From: Ron Thompson
Date: 2020/03/21 12:33 (GMT+02:00)
To:
Subject: Official inquiry into the workings and concepts of the NSPCA
The Chief Executive Officer,
NSPCA. South Africa.
Dear NSPCA,
My name is Ron Thomson. I am the CEO of an organisation (NPC & PBO) called “The True Green Alliance (TGA). Our vision statement explains our purpose:
TGA – VISION: To create a southern African (ultimately global) society that is properly informed about the principles and practices of wildlife management; that understands the wisdom of, and necessity for, the practice of sustainable utilisation of living resources (both wild and domestic) for the benefit of mankind; that supports animal welfare; and that rejects animal rights – the doctrine of which seeks to abolish all animal uses by man.
You will note that the TGA supports “animal welfare”.
I wish to advise you that the general public of South Africa is currently confused about the NSPCA purpose and functions; and I have been asked to provide some clarity – through our broad-based membership – on the following subjects. This interest has recently been elevated, incidentally, by the NSPCA’s (second year in succession) negative involvement in the shipment of South African sheep to the gulf states. But I cannot answer their questions without your constructive support. It would help me tremendously, therefore, if you would be kind enough to answer the following questions:-
- Is the NSPCA an ‘animal welfare’ organisation or an ‘animal rights’ organisation?
- Does the NSPCA differentiate between animal welfare and animal rights?
- Does the NSPCA (generally or in principle) support South Africa’s commercial wildlife Industry?
- Does the NSPCA support the concept of non-consumptive ecotourism on South Africa’s game ranches?
- Does the NSPCA support South African farmers ‘making money’ out of their wild animals?
- Does the NSPCA support the ‘farming’ of wild animals behind high game fences, specifically for the purpose of providing game animals on South African game ranches for hunting?
- Does the NSPCA support the buying and selling of wild animals in the context of ‘doing business’ within the country’s wildlife industry?
- Does the NSPCA support the hunting of wild animals for biltong and venison on game ranches?
- Does the NSPCA support or denounce Trophy Hunting on South Africa’s game ranches?
- Does the NSPCA support the consumptive harvesting of wild animals – for venison or for the production of other game products – for the benefit of the South African public?
- Does the NSPCA support the breeding of wild animals in captivity for the express purpose of providing game animal specimens specifically for hunting purposes?
- Does the NSPCA support the breeding of lions in captivity – for the purpose of providing high quality captive-bred specimens for hunting purposes?
- Does the NSPCA support the breeding of lions in captivity specifically for the Far-Eastern lion bone trade?
- It has been proved that captive-bred lions can be returned to the wild very easily. Does the NSPCA approve the breeding of ions in captivity for this purpose?
- Does the NSPCA approve the farming of domestic livestock – cattle; sheep; goats; pigs; ducks and chickens; and a host of others – for the purpose of producing meat for man to eat?
- Does the NSPCA approve the sale of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks and chickens; as part of farming-business enterprises?
- Does the NSPCA approve the breeding and keeping of domestic dogs as pets? As working animals on farms? As trained police dogs? As guides for blind people? As hunting dogs?
- Does the NSPCA approve horse-riding; the pulling of carts by horses; horse-racing?
- Does the NSPCA approve the use of horses and oxen to plough fields on farms?
- Does the NSPCA approve the use of abattoirs for the slaughter of domestic stock for human consumption?
- Does the NSPCA approve such practices as lion cub petting; walking with lions; tourism interaction with elephants; the use of birds of prey for the sport of falconry?
- Does the NSPCA support the trimming of rhino horns on rhino farms, for the purpose of trading the rhino horn thus procured on the international market?
- Does the NSPCA support the sale of legally procured rhino horn – from captive-bred rhinos – on the open world market?
- Does the NSPCA support the sale of legally procured ivory – procured from natural deaths in the wild – on the open world market?
- Does the NSPCA support the humane culling of excessive animal populations – such as elephants? (‘Excessive’ means a population that is too large for the habitats to support).
Most of the questions can be answered with a simple ‘YES’ or a ‘NO’.
I am prepared to interact with you, constructively, to obtain the correct answers to these questions.
Thanking you in anticipation.
With kind regards
Ron Thomson. CEO – TGA
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