge in “handbag sized” pups, when Paris Hilton was seen out about with them. One of our big celebrities “Peter Andre” has just adopted a Pug from a rescue here. It will be interesting to see if that has an affect on adoption figures from rescue.

    Will and Kate probably choose the perfect breed for the outdoor lifestyle they prefer, and I would guess, he will get to spend lots of time with the gun dogs on the royal estates. In all honestly our media are a lot to blame as well, they could have worked to position the story in a way that promotes responsible dog ownership!

  2. Hi (First off, sorry my picture is on today’s blog hop twice….it was an accident but I don’t know how to take one off….!!!)

    I don;t think there should be any fuss about Will and Kate getting a dog. In fact, there probably isn’t it. It’s just the media going to people to ask them in a certain way if they disapprove and then they end up saying they do and hey presto they have an angle.

    The Royal family CERTAINLY have more than enough staff and support to look after the pup and as you say the Queen and her ancestors have always had lots and lots of dogs. All the Queen’s Corgis and Dorgis don;t get mentioned much in the press these days but I’m sure she still has them and Queen Victoria had loads.

    I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with a State having an official dog.

    I am afraid some people are always going to get a dog on impulse without thinking about the consequences. Should we ban all images of cute puppies, or films and television programmes featuring dogs (and cats and other pets)?

    It’s sad when people rush out to buy a certain breed because they’ve seen it in a film, but it’s always been the same.

    My LOTH remembers all the dreadful things that happened when people rushed out to buy turtles as pets when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were on TV – and that was only a cartoon.

    We must just keep on campaigning against puppy mills and promoting responsible pet ownership.

    (Phew!!! Longest comment I’ve ever left)

    Love and licks, Winnie

  3. Both pieces were interesting. I had heard Will got Kate a dog, but not that there was a lot of bad press being created about it. Personally, I think it’s much ado about nothing. Just a while back I read a great article about the Queen and her dogs. Did you know that she knows all the names of all of her hunting dogs? She has always been a dog lover and so has the family. I’d rather focus on educating people on a particular breed so there isn’t a run on a specific dog (Toto or otherwise) than blame the royal family, a state or a movie for a dog’s popularity. Maybe if we focused on that more people would be wiser in their pet choices.
    BTW – Never knew states had a state dog. Who knew?

  4. Amen to that. While I have had stray and rescue cats all of my life, I also have two purebred cats that I purchased. I often feel like a criminal for doing that with all the cats in a shelter that need a good home. These cats have enriched my life so fully and I have never regretted what I have done. The bottom line, it was my decision. I am a good person, and as long as you love your pets and treat them with respect, you can’t be blamed for all of the worlds problems…

  5. Sometimes I think people just read too much into things!

  6. Salley Nogoda says

    Very interesting information!

  7. As long as the royal doggies are loved and treated well, it’s not really an issue as to what breed those high profile people own…

  8. Very interesting…I think Melf summed it perfectly. Education is the key. Sometimes the media gets caught up in a “frenzy”…but I agree, I think it’s much ado about nothing also. The Royal Family are more than capable of caring for pets properly. Good summary, Melf! FYI – A bill has been introduced in New York for the rescue dog to be the state dog.

  9. I could care less what breed they own. As long as the dog is well-cared for, what business is it of mine?

    As for Kansas, I’d be far more impressed with steps taken to ensure proper care of the Official State Dog than I am in the fact that they’re wanting one.

  10. I heard more of an issue with the royal couple saying they “adopted” a dog when they got it from someone they knew. So long as they demonstrate responsible ownership (and people understand what “adoption” means) I don’t see what’s wrong with it. The family has demonstrated good dog care for a very long time.

    I think the state dog thing has precedent too, but negative precedent. When 101 Dalmations came out, there was a run on Dalmations. When Taco Bell had ads featuring the Chihuahua, there was a run on Chis. Here in Arizona, Chihuahuas make up a huge portion of the shelter population because they were so popular but people weren’t prepared to care for them for life. There’s a reason why people are concerned about Cairns – it’s happened.

    @FiveSibesMom – Hadn’t heard about the New York bill, very cool!

Copyright © 2024 · Two Little Cavaliers · All Rights Reserved · Design By RL Web Designs

%d bloggers like this: