The Gavilan Kennel Club’s leadership has overreacted and
embarrassed itself by calling for a boycott of Hollister businesses
during the organization’s annual dog show this coming weekend at
Bolado Park.
The Gavilan Kennel Club’s leadership has overreacted and embarrassed itself by calling for a boycott of Hollister businesses during the organization’s annual dog show this coming weekend at Bolado Park.
The Gavilan Kennel Club apparently has plans to follow through on its threat made last year toward Hollister City Council members, as noted in a Free Lance story last week. The club serving the Hollister, Gilroy and Morgan Hill areas in 2010 openly opposed the city’s adoption of an ordinance to require that owners of two dog types – Chihuahuas and pit bulls – get those pets spayed or neutered. The city approved the law in response to growing numbers of seized Chihuahuas and pit bulls – which comprised a large majority of the pets at the Hollister Animal Shelter.
The Gavilan Kennel Club’s members were against what they called a “breed-specific” law, as opposed to one that addresses all dog breeds, and spoke at council meetings on the topic before the city’s ultimate approval in October.
It is fine to take a political stand and oppose a policy of interest, to take your best shot at influencing decision makers. However, it is petty and completely non-beneficial for the group to not only dangle a threat as political weaponry, but then also follow through just because it didn’t get its way.
What good does it do for the Gavilan Kennel Club to proclaim – and no doubt for some of its members to act upon – a boycott of Hollister businesses? Do they believe the city will reverse its stance because of their retaliatory response? If so, good luck – because there isn’t a politician in the world who would buckle in reaction to such stubborn tactics. Do they want to teach a lesson to the community about the their cause?
A better lesson from Gavilan’s leadership, especially to all of the hard-working youths involved with the club and dog show, would have been this: Sometimes we don’t get our way in life.
The bottom line is that the City of Hollister, contrary to the kennel club’s perception, is about as dog friendly as they come. This is the same city council, let’s not forget, that in February allocated $30,000 in funds toward the development of a dog park near the airport, in the same city that faces severe budget deficits, bare-bones staffing and a gloomy outlook for years to come.
If that’s not being friendly toward dogs, what is?
