Strickland, OFBF ‘sold us out’

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Editor:

Last Wednesday was a dark day for livestock, exotic animal owners, and dog breeders in Ohio, thanks to Gov. Ted Strickland, the Ohio Farm Bureau and HSUS.

Strickland and the OFBF have sold us out. The Ohio Farm Bureau is supposed to protect the interests of the farmers. They handed poultry, pork and beef farmers over to HSUS on a platter along with the exotic animal owners and dog breeders. For years, the OFBF has never helped the exotics animal breeders or the professional dog breeders in Ohio.

I ask all Ohio Farm Bureau members not to renew their membership until there is change at the top. The OFBF needs leaders that have the interest of Ohio agriculture, not HSUS, or any other animal right groups.

Ohio has laws in place to cover animal cruelty. We only need law enforcement to enforce the laws.

Why would Gov. Strickland want to have more job loss in Ohio by shutting down family farms, and professional breeders?

As for the Ohio Farm Bureau they should protect the farming community, not kill it. They say this agreement was the best for farmers, but I don’t see letting HSUS write Ohio’s laws and dictate how we handle our animals as a good course of action.

Unlike what happened in California, Ohio should never give in to the enemy like HSUS, PETA and the ALF. We should think about all the rights that are taken from us by government.

Mr. Strickland, I am sure you sit down to a good steak dinner every now and then; try living on the diet Wayne Pacelle would have the rest of us eating. You will not have my vote in November this year.

I would like anyone who likes freedom, meat, eggs and a pet dog to call Gov. Strickland and the Ohio Farm Bureau to let them know that the people who gave them power, can take it away.

Butch Hash
Frazeysburg, Ohio

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24 COMMENTS

  1. The way this will work is: When Ohio does not come into compliance with what HSUS feels it should, they will pick back up and this will be done over and over again until farming and pet ownership is extinguised. Remember people, it is simply no ownership or use of animals – for anything. Never thought I would live in a country that if you had a dog that barked, someone would come and take it and kill it, since HSUS made sure that hush barking was labeled as cruelty but cutting open a dog to render it sterile was not, and lobbied for laws against the cruelty of hushbarking when it is not cruelty at all, but a 10 minute proceedure. Much of the time it saves certain breeds of dogs who will bark at a leaf turning over. Wayne was smart wasn’t he? Cruelty first and then makes ownership more difficult. No more horse slaughter, “it is cruel”, now horses are starving to death. See what happened to Dan Christensen who breeds hunting dogs. Found innocent and dogs ordered to be returned by the court, but had already been sold through Second Chance and many caught parvo while being held for ransom and died or were killed. Is this best for our dogs or the people who own them? There are many cases as Dan Christensen’s and they all follow the same M.O.
    HSUS is now being charged in a RICO (rackateering) suit along with their sidekick PETA. When are our government officials realize this is not about fuzzy little pups or kittens but a radical social movement intent on everyone becomming vegan by force, in order to show compassion to animals so they may all be free of human intervention and be able to roam the earth being “natural” and free from “human” intervention. Sounds crazy doesn’t it? Hitler didn’t think so when his animal rights agenda came into being in 1933 and how many years did it take to turn the population against a certain group of people for “religious slaughter”. Wayne Pacelle and others involved in this social movement are doing the same, except he has done his best to turn the spotlight on animal owners and breeders and those who eat meat as the “abusers” simply for owning animals. Everyone agrees that animal welfare is paramount and there are laws against cruelty, so what do we need an animal rights social movement for – unless they agree to end animal ownership and eating animals and dairy products, unfortunately it is only 10 percent of the population that is carrying out this movement, but like all zelots, they are very dedicated and work overtime – free.
    Stop and think that if Wayne Pacelle and other animal rights activist are successful what will the USA look like in 5 years when eating meat or having a pet is a crime. So much for the humans, so where is the humane anything in this? It may be time for animal owners to talk with their government representatives, you can bet that animal rights activist do and when they do not get their way, they get rather nasty with threats especially to animal owners. It puts new meaning into animal terriorism. I just do not believe that history will remember Wayne Pacelle or Ingrid Newkirk or other animal rights activist as saving the world from itself through forcing the end of animal ownership or being vegan by law! That should be a crime in itself. Those government official that agree with HSUS need to be shown the road out of office in every state.

