[MR] PETS at Events WAS Re: Dogs at Events

[Jewel]

Greetings to the list! As the owner of a wonderful Bengal cat that some of you may have seen, I enjoy the novelty of bringing her to events that allow pets. She is fully vaccinated, and I would not dream of bringing her if she were not. However...if I were required to provide a health certificate every time I take her to an event, I would not bring her. I would feel guilty for not doing so, and thus would be less likely to go to events, since most of the events I have gone to since adopting my beauty were with her. 

Health certificates are usually only good for 10 days, so it would have to be obtained again each time the pet goes to an event. A health certificate is not a cheap item, and is simply a piece of paper that states the animal is healthy AT THE TIME THE VET EXAMINES IT. During the 10 days, the pet could get sick, and the health certificate would still be accepted.

Vaccination records would be cheaper, but still difficult, and a pain for everyone around, and just because a pet has the required vaccinations does not mean they are guaranteed healthy. It would place a lot of burden on the autocrat, and more than likely fewer events would be pet-friendly because of this extra burden (Autocrats have enough to deal with as it is!). It would place a burden on troll, who would have to check each record, which takes up time, because they would have to check to make sure all the required vaccines have been given, and that is different for each animal (cat, dog, bird, etc). It also doesn't take into account special circumstances under which a vaccine is not given due to dangerous allergic reactions on the animal's part. Nor does it take into account the people who give the vaccines at home, and do not give the information to their vet every time.

My personal feeling is that the SCA is about honour and courtesy. A Scadian should have enough courtesy and be honourable enough to make sure their pet is vaccinated and healthy before bringing them to an event, just like they would for their other, human children. One wouldn't bring a child to an event with pink eye or the flu, and one wouldn't bring a dog to an event with kennel cough or vulnerability to rabies. I think that a little more trust should be given to pet owners that they know what they are doing, and that they take care of their animals. I see the reasoning behind requiring vaccination records or a health certificate, but I feel just a tad offended that someone would think I am not capable of assuring my cat's health just as much as the mother of a six year-old is capable of assuring her child's health.

I thank you for taking the time to read my long message; it got longer than I thought! I hope you will take my words under consideration as a concerned pet owner.

Vivats the Dream,
Julienne fille Gaspard, mka Jewel, and Sybil the Bengal kitty
Scribe of Atlantia (and yes, Sybil likes to pretend she's a scribe, too)

 		
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