DEAR READERS: The personal enjoyment, educational and scientific value of keeping reptiles and amphibians in captivity are justifications that can only be validated by an anthropocentric view of other species. Such a view is antithetical to the principles of veterinary bioethics, because these animals are inevitably harmed and treated as commodities.

Effective international regulatory oversight of trade in wildlife species (including birds and mammals), and of captive breeding facilities to ensure basic health and welfare standards, are not realistic -- as evidenced by the well-documented high mortality rates reported in several scientific reviews. Most species bought as pets die within the first year, and the stress of capture, holding and transportation of those not bred in captivity results in unacceptable and unsustainable mortality rates.

The veterinary profession is caught in a bioethical dilemma: providing essential services for such animals kept as pets, and thus indirectly supporting the live-animal commodity market/industry. I was glad to read a recent report by Joanna Klein in The New York Times summarizing these same concerns from scientific veterinary articles under the heading, “Debate Grows About Keeping Exotic Animals.”

British veterinarian Dr. Martin Whitehead and associates conducted a survey of veterinarians in the U.K. and found that on average, vets believed pet reptiles’ welfare needs were not well met. There was overwhelming disapproval of keeping wild-caught reptiles as pets. Dr. Whitehead wrote the following to me: “Because it is difficult to recognize suffering in some species, we humans, including vets, tend to believe the suffering is much less than it is. And the less a species is like us humans, the less we care about the animal or regard it as important, so even when we see the suffering of a lizard, it doesn’t affect us -- ‘matter’ to us -- in the same way as the suffering of a dog.”

I would appeal to everyone not to support the exotic pet industry -- an industry that is not engaged in humane and sustainable business practices in accord with the principles of bioethics. Bioethics, like reverence for life, can help emancipate us, and all life, from what Pope Francis calls “a tyrannical anthropocentrism unconcerned for other creatures.” (from his encyclical “Laudato Si”)

DEAR DR. FOX: I thought I would respond to the letter from the man who wrote that he and his wife had recently rescued a Chihuahua mix, and were having a difficult time with housebreaking. I agree that the dog should be checked thoroughly by a vet, in case there is a physical reason. I also want to share our story.

We “rescued” (purchased) a Boston terrier, Mini Me, who was 13 months old. We knew the breeder, and had purchased a puppy from her a few years before. The breeder admitted Mini Me was not housebroken. As a matter of fact, I found out through a friend that none of their dogs ever gets to go outside. They all stay inside the house, and those dogs who get out of their kennels do their business on newspapers in the kitchen! I can only imagine what that house smells like!

Mini Me stunk horribly when we got her. We had met the breeder halfway between their home and ours, about four hours’ drive for each of us. Before we got there, they had taken her for a brief walk to get her to potty, but she did not go. They told us that Mini had never been outside before.

We discovered several things over the next few weeks. As soon as the food bowl went on the floor, she began gobbling as quickly as she could. The breeder had told us that Mini had to compete with one or two littermates in a small kennel, and if she didn’t dig in, she would not eat that day! She still does this somewhat, but not like she used to.

Mini had lived in that little cage her entire life until we brought her home with us. The breeders had kept her in hopes of showing her and/or breeding her, but luckily, she was too small for either.

When we got Mini home, I set her on the ground in our fenced-in yard. We had taken all our dogs on the drive, so they had a chance to get acquainted a bit on the ride home. Poor Mini did not know what to do, and it dawned on us that she had never touched grass before! Annie, one of our other dogs, began playing with her a bit, and within five minutes, she and Mini were running around and around the yard for Mini’s first taste of freedom in her life! They ran and played until they were tuckered, drank some water, rested a bit, then Mini was ready to go again!

Since Mini had lived her life eating, sleeping, pooping, peeing and “living” (if you could call it that) in a small kennel with one or two other dogs, she did not understand that living in filth was not normal. We had a tough time housebreaking her. We took her out frequently, praised her, and continued to clean the floors when she had an accident. It took over nine months, but it was so worth it. She does still have accidents, but not often. She lets us know when she needs to go outside.