  2. I agree, this is not just about Poultry cages and livestock pens, this is hitting all animals; livestock, poultry, Pet breeders, pet owners and exotic animal owners. We have to stand as one group against the HSUS and educate those that do not truely understand Mr. Pacelle’s agenda.
    Everyone needs to read the agreement that was made and see the whole picture. The HSUS can come back at us for the next 10 years if the Board and Gov do not do as HSUS wants. Do some research into the HSUS and PETA. Take a moment to read some of the comments Mr. Pacelle has made in articles to support what he is doing, don’t just ignore them because you don’t support his agenda, learn what he as to say. This is just one of many statements that have been published:
    “We have no ethical obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding. One generation and out. We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding.” Wayne Pacelle, Senior VP of Humane Society of the US, formerly of Friends of Animals and Fund for Animals, Animal People News, May, 1993.
    He’s not in this to save your pets, he wants them extinct like the Dinosaurs.

    L. Campbell

  3. Ilove Farming, I wish there were a link to share your comment on my Facebook page – you are exactly right.

  4. YES!!!!!! In NC, the hog farmers association supported the dog breeders and helped defeat the NC version of OH SB-95. To bad that didn’t happen in OH!

    We need to vote Strickland and the leadership of Ohio Farm Bureau out.

  5. Agree with all here-SOLD OUT. So vote out and if OFB won’t stand up for what is right, change the guard. They’ve most certainly dropped the ball by “validating” the OLC Board with HSUS.

  6. We if you saw Fox news HSUS is at it again now they want a ban on all pet shops in CA. O thats next year here in Ohio we are in there foot steps thank’s to Strickland and the Ohio Farm Bureau My granmal should ask Strickland and Jack Fisher why should have to give up her dog to HSUS Fisher should read what his Buddy at HSUS wants no livestock I wish he would let us know if he stopped eating meat now that he is a member of HSUS and PETA and ALf WAKE UP OHIO THEY ARE TAKING ARE RIGHTS DON’T SET ON YOUR BUTTS AND LET THEM I HAVE BEEN TO THE MIDDLE EAST TO KEEP THIS LAND FREE ONLY TO COME HOME TO A STATE THAT WAS FREE FREE TO OWN THE ANIMAL YOU WANTED.

  7. I have read most of the deal with Strickland, Ohio Farm Bureau and HSUS
    WHAT WAS OFBF thinking you don’t give in to those people and you sure don’t sell out Ohio Farmers or any other animal breeders in Ohio there are laws now we don’t more we sure don’t need HSUS OR PETA telling us how to care or raise are animals Well I forgot now we cant raise them thanks to Teddy and Jackie I hope and pray no one renews there Ohio Farm Bureau Dues in November until they the whole top is out and there is a new group and when your voting new leader in the OFBF get Strickland out to He is a low life PETA hugging non farming Governor He out the Ohio Farmers and all Animal Breeders in Ohio Pack your Bag go home in November not in Columbus that house is for someone that don’t sell out farmers

  8. Seems like most of the top dogs in the AG industry have sold us out. Even the Ohio Poultry Association is supporting this. Guess there is no need to be part of the NPIP program or Upland Gamebirds since we won’t be able to have them anymore. Hey Mr. Chakeres, have you every tried to raised Quail or Pheasant free range???? It’s been my experience that they tend to fly away when not in a pen. And don’t tell me to pinnion them, that would be totally against HSUS’s stand on abuse to animals.

  9. Well it looks like the OPA is in the need for new leadership any one now in office in Ohio who thinks this was OK need replaced. better read up there Jimmy at the OPA, no new permits for poultry farms using batter cages is FOOLISH

  10. This in not just about chickens, pigs, beef, Exotic Breeders and Dog Breeders this is about letting a outside group come in to this state and telling us how to run are farms That is what the Ohio Farm Bureau told us last year to VOTE FOR 2 it would stop outside animal rights group from telling us how to care for are animals OHIO VOTE FOR IT and a year later the ohio farm bureau did just the opposit of what they said a year ago they are TRADERS TO THE ALL OHIO VOTERS OHOIO VOTER VOTED TO STOP HSUS AND OTHER GROUP FROM COMING IN CHANGING ARE WAY OF LIFE KILLING FAMILY FARMS AS FOR THE FOOL RUNNING THE OPA IS UNION CO. GETTING A NEW CHICKEN FARM YOU SAID IT DON’T CHANGE THE CHICKEN FARM WILL IT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE JOB FROM THAT FARM MR. OPA HOW MUCH WILL WE BE PAYING FOR EGGS IN A FEW YEARS ANY PERSON THAT HAS ANIMALS BETTER CALL STRICKLAND AND LET HIM KNOW YOUR NOT HAPPY. ALL YOU PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT HSUS BETTER THINK ABOUT THIS IN CA. RIGHT NOW HSUS WANTS A BAN ON ALL PET SHOPS STRICKLAND AND THE OHIO FARM BUREAU IS LEADING DOWN THE SAME PATH CA. IS ON OHIO NEEDS NEW LEADERS TO PUT US BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK

