Love For Animals

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A while back, my friend and I were walking on the street and we noticed a pair of eyes peeking out at us through a blanket. Then we both realized it was a small dog, some type of terrier. As our eyesight zoomed out a bit, we saw a homeless lady cradling the dog. As soon as we passed the lady, my friend tells me how bad she felt for the dog and how she was a little upset at the fact that homeless people don’t give up their dogs. She thought it was wrong because she felt that homeless people can’t even take care of themselves, let alone their dogs.

I just sympathized with her point, but I also suggested a hypothetical situation, which involved her as the homeless person. I told her to imagine what it would be like and whether or not she would give up her dogs (she has two). I explained to her (something along these lines): Imagine losing everything. And your dogs were all you had left. Sure, you could try to find them a better home, but what if no one could take them? Would you give it to a shelter (probably no-kill), but would that guarantee a good home for your dogs? Some kind of home is better than no home, right? Maybe, maybe not. But you do know one thing for sure, and that is the fact that you love your dogs. Some people see their pets as their best friends. It’s hard for them to give them up. But really could you imagine giving up your dogs in a situation like that?

She didn’t answer because she knew that if the situation was real for her, it would be a difficult decision to make. It became evident in her mind that it wasn’t a situation that had a clear-cut solution, at least when feelings are involved.

I think that it’s hard to witness an animal fall to the same fate as its homeless owner. It’s unfortunate for the animals because their life is being led by the owner. Yet, in my opinion, I don’t think it’s wrong for a homeless person to have an animal companion. We don’t know what this person is going through or what reasons he has for keeping his animal(s). It’s all speculative. Also, maybe homeless people find stray dogs, befriend them, and “take them in.” It’s very possible that a roof over an animal’s head isn’t always the answer to finding good care and love. If an animal finds a loving bond with someone who is able to care for the animal, whether homeless or not, that’s really a point to consider. Perhaps animals find “homes” in the people themselves, not an actual roof.

Suggested Related Links:

Feeding Pets of the Homeless

Lucky Dog Show - Interview with the Founder and Executive Director of Feeding Pets of the Homeless (Non-profit Organization)

“The idea that it is funny to see wild animals coerced into acting like clumsy humans, or thrilling to see powerful beasts reduced to cringing cowards by a whipcracking trainer is primitive and medieval. It stems from the old idea that we are superior to other species and have the right to hold dominion over them.” —Dr. Desmond Morris, anthropologist, animal behaviorist, author

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I never liked circuses and I never cared much to go to a circus when I was a child either. The only time I ever went to a circus performance was when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I remember watching the act with tigers. The trainer in the ring seemed cruel to me as he lashed his whip around, hitting the animals from time to time. I didn’t like it at all. Even at that age, I didn’t agree with the idea of a “circus animal.”

These animals did not make the choice to become circus animals; instead, they are being forced to live this way. It isn’t rocket science to understand what is going on within the circus industry and its animals. Wild animals are simply being exploited for money and entertainment. It’s not just the act of taking animals out of the wild and holding them in captivity, but it’s also the idea that most circus animals are kept in terrible living conditions and abused. These animals are wild creatures that are not accustomed to the same life that humans lead. Just because circus animals seem well-tempered during a show or performance doesn’t mean anything. They are wild by nature, and the only way to get an animal to submit to humans is to train them through aggressive (and often cruel) techniques. The most common tool used in the training of elephants is called a bullhook (also known as an ankus), which is a sharp metal hook attached to a long pole or handle.