I wish the folks in North Carolina good luck with their dog. All I can say is that patience, love and praise go a long way in training a dog! -- L.L., Branson, Missouri

DEAR L.L.: Your saga with Boston terrier Mini gives me hope in people like you -- and in my next breath, I feel that old, familiar despair that many people will never change, like the breeder of Mini who treated her like a mere commodity with little or no quality of life. Always visit the home/facility before ever purchasing an animal, never purchase over the internet, and ideally adopt from your local shelter. For documentation supporting these assertions, read Kim Kavin’s book, “The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores and Rescuers.”

You gave Mini a chance and she did recover her spirit. Good for you! I have seen dogs permanently crippled from living in small cages for years. There are many dog breeders and others out there who exploit animals for personal gain and treat them inhumanely. It is so important for the public to support local and national animal protection organizations and, like the Animal Legal Defense Fund does, prosecute these inethical people to the full extent of the law.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR READERS: The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association posted an announcement on Nov. 1 that the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has revised its 2015 position on declawing cats. The AAFP now strongly opposes declawing (or onychectomy) as an elective procedure.

This common procedure in the U.S. is either prohibited or simply not done for ethical, humane reasons in most countries. For more information, veterinary practitioners can go to catvets.com/scratching, and cat caregivers can visit the AAFP consumer website, The Cat Community, at catfriendly.com/scratching.

SAVE THE BUGS

While we celebrate winter festivities, people in most states hear no crickets or other singing and buzzing insects, so vital for our pollinator-needing crops and for a healthy environment. The winter cold silences them. It is my New Year’s wish that people will realize the urgent need to stop the unnatural “silent spring” that follows. It was predicted by the late Rachel Carson, and we are now deeply immersed in it. For details, visit rachelcarsoncouncil.org.

I received the following letter from another nonprofit organization dedicated to this end, the Xerces Society (xerces.org):

DEAR MICHAEL: I want to THANK YOU for your contribution to our work. Our members, donors and partners in conservation are an integral part of the Xerces community. I am so appreciative for all that you do to make the world a better home for the butterflies, bees, dragonflies and other invertebrates, which we all love.

At a recent book signing, I had several members bring in well-thumbed copies of “Attracting Native Pollinators” for me to sign at the same time as they purchased our new book. It is heartwarming to know that Xerces materials are out there being used by people to guide the choices they make in their daily lives to create healthy communities. These communities provide the habitat where invertebrates are able to thrive. Seeing how far we have come is all the motivation we need to continue to expand our outreach and education to reach more and more individuals like you who can make a difference.

We are able to protect, restore, and manage habitat in a variety of landscapes because of the support and commitment of our community, and the only way we will achieve our shared vision is by continuing to work together, support each other and learn from each other.

Thank you for standing with us! -- Scott Black, director of the Xerces Society

DEAR S.B.: I would add that all who use anti-flea and -tick drugs and other anti-parasite medications on their dogs and cats should realize that they may be putting their animals at risk (safer, integrated pest-control methods are detailed on my website, drfoxvet.net). Additionally, many of these drugs are distributed in the animals’ feces. All fecal material should be picked up and disposed of in contained garbage. This is because, when fecal-consuming insects and their larvae in the soil are killed by these residual drugs, the cold- and warm-blooded vertebrates who rely on the insects and larvae as a food source are being put at risk. This is even more the case with manure from pesticide-treated livestock and poultry not raised under Organic Certification standards.

DEAR DR. FOX: I saw a recent article by you about problems with incontinence, and my dog has a similar problem. My dog is staying with friends who have two other dogs. Mine is a 16-year-old bichon/shih tzu, who is peeing everywhere, including her bed at their home. She will be staying with them for four months this winter. At the moment, I am taking her to a Banfield vet in a PetSmart store. She does not pee all over when she is with me.

