A Thousand Oaks pet shelter asked adopters if they support gun control. Then came the threats

[DBoon]

LA Times:

A Thousand Oaks pet shelter is facing a barrage of hate-filled messages and threats since the owner announced that it has started screening potential adopters for their stance on gun ownership and reforms.

Shelter Hope Pet Shop owner Kim Sill said in a recent newsletter that her team would add a question to its screening protocols: “Where do you stand on gun control?”

But since multiple news outlets covered the shelter’s decision — including a segment questioning the move Wednesday on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” — Sill said she has received an onslaught of hateful messages and violent threats.

...

Sill told Fox News earlier this week that her sister was shot and killed by her husband in 1998.

“He bought a gun two days previously, with no mental health check, and killed her,” she said.

“My neighbors were gunned down at Borderline, and every mass shooting keeps burying the memory of them deeper and deeper,” Sill wrote in her statement to The Times. “Although I might only be an animal rescuer, I have compassion for people and I wanted to do something after [Uvalde]. I thought that if everyone did just one thing, we could make a difference.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-17/california-pet-shelter-using-gun-views-as-screening-tool

Anyone who would threaten violence against a pet adoption shelter has absolutely no business owning any kind of lethal weapon.

[MagickMuffin]

1. Thanks to Tucker this is what he wants and expects VIOLENCE plain and simple

He's wanting someone to take action.

He is a clear and imminent threat to society

[BettyonRed]

2. How does me owning guns have anything to do with me caring for animals?

I have adopted multiple animals and fostered a rescue dog as well. I also am a gun owner. Owning guns does not limit or influence my care for animals, and I have retrained a dog that was turned back by previous fosters.

Politics is a spectrum but this action only hurts the adoption of more animals.

[gratuitous]

4. How does asking whether you favor regulation of firearms have anything to do with owning firearms?

Sounds like you have some apples in with those oranges.

[BettyonRed]

5. How does my support of gun regulation have anything to do with owning a rescue dog?

Oranges back to ya.

[gratuitous]

6. That's not the question you asked

But here's your "victim" mantle, BettyonRed, you poor suffering dear. Now you go tell that mean shelter owner how to run her own business.

[LakeArenal]

14. I agree with your point totally. I think the snarky was unnecessary.

[BettyonRed]

25. She's made her mantle of caring for animals

Not about caring for animals, but about her politics. Her politics comes before the animals. Screw that.

[indigoth]

7. But

The animal shelter’s question was on gun CONTROL …

NOT on gun ownership.

There’s a very big difference.

[Fla Dem]

17. +1000

[Iggo]

12. It doesn't.

Gunfuckers gonna gunfuck, though. So it’s best to check.

[fescuerescue]

20. If you get angry and shoot the dog. The dog would be dead

Even if you just did it accidently.

[Scrivener7]

23. Homes with guns are not as safe as those without. And as the article states, the

owner of the shelter is sensitive to that, having lost family members to gun violence in the home.

Perhaps that's it.

[Straw Man]

32. The point has been made repeatedly here ...

... that the question was about one's stance on gun control, not about whether one owns guns. So it has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with ideology. A political litmus test for pet ownership sounds pretty intrusive to me.

[Scrivener7]

34. She runs the shelter. She gets to decide who gets the pets. Maybe she doesn't want them

to go to assholes.

As the one doing the work and running the joint, it's her prerogative. If you don't want to be "intruded upon" go to another shelter.

But at this point in our history, I do have to ask, how are we still calling sensible gun control a political and not a public health issue?

[Straw Man]

36. So ...

... everyone who doesn't agree with her stance on gun control is an asshole?

How many animals will go without homes because of this? Will they end up being euthanized? Are there any other areas of public policy that should be endorsed before one is allowed to adopt a pet from this shelter? How one feels about global warming, for example?

Public health, or the lack thereof, is a political issue. Anything that falls under the purview of government policy is by definition political. And by the way, not everyone -- even in the Democratic party -- agrees that gun control is a public health issue. Criminal behavior is regulated by the criminal code. Murder is already illegal.

[Scrivener7]

37. Is there any doubt that anyone who is against sensible gun control is an asshole?

I know there are people who think being against sensible gun control doesn't make you an asshole. Those people are assholes.

What makes you think any animals will go without homes? Do you know if they euthanize pets? Because it didn't say so in the article.

Again, if your gun, or your ability to buy a gun under any circumstances whatsoever, is so important to you, go to another shelter.

And those who are are worried that other shelters would like to know if they think global warming is a problem and they don't think global warming is a problem, a) are assholes and b) can call the shelter and ask them. If they don't like the way they do business, they can go to another shelter.

[Straw Man]

39. Opinions on what is "sensible" differ a great deal.

I don't call people assholes just because their opinion differs from mine.

[Hekate]

27. There will always be more dogs than homes, so you need not be bothered by one woman's grief...

She is not at the forefront of any kind of trend in animal rescue, altho my experience with the local volunteer cat shelter was that the forms I had to fill out were very intrusive. I would guess it depends on who’s running the joint.