The bullhook is used to pierce the elephant’s skin to a depth based on the discretion of the trainer. It may not sound violent in words, but in action, it causes elephants a great deal of pain as heard in their screams. If you haven’t seen a video that depicts circus elephants being abused, you cannot possibly know what goes on behind the circus curtain. Note that some videos are a lot worse than others. Other tools and methods used for training circus animals include the use of chains, food and water deprivation, use of whips, clubs and blunt objects, and electric prods. Trainers have to break their spirit; they have to tear the animal down psychologically before the trainers can actually teach them “tricks.” This type of training is usually done when the elephant is just a baby. However, there are instances where grown elephants are taken from the wild and “broken.” This is done by restraining the elephant with short chains to a small area as someone repeatedly beats the animal with a bullhook. I’m not exaggerating these occurrences. If anything, I’m trying to explain this as best as I can without being overly detailed and inaccurately dramatic. Without food or water and under heavy abuse, these wild elephants do eventually submit to their keeper…

The example of elephant abuse in circuses is one of many. All animals in the circus should not be subjected to such a life. As for circuses that say they’re helping to conserve exotic wildlife, that is just a lame excuse.  I’m actually starting to notice how conservation has become a popular excuse for many people to do whatever they want with wildlife. They’re using animals for their benefit. Once an animal transitions into a “circus animal,” there is no returning to the wild. They are slaves, physically punished if they don’t obey and only rewarded if they do obey. All they know is to obey and go against their natural tendencies. They are treated like objects, like cargo. They are animals, living creatures, that are exposed to traumatic experiences that are damaging to a healthy state of mind.

Please do not support animal circuses. If you enjoy other non-animal performances that circuses provide, there are also animal-free circuses you can go to. If you want to get more involved in the cause to end circus animal cruelty, research ways you can help. For instance, contact venues that book animal circus acts and try to persuade them to drop that particular booking. Go to circuses that are in town, rally up a few people for extra help, and hand out leaflets. Since most people go to circuses for their children, a pretty good leaflet can be found here. Remember to make sure to avoid any conflict with circus employees while you are passing out leaflets. Participate in your city council meetings, in which you will have an opportunity at the end of the meeting to bring up the issue of circus animal cruelty; ban circuses from visiting your city. The idea is to make sure that animal circuses don’t get an audience, therefore, they don’t get money—put them out of business.

Suggested Related Links:

List of Animal-Free Circuses

Born Free USA united with API - Animals in the Circus: A Lifetime of Misery

Born Free USA united with API - Get the Facts

Elephant Training in the Zoo and Circus

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Animal Welfare Inspection Reports

Circuses.com - Introduction (Footage on tape caught by an undercover PETA investigator included)

ASPCA - Circus Cruelty

As autumn approaches, so does hunting season. I’m sure that most hunters do not actually hate animals. As weird as it may sound, some hunters probably appreciate and respect wildlife. This can be apparent if you’ve ever heard a hunter talk about how “beautiful” an animal is in all its size and glory. As to why they kill animals, is beyond me. The idea of hunting animals as a recreational sport just boggles my mind. I cannot understand the point in it.

I really don’t believe in the “conservation efforts” of hunting. I think it’s ridiculous. It’s just a way to mask the controversy over this “sport” and to allow it to continue. Many conservation agencies support hunting because they say it helps to control over-population issues. And according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the NRA-ILA, hunters (and fisherman) “fund nearly 75% of the annual income for all 50 state conservation agencies. Through license fees and excise taxes on arms and gear, sportsmen contribute $200 million per year for wildlife conservation.” This fact is something to really consider. I personally don’t think hunting is necessary to control over-population; I think nature will handle the “problem” on its own and that the ecosystem will suffice without the help of hunting. Yet, the sport of hunting continues to gain support as long as hunters keep putting money into the pockets of certain associations and agencies. And with support comes excuses that will try to undermine ethical objections against hunting.

For example, conservation agencies know who provides the bulk of their funding and, for the sake of that, those agencies support hunting. Not to mention, conservation agencies probably see hunting as a “liability” that nature can withstand if carefully regulated (thus, the creation of hunting season). The idea here is that every group is appeased in some way.

