Consumer protection reaches out past the arm of the person who is picking up the bill. The person who is paying has many different concerns that deserve to be protected. This reaches beyond significant others and other immediate family, but also to the pets that are every bit a part of the families who love them as any other member. Many people have hit the streets in the past to protest and speak out against large companies, such as Monsanto, in attempt to enhance consumer protection. Even with all of the voices out there demanding GMO labeling, there is a large section of our country who haven’t had their nonexistent voices heard, because less people think about them than think about themselves when it comes to basic consumer protection. Although we consider our four-legged friends members of our family, the law considers them to be chattel, or personal property. Being that they are our property, and of course family, we should know if they are ingesting genetically modified organisms. These GMO riddled foods could be causing a slue of unwanted issues in the lives of the pets we care about.
Florida has also enacted different zoning ordinances that make it illegal for any of our pets, who have not gone through the neutering process, to be on public property. While almost all pet owners can agree that spaying and neutering is a humane, and responsible, practice, it should not be a mandate by the state in order to appear in public. Imagine if they passed a law making it illegal for men who have not had a vasectomy, or women who have not had their tubes tied, to be on public property, the public outcry would be vast and loud. That is a personal decision for pet owners to make on their own, when they are ready to make that decision. They, and their dogs, should not be banned from a leisurely stroll in the park if they feel the time for neutering isn’t right, for whatever reason they deem fit.
Luckily, for all the pet owners in the state of Florida, Bill Wohlsifer (LPF), candidate for Attorney General, is a huge supporter of protecting the animals we hold dear to heart. He advocates prosecuting manufacturers of toxic pet foods. He wants to work diligently to shut down puppy mills, where profits are more important than the welfare of the animals being caged and bred. Mr. Wohlsifer wants to also target any animal competition that is not under the oversight of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. A true humanitarian, he and his wife, have contributed to multiple animal protection groups, including the Flagler Humane Society, the Folke Peterson Wildlife Center, and the Saint Francis Wildlife Refuge over the years.
Bill Wohlsifer respects all forms of life, which is evident due to the fact that he hasn’t eaten beef, pork, as well as many other animals for the past 17 years. He is also one of the few in the world who will safely remove an insect from inside his house, rather than just swat them like so many others would. Mr. Wohlsifer believes in freedom, and life, for both the citizens of Florida and the pets they care for and love, because as he understands, they are family too.
Matt Wright is a writer and political activist living in south Florida. He has a BS in communications and is currently working for the Bill Wohlsifer for Attorney General campaign. To hear more from Matt you can follow him on Twitter at @mrwright79 or Like him on Facebook.