    I WILL NOT RENEW MY MEMBERSHIP WITH THE OHIO FARM BUREAU IN NOV. I ASK EVERY ONE ELSE NOT TO UNTIL THERE IS NEW LEADERSHIP THERE

  11. Are you people frickin kidding me? Have you read the agreement between HSUS and OHF? All it specifies is a ban on veal crates, gestation crates, and no longer dragging downer cows by chains and then putting them in the food supply. How can these stipulations possibly do anything but protect poor, innocent farm animals. You folks remind me so much of the NRA–“oh golly, if we put a ban on assault weapons then THEY’LL take away all of our guns”. If Ohio enacts this humane farming legislation then “they’ll take away all of our control”. Boo hoo hoo–you lost now suck it up.

  12. CatLover, if you truly valued your cat then you would understand that HSUS gives extremely little support to local HS Shelters. Their CEO has publicly stated he supports extinction of domestic breed animals. Mr. Pacelle is not out to protect the animals, regardless if it’s exotic, dog/cat or livestock, he’s out to get rid of them. http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/h/4187-tracking-hsuss-shocking-lack-of-support-for-local-shelters outlines the truth.

    Additionally, the Agreement states that if the HSUS does not like the way the board is doing things they can take their demands to ballot. Breeders and livestock owners all know that this agreement is the foot in the door. Once they have this agenda complete, they will come back for more and continue until there are no pets or livestock left.

    The war isn’t over yet, it has only just begun and I am one willing to fight for my right to own the animals.

  13. DON’T EVEN TRY to insinuate that I am cruel or inhumane to my animals. I could not disagree more with the “joint venture” among Strickland, the Humane Society of the United States and the Ohio Farm Bureau. Selective banning of animal ownership is as outrageous as banning matches because of arsonists.

    If you animal “rights” people bothered to take the time to follow me into the barn every day regardless of what the weather is doing you’d see that my animals are fed whether or not the wind is howling or the snow is blowing. I would bet that most of you are still sleeping and cozy. Responsible animal ownership isn’t about human comfort.

    Take the time to become educated about how responsible animal owners care for their
    stock and perhaps you might stop following the animal “rights” movement. Open your eyes
    and see that these people are trying to lead you just like sheep following the flock into the wolf’s den. I’ve got news for you: I ain’t following! My animals are taken care of and my USDA and ODNR inspectors will vouch for me. If you think the conditions that I raise my animals in are not humane, then you are also accusing these professionals of not doing their jobs either.

    Let’s not paint all animal owners with the same brush. Prosecute those who do mistreat and abuse
    under the current laws rather than trying to shove more oppressive regulations down the throats of the majority of us who are responsible animal owners.

    We will stand up for our rights. We are sick of PETA wannabees and the like releasing our animals and damaging our personal property. We will sue you personally and the organization you represent when you are caught on our property!

    Another responsible animal owner and registered voter.

  14. Tucker, Campbell and others — Very well stated. We need to keep the pressure on the Governor and our state Senators and Representatives to kill the exotic animal ban and also Senate Bill 95 (the dog kennel licensing bill). I am repeatedly being told that Farm Bureau didn’t initiate or support the exotic animal ban or the dog bill, but the fact remains that when those provisions became a part of the agreement, Farm Bureau could have, and SHOULD have, walked away. The fact that they were willing to violate their own state policy by sacrificing the dog breeders and exotic animal owners is proof positive that they cannot be trusted. Even the livestock farmers lost on this one.

  15. I feel everyone needs to understand that the agreement gave the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board some very general things that they’re recommending that they do. They’re recommendations, they’re not absolutes.

    State Agriculture Director, Robert Boggs, has stated that changes will be considered by the OLCSB, which will develop final rules covering each. I’ve been told that they pretty much followed on a line where the OLCSB was already headed, and that the OLCSB will combine the input from the public and some of the other standards and try to come up with a package that meets their needs and hopefully lives up to their obligation to Ohio residents.

    I personally think the OLCSB can do that but it’s going to take some time. More than likely the reason they were able to reach agreement was because they had general, fairly vague concepts, but now the OLCSB will have to supply the details.

