Change By Choice (CbC): A Future For Animals

Introduction To Change By Choice (CbC)

Shaping The Future By The Choices That We Make!

If you agree with the points made in Change by Choice, show your support by posting the CbC logo. There’s no club to join, no dues, no perks except in knowing that you’ve done something to benefit the chins who need you!

The Change by Choice appeal is about possessing an educated, enlightened attitude and relationship toward chinchillas for the 21st century. The ChinCare webmasters have educated themselves in how ranches and pelting work, we have an extensive reference library and have visited pelting ranches; we’ve met with, bought chinchillas and supplies from, and cooperated with ranchers to home their at-risk (of being pelted) chinchillas with the pet chinchilla community, totaling over a hundred chinchillas saved thus far.

We’re not AR extremists, we’re activists, we’re not members of PETA and we DO strongly resent the negative stereotype that their careless conduct has stamped on anyone who cares enough about animals to honestly want to help them, it’s come to the point where most people would rather turn their backs on the pain and suffering of the innocent than to attract that stigma. It’s a shame because, despite the propaganda scare that big business uses to further resentment of those who can’t ignore unnecessary animal suffering, it IS possible for intelligent, informed, democratic and peaceful people to want to make wholly positive improvements for the animals’ sake.

Ranchers are on our side with regards to pelting, because they know what’s best for their business: to deal with pets, not pelts, to be fur-free, and not to lose money killing an animal that’s worth much more to them alive than dead.
What this page reveals can be verified by asking any rancher. The lie that pelting is still necessary to ranchers and that it’s ok to turn our backs on homing ranch chinchillas is perpetuated by those who directly benefit from misleading the public. Pro-pelting hype, such as “anyone who opposes pelting is an AR terrorist,” “ranchers make their living from pelting,” and “ranch chinchillas are painlessly euthanized” persist for purely selfish reasons because some (definitely not all) pet breeders are using the status quo to their advantage.

Doubtless, this will surprise some people, that there are pet breeders purposely impeding efforts to save at-risk ranch chinchillas. It’s an observable fact though, and we’re one of few who continue to speak out in favor of the truth while these pet breeders exercise mind control over the pet community by misusing their authority on forums and other venues: censoring opinions or information that doesn’t condone pelting, mocking those who help ranchies and bashing anyone who politely disagrees with pelting. While there were pet breeders who helped with the 2004 PHFR Project, others tried to inflict damage with vicious gossip. These pet breeders are consumed with monopolizing the pet community that supports their “hobby” breeding interests and indulges their assumed superiority, they carry on like petty dictators and when it comes to helping ranch chinchillas in need, they’d rather see ranchies die than share “their” pet community’s interests in any way.

This is pelting, and in spite of who made the investigation, this is not sensationalism, it’s real. As you can see, killing animals for pelting is not “euthanasia” because these animals are not terminally ill and ailing, they’re young and thriving, and their death is not pleasant or painless. Much worse, the bottom line is that pelting is UNnecessary, these lives have VALUE and no living thing should be killed in the prime of life, senselessly, for nothing, that’s cruel and unjust and we can do better today in our advanced modern world. In spite of those who try so strenuously to ignore or dismiss this tragedy, positive progress is still moving forward (MM) for the chinchilla’s sake and for those progressive ranchers who welcome change as an opportunity to do better business, because THEY know that pelting is a thing of the past.

“You know what you do makes only a tiny ripple on the ocean of problems
that millions of animals face in the world, but one ripple is better than none.
One animal saved is better than none. Making a difference for one is better than making no difference for any…” ~ Virginia McKenna OBE, Founder- Born Free Foundation, Patron- Animals Asia

EVERY person who commits to CbC DOES make a difference, one chinchilla at a time. The principles of CbC contain truth, and sooner or later truth prevails, one day every chinchilla owner/ breeder will acknowledge this and be amazed that there was ever a time when all chinchilla lives weren’t valued and protected as pets.

CbC does not attempt to address other AR topics such as: eating meat, hunting, fishing, wearing leather, etc. It’s not because we don’t care, it’s because the CbC objective has only a five-point focus, whose aim is to encourage true chinchilla lovers to use the leverage of their personal choice to protect the animals they love from being senselessly killed or abused. Anyone who feels “threatened” by what we have to say or presumes that we’re trying to impose our views on others, play politics or “convince” them for the sake of winning popular approval can rest assured, we have always respected others’ right to make their own choices, that is their prerogative the same as voicing our opinion on our website is ours. Some people will just never understand how it’s possible for other people to care about something besides themselves, but we’re going to keep doing our part, regardless.

ACCK’s project, “Let’s home those in need before we breed” addresses issues in the pet community such as responsible chinchilla breeding, ownership, neutering, re-homing, shelter status, pet overpopulation.

ChinCare’s activist section is updated periodically to reflect progress and new facts learned. The ChinCare webmasters head the American Chapter of the Chin Knights, ACCK, and Change by Choice, CbC, is a project of ACCK. Our activist approach has earned us the distinction of a Family Friendly Site.

Principles Of Change By Choice

1. To support only pet-friendly chinchilla resources/ organizations, boycotting pelter clubs (ECBC, MCBA) as long as their purpose, as expressed in their own mission/ contract statements, is to use their membership resources to further the gratuitous exploitation of our pets by the fur industry (pelting).

Actually, the most alarming aspect of pelter clubs is the apparently required lobotomization of common sense and critical thinking lobes of their membership. This was posted on one pet forum by someone who actually believed the misinformation (which is stated as fact) on the MCBA website: “Chinchillas don’t require a lot of exercises, Too much exercise can cause the animals to lose bodyweight, inhibiting breeding, Watch chins that use wheels, as some will become obsessed and have a hard time maintaining their body weight.” Then, also on this pet forum, were pets “hobby” breeders actually quibbling about whether exercise was needed for pet chinchillas…

Wow! When did the obvious necessity of something so very basic to the health and happiness of chinchillas become so abstracted, intangible, challenging to comprehend? How obtuse can things get? Is the pet chinchilla community going to improve on the limitations of fur farm life, are they going to get a clue and give chinchillas the life they truly deserve, with affection, companionship, large cages, and exercise time, or will they just cop-out because they can point to the lowest common denominator as if THAT should be emulated? Heck, ranchers won’t care if we try to do better, it’s not like they patented the process of chinchilla care or anything, so let’s give pet chinchillas THE BEST… because we CAN and they DESERVE IT!

It should be noted that CbC’s ONLY objection to pelter clubs is their continued support of pelting, and for as long as their club mission statements and contracts encourage the killing of our pets, the pet community should boycott them. This isn’t about “hate,” it’s about taking a stand for what’s right. We don’t “hate” ranchers even though we object to pelting because it results in the unnecessary deaths of the animals we keep for pets, in fact, we work with ranchers to phase-out pelting in a way that’s profitable for them AND saves chinchilla lives. Ranching is a business and ranchers favor what’s profitable, which is why even THEY don’t favor pelting, so why should the PET community?

We believe that there are many people who join pelter clubs genuinely believing that they’re doing what’s best for their animals, thinking that it will be a learning experience that will improve their pet breeding skills. That perspective is simply outdated, compare the facts of antiquated ranching to the reality of pet breeding and ownership today, we’ve come a long way in the past TWENTY years and now anything that can be gained by joining a pelter club (events, information, shows, etc.) can be obtained through pet-friendly resources that do not support needless killing. Also, by virtue of the observable fact, much of the myth and misinformation about chinchillas that continues to circulate can be traced right back to rancher advice that reveals their lack of familiarity with subjects vital to the pet community, including chinchilla behavior, interacting with chinchillas and long-term health concerns.

PET chinchilla breeders have the majority vote in BOTH pelter clubs today, it is they who are responsible for the continuation of pelting in the U.S. Instead of dismissing or downplaying their clubs’ true agenda, inviting friends to join in their blood-guilt, placing show ribbons above chinchilla lives and condoning the needless killing of the same animals they raise for pets, these pet breeders should be actively seeking to change, to update their club statements and practices (“live pelting demonstrations” at club meetings, pelt exhibitions at shows, etc.). Dog and cat owners don’t join clubs that kill their pets for fur, they even passed a law (PL106-476) to protect their pets from the fur industry; chinchillas deserve no less!

Since it IS entirely possible to successfully care for and breed these pets without violating their best interests, the pet chinchilla community should endeavor to do so. The best place to start is by consulting only pet-friendly resources. Naturally, responsible pet chinchilla breeding and ownership can still garner profit, prizes, prestige, and so forth, but those rewards should never come at a dire cost to the best interests- the health, life, or happiness- of the chinchilla.

NOTE: There has been a recent development in ECBC policy that favors pet chinchilla owners/ breeders! It is now possible for non-member pet owners/ breeders interested in showing their animals to participate in ECBC shows!
Also, on their new website, they no longer have the “regular pelt buys for members” advertisement on their homepage. While it may still be available, it’s great to see ECBC becoming more progressive, positive, and receptive towards chinchillas as pets!

Pelter Club Mission/ Contract Statements

The following mission/ contract statements contain some misinformation that is stated as fact. To start with, killing a healthy, thriving animal is not, by its very definition, “euthanasia.” Ranchers don’t follow AVMA guidelines, making electrocution and neck-breaking, the chief killing methods used by pelters, are anything but “humane” and “easy, painless.”

MCBA and ECBC prohibit their club membership (of which PET owner/ breeders from the MAJORITY) from peacefully and legally opposing pelting. This is accomplished in a roundabout way, which makes the membership pledge less objectionable to those who don’t look too closely before joining. Firstly, the purpose of both clubs is clearly stated in their mission statements, their function is to further pelting interests, see below. Members are then contractually obligated to support the clubs’ agenda when they sign the clubs’ contract (see below), which prohibits members from acting in any way opposite to the clubs’ purpose, “Do not support a system, program or policy in conflict with…”

MCBA Mission Statement:

“MCBA, Inc. is an international organization of chinchilla breeders with chapters and clubs spread throughout the world. Its function is to provide instruction on the humane care of chinchillas in their production and to help commercially market and promote all types of chinchilla pelts and products.”

Points contained in the MCBA Membership Contract:

“Do not become a member of, an employee of, volunteer for, an investigator for, or paid by any animal rights organizations or other systems, program or policy in conflict with MCBA, Inc.”
“Do support the use of humane euthanasia and the rights of others to ranch chinchilla for pelt production.”

ECBC Mission Statement:

“Empress is organized and shall be operated on a cooperative basis to educate ranchers, and to promote, encourage, foster, and facilitate the economical, efficient, and orderly raising and breeding of chinchilla for the purpose of production and processing of chinchilla fur.”

Points contained in the ECBC Membership Contract, Code of Ethics:

“Do not orally or in writing do anything to bring Empress Chinchilla or the fur industry into disrepute.”
“Do not support a system, program, or policy in conflict with Empress.”
“Do accept the rights of others to ranch chinchilla for fur production. Humane methods must be used in all aspects of ranching.”

Points contained in the ECBC Membership Contract, Affidavit:

“I certify that I am not a member of, an employee of, an investigator for, or paid by any animal rights organization.”
“I accept the rights of any member to ranch chinchilla for fur production.”
“I understand Empress is organized and shall be operated on a cooperative basis to educate ranchers and to promote, encourage, foster, and facilitate the economical, efficient, and orderly raising and breeding of chinchilla for the purpose of production and processing of chinchilla fur.”

2. To purchase only faux fur or synthetic substitutes because pelting chinchillas is non-essential and unnecessary, cruel, ecologically harmful, and unprofitable killing.

Pelting Is Completely Non-essential, It’s Not Necessary For Human Warmth Or Survival

Chinchilla fur is used to make LUXURY items that are too costly and frivolous for the average consumer, anyway. When the Chincha hunted chinchillas before the arrival of the Europeans, that was another matter entirely, they used the whole animal (meat and fur) and did not kill what they didn’t need, certainly not for the sake of “luxury.” While other AR topics (eating meat, hunting, fishing, wearing leather, etc.) may be debatable as to their necessity to modern man, fur, quite plainly, is not.

With the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors chinchillas were ruthlessly hunted to near-extinction in the wild for the purpose of making luxury items from their fur, today they’re killed in captivity (pelting is still profitable in other countries, but not the U.S.) for the same reason, the production of LUXURY goods. “Luxury” means that these items are not necessary, “luxury” means that we CAN survive nicely without them and that most people in fact DO.

There is a vast array of more appealing alternatives (synthetic and natural fiber, faux fur) that are superior to real chinchilla fur in their cost, quality, appearance, and endurance. The Humane Society confirms, “with the advent of synthetic fabrics that are both lighter and warmer than fur, there’s no need to kill animals for their fur.”

Pelting Is Cruel And Not In The Best Interests Of The Chinchilla

To be born into the confines of a tiny cage (less than 2′ square), to live for about a year (until the “prime” of youth) without exercise, affection, or companionship, and to die by cervical dislocation or electrocution –VS– the CHANCE to be loved and treasured for a lifetime as a beloved pet… HMM… doesn’t take a genius to figure out which is better!

THIS is pelting. Despite the investigation source, what’s there is not just shocking, it’s real. Chinchillas on a ranch are not killed “humanely,” they are not “euthanized” and they do suffer. Unfortunately, there are people who are capable of casually denying the suffering of others (those who deny that the Holocaust happened, that slaves in the South suffered mistreatment, etc.) in order to make life easy for themselves, to excuse themselves from any pang of conscience that might possibly inconvenience them with moral implications. People who make excuses for the indefensible facts of life and death on a fur farm are either fishing for a cop-out or have selfish reasons for not caring. Even in the instances where the facilities are clean and the death relatively quick, Nature did not intend any living being to face a life sentence of severe confinement, isolation, and premature, UNNECESSARY death.

“Supporters portray fur “farms” or “ranches” as humane environments, but in fact, these facilities are little more than a series of small wire cages in an open shed. Animals suffer extreme confinement and poor housing conditions. Many of them exhibit behavioral disorders such as constant pacing, self-mutilation, and infanticide. Many suffer physical abnormalities as a result of inbreeding. They suffer as they die, too: neck-breaking, gassing, and anal electrocution are the most common methods of killing animals raised for fur.” (ref – Humane Society of the United States)

We regard neglect/ abuse from ANY source- pelters, pet shops, or pet owners/ breeders- as intolerable. But consider this: if a pet owner were to electrocute or break the neck of an animal, would that be acceptable? If a veterinarian were to do the same, would that be called euthanasia? Of course not. The pet owner would be prosecuted for animal abuse and the vet would lose his license, yet, our pets are subjected to the exact same treatment at the hands of ranchers (who are only killing for convenience, to cut losses) in spite of more humane AVMA recommendations.

We understand that more chinchillas on the pet market could lead to some of the same problems that other pets are currently experiencing due to overpopulation. We also believe that it’s entirely possible for ranchers and the pet community to work together, to cooperate as has already happened with PHFR and Matilde’s Mission, and when such cooperation takes place then pelting can be progressively, painlessly phased out. The fact that Britain has successfully made the adjustment from pelts to pets at least proves that it’s not impossible!

Pelting Is Not Profitable For U.S. Ranchers, It Hasn’t Been For About A Decade Now

In the words of one prominent rancher, “I don’t know of anybody who is just a pelting ranch, not one rancher I know can exist just on pelts.” (ref- chins-n-quills.com, a chinchilla forum)

Pelting can now be discussed on a purely economic and logical level, without venturing near people’s fears or skittish interpretations of ethics, because in plain, unbiased economic and logical terms pelting has run its course and now serves no viable purpose, WHATSOEVER. There is therefore no reason why the pet community should not endeavor to assist ranchers so that ALL chinchillas (including cast-offs) can be spared a completely unnecessary demise.

Pelting in the U.S. is currently legal, and we respect that, as does anyone who respects law and order in our society. But that does not preclude that we cannot object to something that we find reprehensible. In fact, as long as the U.S. remains a democracy, it is the sacred right of every citizen to question what they find unethical or unjust, using peaceful, legal, and educational means only.

While pelting in the U.S. may have been economically viable over a decade ago, in the past ten years production costs in the U.S. have made pelting unprofitable here. According to A.A.C.CH (.doc): “To produce a skin in Argentina in 1998 cost approximately 10 USD per pelt, in 2000 it was 14 USD and by 2005 production costs there were down to 7 USD per pelt while in the U.S.A. production costs had risen to 24 USD and in Canada to 22 USD.”

In 2004, CbC found information online that included a quote from one pelter on pelt prices: “TOP prices for: standard= $64, black velvet= $70, beige=$54. Good ranchers AVERAGE close to $30 a pelt.” Added to that was another person’s observation, “the price that is paid for the pelt is what the pelter gets after the pelt is tanned, which involves a cost to the pelter.” Ranchers actually average LESS than $30 a pelt after processing costs are factored in, a few told us they average well below $20.

Pelting is no longer profitable because production costs outweigh the profit. Ranchers in the U.S. today are NOT dependent on pelting for economic survival. They make their money from selling chinchillas as pets or breeding stock because dealing in pets, NOT pelts are where the money is at. A LIVE animal can be sold as a pet or breeding stock for $75- $500 (and higher), MANY times more than the price of a pelt. Ask any rancher if he prefers to pelt at a loss or make a profit from the live animal; all ethical considerations aside, just do the math!

SO WHY PELT AT ALL? To cut losses, to eliminate costs. Ranching is a business where chinchillas are regarded as a commodity, ranchers sometimes kill the animals that can’t easily be sold at a profit to the pet market or as breeding stock. These, “cast-offs” aren’t killed for profit, not at less than $30 an animal. Ranchers do it simply to rid themselves of those animals that take up space, consume supplies, and take time and effort to care for but won’t ultimately pay off in the end.

A chinchilla becomes at-risk of being pelted for several reasons, all associated with their perceived undesirability as pets or breeding stock: Chinchillas that are considered too “old” to be sold as a pet (pet market interest is primarily in just-weaned kits), not the “right color” (pet market interest is primarily in the mutation colors, not standard grays), or the rancher has decided that the chinchilla is not fit for breeding due to size, appearance, genetics, etc.

CbC takes the position that, in light of the pet status of chinchillas today and the fact that pelting is no longer necessary to ranchers, chinchillas deserve to be protected by inclusion under PL106-476 or similar law. The ChinCare webmasters initiated the first PHFR project, that cooperated with ranchers to home approximately one hundred pet chinchillas with the pet community and that paved the way for Matilde’s Mission: Pet Homes For Ranch Chinchillas, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt registered charity that will continue the good work. Homing at-risk ranch chinchillas don’t support the continuation of pelting because the large ranches in the U.S. are gradually retiring due to lack of pelting profits, this means that it’s up to those people who genuinely value chinchillas to see that the remaining at-risk ones are spared. We hope others will rally in this effort to phase-out pelting in the U.S., it truly is in EVERYONE’S (the rancher, the chin, the pet community’s) best interests to do so!

3. To exercise our right as citizens in the U.S. to work within our democratic system (using peaceful, legal, and educational methods only) to challenge and reform laws that allow chinchillas to be pelted or subjected to animal research; unless said research is strictly for the chinchillas’ benefit (health, behavioral) and is in no way vivisectional.

One example of true health research, which is both non-vivisectional and done for the benefit of the animal, is that which is conducted by Petsavers of BSAVA to advance veterinary knowledge.

Vivisection is: “Operation on a living animal for experimental rather than healing purposes; more broadly, all experimentation on live animals.” ~ Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

Chinchillas are also victims of vivisection, as summed up here by Partners in Research:
“The chinchilla is a good laboratory animal model because of its small size and long life span (12 to 20 years). These animals have been used as models for the study of hearing because they respond to pure tones and they have the same middle-ear anatomy and nervous system connections as humans. This makes chinchillas an excellent model for the common but painful problem of childhood middle-ear infections. The results of this research have begun to be applied in clinical studies in children. Chinchillas were also used in the 1940s and 1950s to develop a vaccine for cholera, a disease that once was epidemic. In addition, they have been useful to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on sleep research now applied to assist astronauts in their missions.”

From the ECBC website: “Chinchillas are ranch-raised for not only their fur but as breeding stock and use in medical and biological research.” Lab Animal and ILAR list the one U.S. ranch that supplies chinchillas for lab experiments.

Exposing Vivisection

As necessary as the proponents of vivisection would have us believe their grisly experiments are, the facts have borne out clearly and repeatedly that vivisection is nothing but scientific and medical fraud, peddled by grant-seeking “researchers,” pharmaceutical companies that manipulate the results to legitimize their product claims and reduce their liabilities, and greedy “supply” companies that actually breed animals to be purposely crippled, burned, poisoned and killed.