[gratuitous]

3. Oh, those poor, delicate firearms enthusiasts

They're just so . . . triggered.

[ret5hd]

9. It's cutting into their supply of...

bait/fighting dogs.

[Karadeniz]

8. I can understand what she's thinking, but it might be more pertinent to have a place on the

adoption application authorizing the shelter to access the person's police record for cases of animal or domestic abuse or whatever crimes they think could affect the animal's well being in that household. The humane society where I volunteered for eons began having potential adopters complete an application even before visiting with animals so they could verify pet approval at a rented residence and phone their vet for approval.

[leftyladyfrommo]

10. They also should not be allowed to have a pet. nt

[spooky3]

16. They are proving her right to ask the question.

And I’m sure it never occurred to any of those freedom advocates that when you own a shelter, you set the adoption rules (subject to law).

[PlanetBev]

11. I live in Thousand Oaks

Ventura county as a whole votes blue, but there’s no shortage of Trumpers here, either.

[LeftInTX]

30. They come out of the woodwork for this stuff

Wouldn't be surprised if they lived in another state.

[MoonchildCA]

13. One of my pups came from this shelter.

I totally get where she is coming from, especially with her personal history.

It’s nice to know people are passionately fighting for reform. I’m just not sure how having this question on an animal adoption application helps. If anything, it’s going to either turn-off or offend many potential adopters.

I’m all for stricter gun regulations, but I too would be a bit off put having this question on my pet adoption application. I don’t want businesses considering, or prying into, my personal political stances as a condition of doing business with them.

I hope this doesn’t harm the future of this shelter, where my lovable little Jack Russell came from.

[DFW]

15. Anyone who would threaten violence against a pet adoption shelter

I would say they have no business being allowed out of the confines of a high security mental institution.

If that means we need to build a lot of new ones, so be it. Build one less B-1. That should pay for a few of these places, with color TVs and swimming pools for all.

[mainer]

18. OMG the horrible comments on her Facebook page

The woman lost her sister to gun violence. Her neighbors were gunned down in Borderline. She's not asking to take away guns, she's asking for gun ownership reforms.
Yet the gun nuts go on her Facebook page accusing her of being a Fascist.

I wish the poor woman strength and loving neighbors.

[Iggo]

26. The fascisti don't even know what a fascist is.

Dangerous. And sadly ironic.

[LiberatedUSA]

19. Are there any statistics that say...

…those who own guns are not good pet owners? Like are there charts that show a person without a gun in the home feeds their dogs, gives them treats, pets and plays with them, while those with guns do not?

[mopinko]

22. the question isnt gun ownership, it's gun control.

if you own a gun, but think there should be rules, you're fine.

[LakeArenal]

21. We've owned guns

Saying I had a gun doesn’t say anything about my stand on gun ownership qualifications or what some call gun control. I don’t want to control guns. I want control of who is getting guns.
By age, mental health and criminal records. I would like to see military weapons consigned to the military.

[ReluctanceTango]

24. Never mind the guns

Anyone who would threaten violence against a pet adoption shelter has no business owning a pet.

[Initech]

29. Or owning a gun for that matter.

[Initech]

28. Where are these threats coming from?

It’s way past time to investigate and out those responsible. Online terrorism is terrorism.

[NCLefty]

31. Addicts will do anything to protect their supply.

[pinkstarburst]

33. That question is ridiculous and irrelevant

I have adopted many pets from rescues. They ask MANY invasive questions that I am fine answering because they are relevant to my ability to provide a good home and will help the rescue judge whether I will competently care for the pet they are releasing to me. Lots of pets get returned to rescues, so I get why they do this.

But I would balk at a rescue asking if I had ever had an abortion. I would be offended if a rescue asked if I had ever had sex with a same sex partner. I would be livid if they demanded my views on current political views (which in Texas, would likely disqualify me from adopting pets anywhere in this state since I vote blue), and disqualified me from adopting a pet.

Invasive questions about whether you've ever given up a pet or what kind of yard you have, or how many hours you will spend with the pet, or wanting to know the name of your vet so they can call and do a reference check are FINE because that is directly related to how you will care for the animal.

Invasive questions about your political views are not. This woman was in the wrong, plain and simple, and we should not be quick to jump and defend her.

[Scrivener7]

35. It's not a political view. It's a public health view. And if you don't like

what she's doing, don't adopt from her.

And no, she's not in the wrong. You simply disagree with her.

[alphafemale]

38. but little smirking tuck thinks a person should have a right to not bake a cake for someone.

Doesn't he?

A little consistency?

Does business have a right to discriminate or not?

Which is it tuck tuck?

[SYFROYH]

40. Her house, her rules. But i think its silly to muddy the waters of animal adoption

Its not even clear to me what is an adequate answer to her question.

Even LaPierre things that current gun laws should be enforced.

WTF is the point?