  16. Well well can’t the Ohio Farm Bureau Pres. LIE The Strickland’s Office said all three aggreed on the Exotics animal breeders No he says it JUST STRICKLAND AND HSUS. we need change from the govenors office and all the leaders from the Ohio Farm bureau they sold out hard working animal owners and breeders only to lose more jobs in Ohio This Nov vote Strickland out and don’t renew your FARM BUREAU DUES until there is change in both offices we don’t need traders like them in office

  17. Well two weeks have pasted and Mr. Stricklands Office still has not got back to me I was told not to call his office any more to send him a email I did two weeks ago no reply. I called to ask him if he supported HSUS I was told he could support any group he wanted WELL BY OPENING THE DOOR TO HSUS WE KNOW WHAT SIDE HE IS ON NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE YOUR GUNS AND COWS DOGS CATS HORSES HE TAKES WE NEED A NEW GOV. AND A NEW OHIO FARM BUREAU ONE THAT WILL STAND UP TO HSUS AND PETA

  18. Thanks Strickland for losing the state of Ohio even MORE jobs. Thanks for costing people money, like my friend who breeds exotic animals and will no longer be able to. Thanks for trampling on the rights of RESPONSIBLE pet owners such as myself. I paid good money for the animals I have and they probably get fed or treated better than they even would in the wild. I have a cute little female bearded dragon who may even now be pregnant, am I supposed to take a less than one pound lizard to the vet for some kind of reptilian abortion? And I’m sure my corn snake who will never get more than 3-4 feet long is really going to strangle someone, especially since no one but me handles her unless I am standing right there. Strickland needs to get a clue because he won’t be getting my vote.

  19. I appreciate your passion but I don’t think you have the whole story.

    Yes we were all scrapping for a fight with HSUS. Ive been fighting HSUS for years, even back in the 70’s when their predecessor tried to ban trapping and then again in the 80’s and 90’s over the dove bill and during 2009 with Issue 2.

    HSUS got nothing that the commodity groups were not already proposing. Each commodity group made its own proposals during the negotiations. Farm Bureau didn’t do it for them. Farm Bureau acted as the mechanism to bring them together and keep them unified so agriculture could speak with one voice of strength to HSUS.

    No laws were created as a result of this discussion, in fact it reinforced the role of the livestock standards board created by issue 2.

    Instead of having the uniformed public telling agriculture what to do through a ballot initiative and an amendment to our Ohio constitution, HSUS now has to take their recommendations to the Livestock Standard Board which is exactly what any other person can do.

    Would we have liked to trounce HSUS? Certainty! And even if we beat them in November would we have to face them again? Most certainly.

    Stay unified, join together and support farm groups to make sure the non farming public understands agriculture and see’s HSUS for what it is.