For example, cancer “research,” and the vivisection used in it, is a TRILLION DOLLAR racket that practically guarantees those who profit from it won’t be declaring a cure anytime soon: “The Cancer Business” is one of many articles across the internet that expose this truth. Convinced that vivisection has contributed to life-saving vaccines? Well, the joke’s on you. The only people who argue in praise of vivisection are those who profit from it or those who’ve been scared stupid by “animal death or human life” propaganda.

The public has been brainwashed into believing that we must sacrifice animal life to make commercial or medical products safe for human use. While sacrificing people to appease stone gods has fortunately been seen for what it is and passed out of fashion, the ignorance behind it- that making living sacrifices will guarantee the health and happiness of those who offer them- persists with vivisection because those who know better (researchers, supply companies, etc.) are really good at frightening, manipulating and profiting from those that don’t.

Opposing vivisection is NOT about choosing which you prefer, “us or them,” (the common lie that big business makes against animal rights activism) because vivisection kills BOTH animals AND people. Alternatives exist that don’t require animal sacrifices, vivisection has proven to be utterly worthless because the results are not transferrable to humans and in fact have a long history of human disaster:

The Truth, Quotes From The Medical Community

“It is the outrageous lie of the supporters of vivisection, a lie serious in its consequences, that animal experiments take place for the good of mankind. The opposite is the case: animal experiments have only an alibi function for the purpose of obtaining money, power, and titles. Not one single animal experiment has ever succeeded in prolonging or improving, let alone saving, the life of even one single person.” ~ from a paper published by Dr. Heide Evers, D-7800 Freiburg, 1982

“The history of cancer research has been a history of curing cancer in the mouse. We have been curing mice for decades, and it simply didn’t work in humans.” ~ Dr. Richard Klausner, National Cancer Institute. LA Times, May 6, 1998.

“All our current knowledge of medicine and surgery derives from observations of a man following especially the anatomical-clinical method introduced by Virchow: symptoms of the patient while alive and the alterations found in the dead body. These observations have led us to discover the connection between smoking and cancer, between diet and arteriosclerosis, between alcohol and cirrhosis, and so on.

Even the RH factor was not discovered on the macasus rhesus. The observations of Banting and Best on diabetes, attributed to experiments on dogs, were already well-known. Every discovery derives from observations on humans, which are subsequently duplicated in animals, and whenever the findings happen to concur, their discovery is attributed to animal experimentation.

Everything we know today in medicine derives from observations made on human beings. The ancient Romans and Greeks gained most of their knowledge from epidemiological studies of people. The same goes for surgery. Surgery can’t be learned on animals. Animals are anatomically completely different from man, their reactivity is completely different, their structure and resistance are completely different. In fact, exercises on animals are misleading. The surgeon who works a lot on animals loses the sensibility necessary for operating on humans.” ~ Prof. Bruno Fedi, M.D., 1986, Director of the City Hospital of Terni, Italy, anatomist, pathologist, a specialist in urology, gynecology, and cancerology.

“Since there is no way to defend the use of animal model systems in plain English or with scientific facts, they resort to double-talk in technical jargon…The virtue of animal model systems to those in hot pursuit of the federal dollars is that they can be used to prove anything – no matter how foolish, or false, or dangerous this might be. There is such a wide variation in the results of animal model systems that there is always some system which will ‘prove’ a point…The moral is that animal model systems not only kill animals, they also kill humans. There is no good factual evidence to show that the use of animals in cancer research has led to the prevention or cure of a single human cancer.” ~ Dr. D.J. Bross, Ph.D., 1982, former director of the largest cancer research institute in the world, the Sloan-Kettering Institute, then Director of Biostatics, Roswell Memorial Institute, Buffalo, NY.

“Before the bar of human justice, vivisection stands condemned on three main counts: cruelty to animals, uselessness to Man, an obstruction on the path of true knowledge.” ~ Dr. M. Beddow Baily, MD, IRCP, Member Royal College of Surgeons, in More Spotlights on Vivisection (London, Pergamon Press, 1958)

“Much of the enlightenment of the extremely cruel vivisection portion of this cartel is revealed by the writings of Swiss medical historian Hans Ruesch in the books ‘Slaughter of the Innocent’ and ‘Naked Empress’ [see these book reviews], which have both suffered international suppression. Vivisection is a paramount symptom of the “Greed Disease” and of the inhumane, unscientific, ignorant individuals who perpetuate it throughout the world.

Animals are not human beings and do not react in a similar fashion to a drug. What might be beneficial in an animal might be lethal to the human, and conversely. Where is the logic to transfer information from animal experimentation to human usage of toxic chemicals? It is in the pocket-books of the members of the conspiracy – the Greed Disease!” ~ Roy Kupsinel, MD, a medical magazine editor in Oviedo, FL 32765, November 22, 1986

Support Relevant Alternatives!

There are MANY alternatives to vivisectional animal research that ARE applicable to humans:

4. To champion the homing of ranch chinchillas within the pet community, as set forth by organizations such as “Matilde’s Mission.”

Matilde’s Mission grew out of the 2004 PHFR Midwest Project, which cooperated with ranchers to successfully place approximately one hundred at-risk (of being pelted) ranch chinchillas with the pet chinchilla community. We encourage the pet community to inquire with ranches (we’re always happy to make recommendations) about these at-risk chinchillas; the big ranches are slowly becoming a thing of the past just as large-scale pelt production in the U.S. already has, it’s important that the chins still being brought into this world on the remaining ranches all find a forever home as beloved pets. The ChinCare webmasters have adopted several ranch chinchillas ourselves (a few are featured on the ChinCare banner: Thaddeus by food dish at left, Watson at back about to jump, Joji on right and lookin’ spiffy!), from ranches in the Midwest and California, our experience with these chins has been wholly positive. EVERY chin deserves a loving home as an adored and cherished pet, they all deserve to know that they are VALUED!

5. To progressively advance the improvement of living conditions of the pet chinchilla, improving on their past lot by always providing the following in addition to other essentials and any extras that we can afford to lavish on our pets: veterinary care as needed; regular out-of-cage exercise time; the companionship of other chinchillas; continual access to a clean cage environment with fresh hay and safe chew toys; a hammock or hide-away to rest in with the cage positioned away from daytime traffic, stress and noise; a cage with safe mesh width (1/2″ X 1″) that is big enough to accomodate running and playing- the bigger the better, in height as well as width!

Chinchillas have endured much at the hands of man, being hunted to near extinction in the wild, being farmed in captivity for their fur. Re-introduction into the wild hasn’t been very successful for several reasons and the chinchilla population there may not survive for long, there’s nothing that we can give back to the chinchillas in captivity today so the least we can do is make their lives as pets as fulfilling and joyful as possible.

This includes giving chins both The Essentials and the amenities that they didn’t receive in the past on fur farms. As pets, they deserve to enjoy exercise time, a large cage, and companionship, things they didn’t get on fur farms. We should be seeking to IMPROVE on, not emulate, the bare existence that chins had there. Pet chinchillas should be shown more, given more because we CAN do better by them and they deserve lives worth living.

