Companion Animals
In the Blogs: Lenten Fish, Cruelty-Free Tattoos, Wet Nurses, and More
Published April 09, 2009 @ 03:20PM PT
I've fallen behind in my "Animals in the Blogs" and "Animals in the News" roundups, which I cannot do--there's too much happening out there not to do at least weekly roundups. The following are just from the last week or so, but there are several important and interesting posts here, so maybe plan to read just a few at a time (these would make good weekend reading). That said, some posts are rather short, so don't be too overwhelmed by the list.
A Streetcar Named Denial - The Conscious Carnivore from Doris at About.com: Here Doris provides some great analysis of an unfortunate article that I first stumbled upon because of a brief remark about it from Ryan at The Veg Blog. Also included in Doris's post is my favorite line of the day:
"Now going back to the care of the pigs, in what universe does taking good care of someone mean killing them when they are big enough to eat? Probably the same universe where legally blind witches are allowed to operate day care centers in their gingerbread houses." Exactly.- Lenten Fish Fridays from Suicide Food: Seems the memo about fish being animals (yes, it's true) still needs wider circulation. But Suicide Lenten Fish doesn't seem to mind.
- On the Renewed Debate Over Horse Slaughter from Animal Person: What is a horse's value? And why aren't we talking about fixing the problems leading to abandoned horses instead of addressing only the result?
- Sponsor Vegan Ian and Help the Gorillas! from Grumpy Vegan: Support a marathon participant; help the gorillas of the Virunga National Park.
- Just a Bunch of Normals from L.O.V.E.: What's "normal" in the animal rights movement isn't necessarily something to celebrate.
- Group Photo at the Local Family Farm from Reformed Fast Food Mascot:Love 'em, name 'em, pose 'em--kill & skin 'em?
- On Mares, Wet Nurses, and Shared Exploitations from easyVegan.info (and More Evidence That Horse Racing is Fucked from Jennie at That Vegan Girl): You don't have to be a female of the human species to be especially exploited because you're female. Humans demand "wet nurses" (and terrible associated cruelties) in the nonhuman world too.
- Ethical Animals from SuperWeed: I can't summarize this one in a pithy sentence or two. It's deep, and my brain is fried. So you'll just have to read it.
Vegan Ink: The Truth Behind Cruelty-Free Tattoos from VegDaily: If you're the cruelty-free type or you plan to get a tattoo celebrating your veganism, you should make sure the tattoo itself really is vegan.- Creating a Traditional Vegan Passover Seder from Compassionate Cooks: This doesn't really require an additional summary--it includes tips and thoughts on vegan seder, obviously.
- New Wild Orangutan Population Discovered from EcoWorldly: It's exciting that more Borneo orangutans have been located, but the species is still endangered, and with habitat disappearing quickly, they could still be extinct, along with the critically endangered Sumatran orangutans, before we know it.
- Texas Debates New Definition of Vicious Dog from Animal Law: "The state legislature is debating a measure that would greatly broaden the state's definition as to what constitutes 'vicious.'"
- Isle Royale Wolves’ Inbreeding Spells Caution for Northern Rockies Wolves from NRDC: Another example of why delisting the wolves is a damn bad idea.
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Hansel and Gretel witch illustration by Cedric Hohnstadt
Vegan tattoo photo by Flickr user sheila_blige
On a lighter note...
Published April 09, 2009 @ 10:04AM PT
My canine housemates are freakin' adorable. And they're ready for spring, summer, and screen doors.
Related posts (and photos): "Gratuitous Photo of a Pit Bull Superhero" (Mabel, left) and "For the Love of a Dog" (Chance, right)
Winograd on Pit Bull Meeting: "The Dogs Lost Almost Everything"
Published April 08, 2009 @ 01:56PM PT
Update, 4/10/09: Optimism has returned. Please see the following post--"Best Friends: New Collaboration with HSUS to Save Pit Bulls."
Remember my optimism in the post "HSUS Issues Interim Policy on Individual Evaluation of Rescued Dogs"? You know, the optimism in statements such as this one--"I believe that organizations as well as people can change course, and there is a possibility for change here, on this issue"? It's gone. And given what Nathan Winograd is reporting from the meeting referenced in that post, I can't help but wonder if there was ever any plan to open true dialogue or to really reconsider the kill-em-all position that I (and so many others) lamented after the Wilkes County deaths (my posts in response were here and here). Was the announcement of the interim policy and of the plan to discuss the issue further at this meeting merely an effort to quiet the outrage of all the people who were horrified--vocally horrified (and promising to withhold future donations)--at the Wilkes County killings? I'll be interested to see what others present at the meeting report, but for now, here's what Winograd reports in "Pit Bulls Go Bust in Las Vegas":
The long awaited meeting in Las Vegas has occurred. And the dogs lost almost everything. No doubt it will be spun as constructive dialog and no doubt that some groups will claim victory. But from the dogs’ perspective, it is a tragic reaffirmation that HSUS is incapable of leadership and should no longer be viewed as such.