  20. Bear with me. I agree with both Cat lover, a third way up from this point, and Ray, directly above, in their comments. When I read/heard the emotionally based sensationalism in many places directly after the emotionally charged and desperately needed battle to get the Livestock Care Standard Board in place which had the opinion Strickland was similar to an “Indian giver” due to their misunderstanding of his being depicted as the “one and only” person making the decision to allow some of what the HSUS and PETA wanted (over the authority of the Livestock Standard Board set up and approved by him to handle these decisions)- being a farmer, I was fit to be tied and wondering what to think of Gov. Strickland.
    My opinion of this situation reminds me of, and is based on similar personal observation of a political nature of a different type of takeover in our township, (land/housing vs. farm/open space fight) – different platform, – …..and same negotiation skills needed by a person(s) understanding of how to move a rock a little from a hard place. What I mean by this is that Strickland knows, I think,(like his wife who comes from dairy) along with the rest of us who have over centuries established ethical and practical farm and animal care practices, that what works well for our animals has been of course, only what we as people living our lives with animals have established over time with our valuable experiences in our businesses.
    I feel that Gov. Strickland is, like the sands of time will have you do from time to time, indeed using the skills he was given to protect the people and the animal/farm community from being caught between a rock and a hard place with his decision to let the Livestock Care Board handle these kinds of groups and problems for society instead of it going to polls.
    On this first decision of groups we have trusted to protect farms/animal safety, that we financially support, and have now been forced to elect to represent farm safety and handling of the animal/farm industry, we have been made to feel we have been betrayed.
    As there has been made a concession between the livestock boards and the Farm Bureau and HSUS to change the practices of raising some kinds of livestock and we’re left wondering who or what else is next to be infringed upon as most of this change is neither comfortable or practical in economic or care/safety aspect of animal raising – facilities and/or practices made to be different than what we have established as farmers/animal/food breeders are not what we know or feel is correct or reasonable in general as we have been all through already what they are suggesting is better for the animal.
    We now all feel we should blame a single person or an entity that we entrusted to stop a group(s) of people comprised of those detached from the animal breeding world who are subjected to being emotionally driven by illogical/unfitting beliefs being portrayed to be the norm from infringing upon us. We believe that those we entrusted to protect us are only trying to cooperate with the enemy if they compromise with them in order to gain some peace in the long run. This, however unfortunate it may be, is called the art of negotiation with the enemy. The lesser of two evils, may it be said. There is another saying which is “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. This is to understand that if we were to let these radical groups consistently go to the polls with their misguided statements and bogus information created to look like mistreatment of animals was rampant among farmers and caretakers, leaving us all open season for these lunatics we would be in worse condition than allowing them to tell one specific board that they had to go to first as an outlet before bringing it to the polls. Letting them rant about what they would like to see done and having the board managing their requests as a compromise, as a judge in charge of a lunatic group for some end result that would be acceptable in lieu of them disrupting the entire animal/farming occupations by turning it upside down into something it is not. A little creative management goes a long way with controlling people. With the money these “animal rights” groups recruit by playing on people’s heartstrings over the T.V. they can do things like what they did at Conklin’s and plant their “plants” with cameras (the “plant person” being what can only be and actually were a disturbed person out of an actual loony bin) to be successful in circles in represent farm life as it is not normally or naturally by any means to all of America and the world in order to influence decisions others may be allowed to have over us to “fix” problems where they don’t exist which is at most farms/animal producers businesses. As the one lady said, she would be out of business if she did not care properly for her animals. I think that most people don’t mind spending $10,000 – $100,000 – 1,000,000 or more on animals to mistreat them and lose their value to them???? What?? I do?
    As one person said, we farmers/animal lovers groups have been fighting PETA and HSUS for years – this is just an occurrence in time where PETA and HSUS have money and people put in place at this time to make it hard to just say no to them completely in order to stop them from making the farm/food occupations and community portrayed poorly by these ridiculous tyrants who do not care to have people eat animals or love animals as pets or food. Obviously Board presence on several businesses and funds ($$$) talk and in the end they will be ousted as usual with radicals but until then…..
    The poultry livestock board as well as the Farm Bureau who represent that livestock board’s views also as well as other farmers/animal breeders are attempting to strike a compromise that do not seem like it would respect the hard work and money farmers/animal/food breeders have put into their businesses and will naturally result in higher food prices temporarily, and as an unnecessary hardship on farmers/animal lovers, and now an actual safety and care problem for those animals, at the same time – as unnecessary as it is, what comes around goes around. It can’t be a unreasonable concession to make (in terms of what the compromise “Cat lover” tells us they want us to make)- “take one for the Gipper” – if only in comparison with (as Ray indicates may happen if no Livestock Board), the thought of having ALL people- associated, educated, experienced – and NOT associated, educated, experienced with animal breeding and care – having to decide at the polls what we farmers/animal breeders should do. If we didn’t have a Livestock Board created to come to a compromise with these people over the many extremist ideas they have of what farm/animal businesses should do in terms of the logical and most humane safe way to raise animals we would have the public at large deciding for us then.
    Most individuals do not know the difference between hay and straw, let alone oxytetracyclene and penicillin and whether to give one or both to a animal and what animal or how much, how to tell under what conditions an animal would get sick or if an animal is sick and if what kind of environment it lives in is the best acceptable environment that can be done, etc.
    The Livestock Care Board will prevent those who are emotionally influenced and uneducated and/or just ignorant of farm procedure and/or animal care and breeding to be able to vote on what farmers/animal/food breeders should be doing in their practices. That is a milestone in this fight. We should commend Mr. Strickland for having the guts to allow farmers and their votes through the Livestock Care Board and Farm Bureau and other individual livestock boards to decide what is best until PETA and the HSUS go broke and/or eventually get kicked off boards for the trouble and economic downturn they will cause in the different entities they have become newly familiar with in their narrow, self centered and serving, idealistic view of what our world will be like. This will not work for them in the end as it has always failed. Fail it will but not without some good people suffering as is necessary for a while for it as anything else, to play out.
    We as consumers should buy more eggs, chicken, turkey, and pork, etc. in opposition and in belief of and in our concern of our own well being and physical health instead of allowing these farmers, (our food providers)to go broke over this change in environment due to their material costs of building new facilities to allow for this and physical costs of some of their animals that will also, ironically now undoubtedly die due to not being taken care of in the manner in which is most practical and safe for them. I think people’s hungry stomach’s will rule in the end and HSUS will go back to taking care of stray barn cats and orphan dogs and PETA will go back to floating in the ocean stopping oil barges. Have faith – eat meat – drink milk – and keep going to those courses on raising wild animals for pets – everyone has the inalienable right to try to be eaten by a tiger and those that do want to try are probably not that smart anyway, so no loss. Nature takes care of its own problems. One person is never to blame for trying to manage insanity, so vote with confidence.

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