Some pet breeders on forums lately have actually been discouraging doing more for pet chins, questioning the necessity of exercise and large cages, as if the pet community is somehow doomed to follow in the footsteps of ranchers and imitate their husbandry practices just because that’s the way chins USED to be treated. What we repeat bad history, why be chained to the past?

We CAN do better, the chins certainly deserve it, and that’s that! It’s fine if some pet breeders slavishly idolize ranchers when it comes to breeding advice, but ranchers don’t expect the pet community to be mindless zombies and imitate everything they do, they won’t object if we make improvements in the lifestyle of pet chinchillas today. We can be progressive if we choose to, and anyone who appreciates chinchillas as pets will.

Time To Move On: Making The Case For Pet-friendly Resources

ECBC and MCBA are pelter clubs that were formed as a support network for ranchers who raise chinchillas for about one year (“prime”) before selling them as pets or breeding stock or killing them for pelts. Learning about chinchillas from ranchers might sound promising and undoubtedly at one time, it was, more than twenty years ago, BEFORE there were alternatives that were pet-friendly and focused on the concerns of keeping chinchillas as pets.

It is true that before chinchillas as pets became more popular in the mid-1980s (marked by the increase in books sold relating specifically to PET chinchilla care), that ranchers did monopolize the information on breeding and basic care of chinchillas. Generations of breeding chinchillas for their fur had made most ranchers competently familiar with chinchilla basics in regards to genetics; health requirements in the areas of sanitation, temperature, and light; and nutritional guidelines such as the necessity of a high-fiber diet.

Beyond the areas of basic care and breeding, which are now covered by pet-friendly resources as well, the value of “rancher wisdom” diminishes rapidly. Ranchers rarely deal with chinchillas past their “prime,” which just happens to be the period of OPTIMAL health and breeding ability. Consequently, they often lack familiarity with matters that the pet community deals with all the time, like long-term health (the ill-effects of no exercise, etc.) and temperament issues (they can and do pelt animals that are deemed too much trouble). The knowledge and experience gap presented in the following considerations demonstrates why pet-friendly resources should be preferred by the pet chinchilla community:

Topics Not Addressed

Preventative health care, which affects conditions such as malocclusion and calcium deficiency, the care of elderly chinchillas, and population control (neutering) are all issues pertinent to pet owners/ breeders and all are topics not faced when dealing with chinchillas in their youth, for the short term.

No Exercise

Regular exercise, which benefits mental alertness, physical agility, muscle tone, overall health, and longevity is not addressed because it doesn’t take place on a ranch where the focus is to minimize (their) cost and effort, not spend additional time and money. Ranchers don’t give their hundreds of chinchillas exercise time, it’s infeasible. Ranch chinchillas spend day after day sitting alone without any opportunity to jump and run because their cage isn’t much larger than a shoebox.

Lack Of Vet Care

Vet care is regarded as an excess, a waste of time and money, a statement to that effect was made by the rancher in this pelting ranch investigation. Illness or injury, including fever, broken limbs, and birthing complications, maybe tended to by the pelter, left to “let nature takes its course,” or result in the animal being, “pelted out.”

Those who prefer to minimize or ignore the reality of life on fur farms will point to the one or two exceptions where they’ve “heard of” a rancher calling in a vet. But those exceptions do not the rule make, especially when considering the fact of vet fees versus what an animal, even sold live, is worth to the rancher.

We know of ranchers cutting off injured limbs and digits with scissors rather than paying for proper vet care. The pet community can’t learn from this negative example, pet owner/ breeders need to consult an exotics specialist veterinarian when health issues arise with their pet, neglecting to do so can constitute prosecutable animal abuse.

“Given that the American government does not regulate fur farming and that the states do not force fur ranchers to comply with existing cruelty statutes, severe abuses occur. It is not rare, for instance, to have animals lying in their fecal matter or to have animals with toes frozen to cold wire mesh during winter. And it’s often more economical for ranchers to hope sick animals will survive rather than to hire a veterinarian to care for them.” (ref – OCPAUSA)

Inadequate Housing

Adequate housing, with room to jump and run about, is another expense not indulged on ranches where the typical cage is less than 2′ square (minimum by ECBC is 15″X 18″ X 12″ high). The tedium and debilitating stress induced by severe confinement is known to result in fur-biting (self-mutilation), pacing, and somersaulting, all of which we’ve witnessed on ranches, firsthand, ourselves.

Stress-induced Cushing’s Syndrome in Fur-Chewing Chinchillas
Marina Tišljar, D. Janic, Ž. Grabarevic, Borka Šimpraga, A. Marinculic, Ljiljana Pinter, Z. Janicki and Ankica Nemanic 133-142Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 50 (2) (2002) CONTENTS AND ABSTRACTS Clinical veterinary medicine

“One of the most serious problems in the chinchilla industry is ‘fur-chewing’, when the chinchilla bites off areas of its own or some other animal’s fur. The condition generally develops in both genders at the age of 6–8 months. In chinchilla farms in Croatia an incidence of 15–20% has been observed.

“A pathomorphological, microbiological and parasitological investigation was conducted on eleven 6- to 11-month-old chinchillas of both sexes with clinical symptoms of ‘fur-chewing’ and three chinchillas without such signs. Histopathology of the adrenal glands and of the chewed skin revealed changes typical of Cushing’s syndrome in ‘fur-chewed’ chinchillas, such as hyperkeratinisation of the epidermis, epidermal atrophy, pronounced follicular and sebaceous gland atrophy, hyperkeratinisation of the follicles with comedo formations and the presence of calcium salts in subcutis.”

No Socialization

In their native habitat, where chinchillas remain an endangered species, they would roam the Andes mountains in herds, “It is said that it was once possible for a person to see thousands of chinchillas in the course of a day’s journey.” (Walker’s Mammals of the World). Chinchillas are by nature a social animal, they require companionship. A large part of the pet community’s time and interest is spent dealing with introducing chins, communication, and bonding, and relating.

By contrast, on a pelting ranch, there is no socialization, either with people or between chinchillas. They are caged alone without human affection or contact with other chins. Even between breeding chinchillas, the polygamous breeding system eliminates the need for “introducing mates” because the females wear large collars so they can’t follow the male if he wishes to come or go into their tiny cage from the “run.”

Different Breeding Approach

Even breeding has a different focus and intent: ranchers do take risks with the health and temperament of the offspring by practicing inbreeding/ linebreeding and other genetic experimentation aimed at producing superficial improvements in chinchilla appearance and fur quality. From an example on the MCBA website:

“Stone White – Obviously white and recessive with a whitetail. The fur is quite dense, quite long, a little bit coarse and many have a slight pattern. They are good sized but don’t have the blue-white characteristic of the dominant Wilson White. They have a tendency toward Micro-Ophthalmia with very small pink eyes and poor vision. Some have no eyes and others have vestigial eyes.”