Aside from the excuse that hunting is a conservation effort (which, by the way, is pretty much the only real reason that allows them to even get close to having a sound argument in support of hunting), there’s just no point in hunting animals for sport. There’s something eerie in wanting to kill for the pleasure of killing or “just because.” Maybe some hunters don’t see anything wrong with hunting because it’s been a tradition within their family. But that’s exactly the point too—among so many other reasons I won’t get into right now. There are just so many people that have become so desensitized by the fact that we can do whatever we want if nothing else gets in the way. It’s like some people don’t even have their own ethical belief structure anymore, but a belief structure based purely on the law itself and what it allows. The law isn’t always influenced by ethical choices, but more commonly by special interests. So don’t just look to the law and think that things are right because some guys in suits said so.

Hunting is not a sport. It’s killing for entertainment, pleasure, and sense of pride. In the early days of hunting, it was done as a means for survival, but now, it’s just developed into this recreational sport—a sport that celebrates the idea of stealing life away for the naive and obnoxious pleasure of killing. Basically.

Suggested related links:

Animal Rights: Arguments For and Against Hunting

Thoughts on Hunting

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: What Do Hunters Do For Conservation?

Why do some pet owners say they saved their pet’s life by taking it in, when in fact their pet was never in real danger of dying or being put down at a shelter in the first place? There is just much difference in actually adopting a shelter animal, rather than just providing a home for a non-shelter puppy who, at that point, had no real threat to its life anyway. By no means am I saying that providing a home is any less helpful to an animal because it is still an admirable thing to do for one. To take an animal under your wing and give it a good home is a great commitment.

However, the act of merely providing a home for your pet (whose life was never in danger) does not exactly translate into literally saving its life, which some pet owners like to stress of their “deed.” There are a lot of animals in shelters that need to be adopted for the sake of their lives. To go into a shelter that uses euthanasia on their animals is a heart-breaking experience. To really see a date set for their euthanasia appointment (or rather their “time of death”) is never something that you can get used to in a normal day-to-day sense. The whole euthanasia issue almost doesn’t seem real in our lives as humans—it’s either that, or we’ve just become desensitized toward our ability to play with life—but for these animals, this is their reality.

By adopting a pet from a shelter and giving him a good home with love and care, you really are saving his life. And that date—that says he’s due for euthanasia tomorrow morning or in two days or in three days, or whenever—is void the day you go in there and make a promise to this animal that you’ll do your best to love and care for him forever.

We don’t need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on pure bred dogs, or even more money on exotic mixes such as the Ashera, a hybrid between the African serval and the Asian leopard cat (see YouTube video below). It’s crazy to think we created this exotic breed to be bought and sold while we have animals put to death everyday, which is being done for a seemingly shallow reason of not having enough room in our society… As if this world isn’t their world too.

YouTube - SEE ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE PET CATS IN THE WORLD

If you’ve ever wanted to get a pet, please consider adopting one from a shelter, preferrably a high-kill shelter. All shelters, spanning from no-kill to high-kill, are the best places to look for animals urgently in need of a good home. If you’re not ready to take an animal into your life, or you simply do not have the resources or the time, please help to support no-kill shelters and their cause by donating (remember to make sure that your donations are going to sincere and humane no-kill shelters as not all of them are true to the cause). And if your heart can bear it, try volunteering for a kill shelter or even a no-kill shelter, and do what you can to get these animals adopted or well taken care of. Every little bit counts. Help save a life.

Suggested related links:

No-Kill Shelters Spotlighted on National Stage: SFSPCA Shows It Can Be Done

Animal Liberation Front: List of No-Kill Shelters in the US, Canada, Scotland, Mexico, & Columbia

Humane Societies and Shelters

Animal Euthanasia - A Call to Ban the Gas Chamber

Tales of Rescued Dogs: Luna’s Story

Kill vs. No-Kill Shelters (A Comprehensive Outlook on the Issue)

Wikipedia - Animal Euthanasia Methods

I’ve asked myself this question on countless occasions. Am I a terrible person for eating meat? Or as most animal rights supporters will say, “How can you support animal rights and eat meat if it causes animal suffering?” I understand their point as I have come to ask myself the same thing, but a lot of the times I feel conflicted about whether eating meat contradicts what I support.