I am taking her to the vet to see if she has a urinary infection. I have no one else to leave her with. Any ideas will be much appreciated. -- M.F., St. Louis

DEAR M.F.: This is an old dog, and I fear she may be put through stressful tests with the veterinarian, then put on medications for the incontinence that could make her even more anxious. But it is important to rule out cystitis and bladder stones. There may be some dementia in addition to the anxiety, which could account for her incontinence when in an unfamiliar place away from home.

I would suggest that the caregivers give her 1 mg of melatonin at night to help with sleep, and also try Traditional Medicinals’ organic Nighty Night tea. The tea is for humans, available in many grocery and health stores. Make the tea and let one bag seep in a cup of hot water. When cool, give it to your dog in the morning and again in the early evening. Season with a little milk or gravy to encourage consumption.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR READERS: The recent article by R. Scott Nolen in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association concerning the multi-state legislation prohibiting people keeping certain kinds of dogs is a clarion call to end such discriminatory, “breedist” legislation.

Many good dogs, and their caregivers and families, have suffered the consequences of this biologically and ethologically absurd legislation. Admittedly, “pit bull-type” dogs -- especially from low-income, drug- and crime-ridden rural and urban communities where dog fighting and animal cruelty are endemic -- have stigmatized dogs of that kind and their look-alikes.

Some people back away from our family dog, whom they see as part pit bull, but she is actually a shy and gentle Australian red heeler with some boxer in her lineage. She was adopted from our local shelter in Minnesota, one of few states where no such breed-specific prohibitions exist. She was brought up from a shelter in Alabama, one of several states where any dog who looks pit-bullish is either euthanized or abandoned.

DNA testing of an individual dog’s ancestry is not yet as reliable as screening for genetic disorders. One owner of a dog who plays with ours at the local dog park was rejected by a landlord after he insisted her beagle-looking dog be DNA tested for breed ancestry. The test came back positive for chow, a breed the landlord considered dangerous. Other owners of purebreds have also had false chow ancestry attributed to their dogs after receiving DNA analysis from certain companies.

All animal shelters, dog adoption centers, animal control agencies, animal protection organizations and state veterinary associations need to support the alternative to breed-specific legislation as proposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association. This will do much to prevent the abuse and suffering of dogs of certain kinds who invoke unwarranted prejudice and fear, and also advance societal acceptance of veterinary bioethics with regard to the application of science and reason in dealing with this kind of public issue.

DEAR DR. FOX: Greyhound racing has a drug problem. Gentle hounds are testing positive for drugs, even cocaine, at racetracks across the country. There have been 847 “drug positives” nationally over the past decade, including 71 greyhound cocaine positives. Read our new report “No Confidence: Drugs in the American Greyhound Racing Industry,” and then please sign our national petition. Your signature will generate an email to the governors of each racing state, asking them to stamp out the cruelty and corruption of dog racing for good. Visit GREY2KUSA.org for details. -- Christine A. Dorchak, Esq., president of GREY2K USA

BOOK PROMOTION HELPING SHELTER DOGS

“Rover: Wagmore Edition” by Andrew Grant. This is a stunning book of dog portraits -- all dogs being either homeless, in a shelter or rescued -- but it is the story behind the book that makes it so remarkable.

As a commercial photographer, Grant started photographing dogs when he discovered the astounding stats on animals in America: Approximately 4 million U.S. pets are euthanized each year. That’s one animal every eight seconds.

Grant photographs dogs in shelters, or generous donors’ rescue dogs, and he has independently produced four limited-edition books of dog portraits, each called “Rover.” For a donation, he will come and photograph your dog for the next edition of this book, and for a larger donation, he’ll put your dog’s portrait on the outside cover of a special edition. Over the past six years, Grant has been able to raise close to $2 million for shelters through this photographic project. For more info, visit Roverworks.org.

ATLANTA SUBURB RESTRICTS PET STORE ANIMAL SALES

The suburban Atlanta city of Sandy Springs, Georgia, has banned pet store sales of dogs and cats from large-scale commercial breeders, but stores may offer pets from shelters and animal rescue organizations. Pet stores must document the source of all the dogs and cats they offer for sale and post the name of the source in a visible location. (The Atlanta Journal, Nov. 27)

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)