The foremost consideration for the pet chinchilla breeder should be to produce animals of top health and temperament, PET breeders should NOT be willing to take risks with those qualities while they seek desired results in more superficial areas. Not only is health and happiness important to the chins, but it is also what’s best for the pet business. As the Setting Standards page puts it: “A chinchilla that possesses top health and temperament will be regarded as an asset rather than a burden, joy rather than a problem, making top health and temperament the best head-start for a long and happy chinnie life.”

Myth And Misinformation

Of even greater concern than the glaring gaps in knowledge about issues pertinent to the pet, the chinchilla community is the propagation of myth and misinformation that can be traced directly to the ECBC/ MCBA websites and their membership. Naturally, the pet community is not without their myths and misinformation as well, but then, they aren’t recruiting club membership by promoting themselves as chinchilla “experts.”

Some of the following statements are weak attempts to justify certain ranch practices as being in the best interests of the chinchilla rather than what they actually are, a reflection of ranch business priorities (minimize cost and effort, maximize personal gain); others are just sheer nonsense, guesswork due to unfamiliarity with pet or long-term care issues. In brief, these gems are ridiculous at best, seriously misleading at worst and they truly make the case for consulting pet-friendly resources:

“If your animal gets loose and you are having trouble catching it, a fishnet or live trap works well”
“DO NOT USE distilled water on your animals. The nutrients which have been removed are important in maintaining a healthy animal.”
“Chinchillas don’t require a lot of exercises.”
“Too much exercise can cause the animals to lose bodyweight, inhibiting breeding.”
“Watch chins that use wheels, as some will become obsessed and have a hard time maintaining their body weight.”

Source: direct quotes from the Chinchilla Care page of the MCBA website, which was updated and has improved over what it once was, thankfully.

Facts: The statements regarding exercise are of course untrue, and pretty ridiculous, especially considering that ranchers don’t give their animals regular exercise (costs time) or wheels (costs money). Ordinary tap water is definitely NOT enriched with “nutrients,” that statement seeks to justify the convenience of using tap water on a ranch. In reality, tap water presents very serious health risks (parasites, contaminants) and filtered water is best. Catching a chin with fishnet or live trap can induce stress-related shock, it also risks painful injury and will violate the trust and bond between a pet chinchilla and their owner.

“One raisin or three sunflower seeds or a few pieces of rolled oats each day is the limit.”

Source: a direct quote from the Feeding page of the ECBC website.

Facts: Sunflower seeds contain too much fat/ oil and if fed consistently over time, they will cause liver damage. The debilitating effects may not show up on pelting ranches where chins only live for about a year, until “prime,” but it does matter if the chinchilla is a pet with the prospect of a long, healthy life ahead of him.

“Exercise wheels are lethal, the chinchilla is a prey animal and its instincts will cause it to run itself to death.”

Source: told to us firsthand by MCBA members…

Facts: While we believe they meant well in advising us of that, it’s simply not true. We nearly went into hysterics until it was apparent that they weren’t kidding. If someone saw a chinchilla collapse after running on a wheel, there’s something else going on because exercise DOES NOT KILL chinchillas, heck, they have the run of an entire mountain chain in the wild.

“The chinchilla was made nearly extinct because of the Indians hunting them for fur and predatory animals feasting on them.” -and- “Until recently, few chinchillas were used as pets due to their aggressive nature. It took __ Chinchilla Ranch to create a line of chinchillas suitable for pets.”

Source: paraphrased from an undisclosed pelter club member’s website

Facts: While it is true that the native Chincha Indians had hunted chinchillas for their meat and fur, probably for centuries, and later on Europeans introduced foxes to the area to pursue their sport of fox-hunting, the FUR TRADE is known to be THE CAUSE for the near extinction of chinchillas: “The coming of Europeans to the Western Hemisphere resulted in a greatly increased demand for this fur and a corresponding decline in the number and distribution of wild chinchillas. It is said that it was once possible for a person to see thousands of chinchillas in the course of a day’s journey. As late as 1900 an estimated 500,000 skins were being exported annually from Chile.” (Walker’s Mammals of the World)

Pelters did not tame the “aggressive” chinchilla and subsequently “create” ones that would make suitable pets. Why would they, it doesn’t improve the pelt and until pelting became unprofitable in the past ten years, fur quality was THE focus. Chinchillas, even in the wild, are known to be remarkably sociable and tame. The photos on wildchinchillas.org speak volumes to that effect and the native Indians who hunted the chinchilla spoke of catching them by hand. Even the Canadian pelter club, NCBC, has this to say, “Chinchillas are quite even-tempered, not in the least vicious and usually can be handled by children. Few other animals are as friendly toward humans.”

Pet-friendly Resources

Pet-friendly resources are the best source of information for both the pet chinchilla owner AND pet breeder because having chinchillas as pets for their entire lifetime necessitates consideration of a whole new set of factors that pet-friendly resources are capable of addressing:

Organizations

All other organizations in the pet chinchilla community that we are aware of are simply pro-pet, that is, they do not take a fur-free stand. Hopefully, someday they will grow a backbone and put our pets ahead of their spineless politics.

Both pro-pet and fur-free chinchilla organizations, their shows, and events, provide guidance and support, pet community activities, learning opportunities, interaction with other pet chinchilla owners, and access to informative online magazines. Often there are experienced pet chinchilla breeders who have learned from, but no longer support, pelter clubs. We can leave pelting in the past while keeping the knowledge gained (and paid for with chinchilla lives) for the betterment of chinchillas today.

Forums, etc.

Get personalized answers and advice from pro-pet forums and chat rooms. Currently, forums with a fur-free perspective are based in the UK, where fur farming is illegal. Like all online forums, they welcome members internationally.

Books, Magazines, Reference Libraries, And Pet Chinchilla Care Sites

Research books, magazines, and reference libraries browse our articles and search pet chinchilla care sites for topics such as nutrition requirements, adequate housing, grooming, exercise, preventative health measures, senior chins, chins in the wild, neutering, relating and bonding, introducing chins, genetics and breeding, recommended vets and rescue/ re-homing resources.

Britain has progressed already, the National Chinchilla Society DOES what we advocate here- all the knowledge and experience from the past is used today for the benefit of PET chinchillas! They accept overseas memberships and publish a bi-monthly gazette- you get the benefits WITHOUT supporting pelting! The gazette includes, “informative articles on Chinchilla keeping, breeding, health and showing from various points of view. Also included are handy tips, helpful hints, and a regular news and chit-chat column, plus lots of other items that go towards producing an unsurpassed wealth of knowledge about the Chinchilla.”

Dispelling Misconceptions

Sidetracking Fallacies

Why “sidetracking fallacies”? Because these are some of the typical illogical/ excuse-making/ diversionary quips that people make which are fundamentally irrelevant because they do NOTHING to change the bottom line: pelting is completely unnecessary, it inflicts a premature and painful death on animals that should be protected as pets.

Isn’t fur farming the same thing as hunting animals for their fur?

