Political Dogs

No, I am not calling politicians', dogs, and if I were it would be a compliment. I'm refering to the issue of the current presidential candidates' pets or lack thereof, and the growing attention it's generating. Consider that The American Kennel Club and Best Friends Animal Society are vying for Barack Obama's attention after hearing that he intended to get a puppy for his daughters after the election. Both organizations have set up websites to allow people to vote for their choice of pup. And then there is the site where your dog can cast his preference for Presidential candidate at http://www.petsvote.com/.

On the Best Friends petition site , they easily got the 50,000 signatures they were trying for in an effort to convince the Obama family to adopt a shelter dog. The Best Friends Animal Society asks that readers stay tuned for an important update. The Kennel Club site offers viewers a chance to vote for their favorite choice of dog for the Obamas. They selected five breed candidates based on the Obama family needs. It's been reported that the two Obama daughters, age 6 and 9, have allergies. The breeds to be voted on are Minature Schnauzer, Bichon Frise, Poodle, Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier and Chinese Crested. Best Friends' points out that the Obama family can find any one of those breeds in rescue organizations.

I cruised a couple blogs to get a sense of what people were saying about this issue. One person commented that it was a silly issue to begin with and unworthy of the press it was getting. I disagree. While the Presidential candidates' stance on owning pets will not be a deciding factor in who I vote for, I do think they have the nation's attention and their choices influence America. Including their choice of pets. When Obama chooses a dog for his household, he will be an example to millions. Think about the message he will send, if he decides to be a part of the solution for the homeless pet problem.