According to Wayne Pacelle and HSUS, No Kill advocates are the ones harming these dogs because No Kill rhetoric undermines their ability to stop dog fighting. According to Pacelle and his team, law enforcement will not want to get involved if they are going to be asked to treat the dogs humanely.
HSUS also refused to commit resources to help save the dogs (saying No Kill advocates were harming their ability to raise funds to do so), refused to revisit their dog fighting law enforcement manual which recommends that all dogs be killed, refused to back down from their statement that these dogs have an “unstoppable desire to fight,” refused to back down from their belief that we can’t save these dogs and that we shouldn’t really try because it isn’t fair to other dogs at the shelter, and basically reaffirmed the HSUS position that if dog lovers just shut up and let them quietly kill these dogs, they can continue to fight dog fighting. . . .
See the rest of Nathan's post for more of his take on the meeting and the situation in general.
Photo: Best Friends Animal Society
Feral Cats, TNR, and the Beginnings of Project Treadstone
Published April 08, 2009 @ 06:18AM PT
Those of us who are regular readers of Animal Person know that Mary Martin has put much time, work, and heart over the last several months into an effort she named Project Treadstone. She is doing wonderful and necessary work with a local feral cat colony, and this is the first of what will be multiple posts by Mary on the topic of feral cats--and what you can do to help them. -S. Ernst
Photo (taken through a fence) by Mary Martin
Several months ago I went to a meeting after dinner in downtown West Palm Beach and had to negotiate my way around a dozen feral cats, some lounging in the middle of the parking lot. There were several dozen more that I didn't see that evening, most of whom live in several small abandoned buildings in the midst of new high-rises and areas cleared for even more new construction. There were piles of kibble everywhere in addition to large bowls of clean water.
I asked around and discovered that, as is usually the case, there were pro-cat and anti-cat factions in the area. I expected that, but what I didn't expect was that the cats were being fed, but they weren't being "fixed."
PETA's Euthanasia/Killing Record: Ingrid Newkirk Responds
Published March 30, 2009 @ 04:12PM PT
On mailing lists, on blogs, and in articles, there is discussion often of the number of dogs and cats PETA kills or euthanizes each year. A recent critique, rather scathing, came from well-known no-kill advocate Nathan Winograd, and it was directed right at Ingrid Newkirk: "The Butcher of Norfolk." I often agree with Winograd, including with regard to his criticisms of mainstream animal advocacy groups, PETA among them, and I am absolutely on board with the no-kill movement. But I didn't agree with him entirely in this case; that is, I don't agree with his portrayal of Newkirk as merely an "arrogant, disturbed person" with "dark impulses" and a taste for killing. I often disagree with her, her decisions, and her strategies (including PETA's euthanasia/killing record), but I do not concede that she is as he describes her or that her motives are dark ones.
This afternoon, Newkirk has responded, or at least it reads much like a response, if not to Winograd specifically, then to those who are critical of PETA's killing/euthanasia record in general: "Why We Euthanize." I warn you: prepare yourself for the graphic images in this post. They are horrid. Following (after the "Read More" jump) is a selection from the post, but you'll have to visit the original for the post in full, and you'll have to see Winograd's post for his position.
The Iditarod Dead: Now at 6
Published March 25, 2009 @ 01:28PM PT
A sixth dog has died. She was only two years old. But I've written about the Iditarod more times than I care to count in the last couple weeks, and I just can't bring myself to do it again in great detail. So instead, I'll share with you what someone else wrote about it just this afternoon, before adding some final thoughts of my own.
Six dogs. Dead.
And for what? A belt buckle. A long shot at some money, a pickup truck, and a few endorsement deals. I suppose they think that they're covering themselves in glory, too, but it looks more like blood to me.
Consider this: Two of the dogs may have frozen to death in the punishing weather. Two others died with fluid in their lungs. The most recently reported death apparently happened during a turbulent plane flight after the "musher" gave up. Even the generally Iditarod-supportive Anchorage Daily News called the number of deaths—only five, at the time—"troubling," but that misses the point: Even one dog dead is too many, and it is unacceptable that the dogs who survive are run to exhaustion or injury, only to be stuck back on a chain until the next race.
This brings back the anger and frustration I was feeling a few days ago when I wrote about the Humane Society's refusal to take a principled stand against the race and, rather, near-endorsement of it. As you may recall, an HSUS rep was quoted as saying that HSUS is sure that Iditarod organizers are "trying to make it as safe as they can for both the animals and humans." Yet this is the highest number of (official) Iditarod deaths in more than a decade. Will this year's six dead (and who knows how many injured) change HSUS's approach? We can only hope--and insist.
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Photo by Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News.
5 Iditarod Dogs Now Dead: Mushers Unmoved, Welfare Org Not Opposed
Published March 21, 2009 @ 04:10PM PT
AP Photo
Last time I wrote, three dogs were dead because of the Iditarod. Now we're up to five. And it's not over yet. But even mushers who have watched their dogs die are still not changing their minds about reentering in future years, and even major animal protection organizations are refusing to speak out against the Iditarod--and are barely coming short of endorsing it. If you're thinking "What the hell?!" you're not alone. Read on.