Fur “farming” or chinchilla “ranching” today is an entirely separate matter from what went on in early history. When native South American tribes hunted the chinchilla before the arrival of the Spaniards (whose ruthless hunting in the pursuit of making vanity items for the European market nearly led to the chinchilla’s extinction), they only hunted as much as they needed to provide themselves with food and warmth. The chinchillas they hunted had the advantage of living in their natural environment and were able to run from man, who was effectively just another predator in the wild.

By contrast, fur “farming” imposes an artificial environment on an animal that has no opportunity to lead the life that nature intended. A chinchilla on a pelting ranch is completely helpless, awaiting victim with no hope of resisting or escaping a fate over which they have no control.

The “God-given right to dominion over the animals”…

Sure the Bible says God gave animals to man, in Genesis 9: 1-2. But where does it say, “Be careless and abusive, exploit them to your heart’s content in frivolous, cruel and irresponsible ways!” It doesn’t, and it’s pitiful that there are some people, ranchers, and pet owners/ breeders alike, who enjoy terrorizing small, helpless animals.

We believe that when animals are used by man for essential purposes (furs are not essential to modern man) such as food and clothing, that those animals deserve the best treatment, which entails living conditions that approximate their natural habitat, diet, and lifestyle. Their death should be quick and painless. We believe this approach complies with the intent of Genesis 9.

The circumstances surrounding pelting violate those principles point-by-point: Chinchillas on pelting ranches suffer from severe confinement, lack of companionship (chinchillas in the wild travel in herds, they are social animals), affection, and exercise, in contrast to their basic needs. Pelting itself is completely non-essential to man. The two primary killing methods used by pelting ranches are inhumane and painful, see for yourself, and they don’t comply with AVMA recommendations.

Pelters are just “old-school farmers,” these ranchers “can’t” change, “don’t know how,” or “aren’t able” to make the switch from dealing in pets rather than pelts…

Well, let’s say these “old” pelting ranchers are in their fifties. That would still mean that they were born after the pioneer days, after the industrial revolution, and after the shift in America from a primarily rural to a primarily urban society. Growing up post-WWII, they have had access to an unprecedented abundance of information, technological advancement, and educational opportunities, back when financial aid grants were much easier to come by.

Modern man is fully capable of refusing to stoop to the brute ugliness of senseless killing. Unnecessarily inflicting death and violence on a helpless creature is beneath the level of sophistication we’ve achieved. It’s untrue that ranchers today “need to” pelt, they don’t and THEY know it, that’s why their primary business is with the pet market or selling breeding stock. No ranch in the U.S. today exists on the sale of pelts alone, ending pelting would not put a cramp in anyone’s lifestyle. It now only remains for the pet community and ranchers to want to work together for a fur-free future.

We “owe” the fur trade or MF Chapman for the pleasure of having chinchillas as pets today.

The fur industry may have introduced chinchillas throughout the world, but that does not support the conclusion that they are entitled to dictate the future of chinchillas and that chinchillas should continue to be killed for the manufacture of luxury items now that they have become accepted and valued as pets, and especially now that ranchers no longer profit from this needless killing. It’s time to move forward, Britain already has and the U.S. passed PL106-476 in 2000, which demonstrates that Americans do not want their PETS exploited by the fur industry.

The pelter is “nice”…

We have met with ranchers from both ECBC/ MCBA and adopted chinchillas and bought supplies from them. So we can honestly say that sure, pelters can be personable, friendly, and nice, but what of it? Does that make a difference to their chinchillas at pelting time? Does it make pelting “ok” if “nice” people do it? Just ask the chinchilla who is about to get its neck snapped or is facing electrocution. Whether or not the rancher is nice, pelting is still non-essential and completely unnecessary.

The facilities are “spotless”…

Cleanliness is definitely preferable to filth and stench, but no matter how clean the environment (preventing sickness and subsequent loss of investment is what drives the level of cleanliness), the pelters still kill, the chinchillas still die and there is no excuse for it.

Chinchillas should be protected from pelting entirely, a condemned man wouldn’t turn down a full pardon for a posh suite on death row. We can and should do better for chinchillas than just hoping they get to know cleanliness before DEATH.

The chinchillas are “euthanized”…

Electrocution and cervical dislocation are the primary killing methods used by ranchers, in opposition to AVMA recommendations. Euthanasia is mercy-killing for terminally sick and suffering animals, but chinchillas are pelted when their coats come into “prime,” they are YOUNG, HEALTHY, and they want to LIVE! This is pelting, and despite the investigation source what’s there is not propaganda, it’s real, so judge for yourself!

Past Knowledge For Today’s Pets

CbC acknowledges that pelters have made contributions toward understanding chinchilla breeding and basic care. Discarding pelting isn’t the same thing as disassociating ourselves from what pelters have learned in the past, if anything, what was gained then has been paid for in blood, and chins today are entitled to benefit from it!

Britain has made the break already, pelting is illegal there and the PET chinchilla community thrives because they kept the good (research, resources, etc.) and left the bad (pelting) behind. So can we.

Pet-friendly options may even include what relevant knowledge ranchers have for the pet community in the form of ex-pelter club members who are now active in pet forums and pet clubs, or older publications authored by ranchers, the proceeds of which no longer support pelting.

The educational section of ChinCare includes (when it does not profit pelting and the fur industry, because supporting non-essential, unprofitable killing does NOT benefit our pets) older books authored by pelters and pet owner/ breeder informative sites, regardless of that site owner’s choice of club affiliations or attitude toward pelting. Simply put, whatever serves the best interests of the chinchillas, WE ARE FOR IT!

Defining Terms

How CbC defines and uses the following terms in this site [please take note of our opinion on PETA, and the fact that we do NOT condone AR terrorism!].

Animal Rights and Animal Rights Advocates

Animal rights promote the ideology that animals and humans can coexist in a humane and balanced ecosystem that benefits BOTH equally, with mutual respect and consideration for each other’s needs and interests.

AR advocates are those who support the AR ideology.

Animal Rights Activism/ Activists

Activism indicates the type of approach taken, the chosen processes, and methods used to achieve the goals of AR ideology.

AR activists seek preventative, educational, and legal solutions by working, “within the system,” i.e., lobbying for change, making legislative proposals, letter-writing, signing petitions, voting, peaceful protest, passive resistance, educating the public, raising awareness about AR issues and concerns and informing the public conscience about everyday personal choices, etc…
In brief, activism is reform by democratic- peaceful, legal, educational- methods (only)

AR activists focus on positive change, they emphatically oppose the radical/ extremist/ fanatical/ militant/ terrorist approach and the tactics that accompany it, deeming them to be counterproductive to genuine, lasting change.

Exposing The Fallacies Of Ar Stereotyping:

If you do not personally claim to fit a stereotype, then the stereotypical qualities that others attribute to you are irrelevant, nothing more than a projection of their own fears, ignorance, and stupidity. It’s only natural to reject being assigned qualities that you never claimed to have in the first place and anyone who calls that, “hypocrisy” should take a moment to reflect on the fact that hypocrisy is an inconsistency within one’s professed value system, it doesn’t result from others imposing values that don’t belong.

“If you object to pelting, you must hate ranchers who pelt.”

Wrong. You CAN appreciate and associate with people who don’t share your convictions; intelligent, mature people coexist and respect differences in others every day.

“If you oppose pelting, then you must naively believe that pet owners are above reproach.”

For several years now the ChinCare webmasters have been personally involved with chinchilla rescue and re-homing, addressing the rehabilitation of those that have been unwanted, neglected, abandoned, or abused. In fact, we have a page on that, and we’ve also helped fellow rescue workers prosecute abuse cases. ChinCare’s Confronting Cruelty page addresses abuse by pet shops and the pet community, not only for chins, but other animals and children as well. So no, we do not give carte blanche approval to the pet community or anyone, for that matter. It is useful to bear in mind that not all pet owners/ breeders and pet shops are abusive, while all pelters do kill; this explains why the usual focus for reform points in their direction.

“Anyone who opposes pelting must necessarily: Become vegan or judge others who wear leather, hunt, fish or eat meat; support all “bleeding heart” liberal views and opinions; become anti-social, intolerant, militant or violent; vote “straight-ticket” in support of ALL animal rights issues…”

GAG. This type of sidetracking hype is so OLD, so illogical, ignorant, and clearly manipulative of people’s most paranoid fears (with the intent of frightening/ intimidating members of the pet community from taking a stand for fur-free) that it’s simply amazing there are people who continue to buy into that absurd caricature. You can do NONE of the above and STILL object to having our pets, chinchillas, victimized by the fur industry. If you don’t profess to be a stereotype, it’s the people who judge you that are mistaken, choose how you want to help animals, and don’t let idiots dissuade you!

Animal Rights Via Radical/ Extremist/ Fanatical/ Militant/ Terrorist Approach

Radicalism, Extremism, Militarism, etc. all indicate the type of approach taken, the chosen processes, and methods used to achieve the goals of AR ideology.

While AR terrorists (such as ALF, ELF) may share the same AR ideology with as AR activists, and while they may sometimes employ activist methods for achieving the goals of AR ideology, this approach is distinctly separate (ref) from the activist’s in that AR extremists are ALSO willing to resort to terrorist-type activity that is unethical or illegal and holds the potential for threats, harassment, destruction, force, and violence.

What we think: ACCK believes that when radicals resort to terrorist methods of persuasion, not only are they often illegal in their tactics, they’re absolutely counterproductive to true progress for the animals’ sake. Vigilante justice… ISN’T. AR extremists usually make matters worse than if they’d done nothing at all, they alienate people who might have otherwise helped, they incite opposition AGAINST their objectives, setting back any progress that others might have achieved by helping animals the right (democratic, peaceful) way. They’re the bane of the AR activist world, a complete embarrassment and downright nuisance to those of us that are doing our best to bring about positive change using peaceful, legal, and educational means, only.

Passive Resistance

According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, “a method of nonviolent protest against laws or policies in order to force a change or secure concessions; it is also known as nonviolent resistance.” Not joining a pelter’s club (ECBC/ MCBA) until they’ve changed their pro-pelting agenda is an act of passive resistance used by AR activists and those who truly value ALL chinchillas.

Fur-Free

Supporters advocate chinchillas as pets, not pelts, fur-free is the same as pets-only. This belief coincides with Change by Choice, advocates do not agree with the needless killing of chinchillas but they do respect (defined below) rancher’s right to pelt (despite personal objections) while pelting remains legal. Fur-free supporters object to any exploitation of chinchillas by the fur industry or vivisectionists and they prioritize the competent care and best interests of chinchillas as pets. They are willing to cooperate with ranchers to help save at-risk ranch chinchillas and aid the transition in the U.S. from regarding chinchillas as both pets and pelts to protecting them as valued pets, only.

Pro-Pet

Supporters advocate chinchillas as pets, but they are not necessarily against pelting and don’t necessarily take action to promote chinchillas as pets, not pelts. They may continue to maintain ties with pelter organizations. We feature the U.S. pro-pet chinchilla clubs on our site because we believe in encouraging the pet-focused initiative. Hopefully, someday, the U.S. pet chinchilla clubs will take a stand for fur-free, themselves.

Respect vs. Tolerance

Respecting differences is about the mature ability to coexist despite differences, to agree to disagree and move on. Respect does NOT necessitate acceptance, agreement, or approval of the other side, it permits free expression of both viewpoints and sticks to the FAIR presentation of facts, that is, facts WITHOUT fallacious manipulation, coercive overtones, character defamation, etc. If someone respects you, they’ll respect your right to make your own choices regardless of whether they personally accept, agree, or approve of your choice. This isn’t about moral relativism, apathy, or compromise, it’s simply an honest acknowledgment of free will because everyone is solely responsible for their own choices and the consequences that ensue.

Tolerance is for those who either don’t know or don’t care about one or both sides of an issue. Tolerating functions like indifference, it is inaction and effectively acts as quiet support of the status quo by passively complying with the more powerful (and often wrong) side of the issue.

Activism In Action

Fur-free Sites: Take Action And Research Information

Lobbying & Letter Writing

HSUS: do’s and don’ts of lobbying, lobbying 101

As AR activists, CbC promotes change using democratic (peaceful, legal, and educational) means: letter-writing, petition-signing, and campaigning, etc., should all be done in a civilized, respectful manner. CbC emphatically objects to terrorist tactics that involve threats, violence, etc., because not only are such methods unethical and often illegal, they’re absolutely counterproductive to genuine, lasting change!

We believe it’s important to notify those who supply or contribute to the fur industry of the fact that there IS public objection to pelting chinchillas, especially now that they are widely recognized and valued as PETS.

Below are designers/ businesses/ organizations that deal with chinchilla fur farming and fur products. Give them your consumer feedback by politely informing them that pelting is non-essential, cruel, ecologically harmful, and unprofitable killing, that you intend to boycott their product/ business/ organization until they switch to making and marketing alternatives instead, that natural fur will never be your choice and that you do take issue with the fur industry’s continued exploitation of these animals in spite of the fact that they are now popularly valued as pets.

The information listed below has been posted on their own websites, it’s listed here for convenience. It is not “harassment” to write a letter of protest regarding the product or service that a business (ranching is a business) or organization (such as pelter clubs) markets to the public. As long as this is a democracy, it’s consumer feedback!

Moulton Chinchilla Ranch is the ONLY listing on Lab Animal and ILAR that breeds chinchillas for vivisection.

The Association for Research in Otolaryngology names them as 1995 exhibitors, indicating that this ranch has been selling to vivisectors for way too long.

Their contact information is publicly available on both Lab Animal and ILAR, please contact them and politely but urgently request that they sell chinchillas for pets, only, not as test subjects for lab experiments!

When you go on the sort of expeditions I do, warmth is very important. I never use fur. There are much more suitable, practical, and warmer man-made alternatives available. ~ Sir Chris Bonington, CBE, Mountaineer