I once visited a forum and read a comment that was posted by a vegan, in which she compared eating meat to murder. And although, I can see where she’s coming from, I just can’t shake the feeling that the comparison seemed to be a pretty unfair analogy. Murder is associated with spiteful and evil intentions, whereas when people eat meat, it’s not like they’re doing it out of spite or hate. I doubt many of the people that eat meat take pleasure in killing or seeing an animal die.

Is the act of eating meat not a part of the circle of life, of the order of the food chain that makes this world and every being on it function in a sustainable structure? Hypothetically speaking, if animals were able to engage in complex reasoning like humans, would we expect them to not eat meat either? What I’m getting at is this, why is the actual, particular act of eating meat thought to be so evil? Is it not natural? Which reminds me of a memorable quote:

“Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it.” –Mark Twain

According to Twain’s quote, “cruel” is being associated with one who “inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it,” so then is it still cruel to eat meat, because eating meat doesn’t necessarily inflict pain to animals for the pleasure of doing it. If we consider the slaughterhouses or factory farms that don’t treat or kill the animals in a humane way, I do agree that it would be very cruel, and I wouldn’t support places like that. For that reason, why not go for organic meat where the animals are raised more naturally in open spaces and where the farms abide by humane treatment standards of animals as set forth by the Humane Society of the United States or Humane Society International.

This blog isn’t meant to challenge any vegan or vegetarian on their personal lifestyle, but it is for me and anyone else out there that also feels torn between their love for animals and their meat-eating lifestyle. I think eating meat is natural, but I think what slaughterhouse establishments do to their animals while raising them is sickeningly unnatural (i.e. force-feeding of ducks and geese to swell up their livers up to ten times their normal size for the sale of “foie gras” or immobilizing calves to tiny boxes before killing for the sale of veal). This type of treatment I cannot support, and I will not even eat any of those so-called “delicacies” because of how that treatment is totally unnatural, repulsively cruel, and incredibly inhumane. Because of this treatment in slaughterhouses, many people refrain from eating meat because they don’t want to support that kind of cruelty. However, I don’t think the act of eating meat itself is synonymous with the cruelty of those slaughterhouses.

My logical side of my mind says that there are ways to eat meat and be a humane person too, but my heart fights with taking a life for food when it’s not the last resort. For the question of being a terrible person if you eat meat, I say that no one should be judged for eating meat. Although, I do admit that I’m barely hanging on to this meat-eating lifestyle…

Suggested Related Links:

Ethical Food Revolution Picks Up Pace With 62% Rise

Should We Eat Meat?

Why Animal Rights?

WashingtonPost.com - For Meat-Eating Authors, A More Tender Approach

Gawker - Vegans

Ban Foie Gras - How You Can Help

Dog Fighting. There are so many reasons that make dog fighting despicable and repulsive–to take an innocent life as a baby pup and to raise it as a killing machine; to deny this animal love and affection, only exposing the dog to aggression, pain, and fear, in order to breed hate and anger into the dog’s heart; to dispose of (kill) any dog that cannot hold its own or to finish off any dog whose nature is not akin to constant fighting and killing; and to depreciate the sanctity of life for the sake of profit.

American Pit Bull Terriers are strong dogs, and it would appear that for this reason, they are the top choice for dog fighting in America. It isn’t fair that a whole dog breed has to be generalized as a “bad” breed because the irresponsible actions of the owners, and worst yet, because people will take advantage of the breed’s qualities (e.g. strength and loyalty to it’s owner) and use it for the ugly blood sport of dog fighting. It is no wonder why pit bulls get such a bad reputation outside of the “ring” and why they become the breed most known in the dog fighting world.

It is so cruel to coerce any animal to undergo a life of inhumane treatment. To even imagine the lengths these dog-fighting owners will go to in order to train and condition their dogs to a life of fighting and aggression is beyond my imagination. It is difficult for me to even research on such topics because I care deeply for all animals and I believe that they have a natural right to experience a quality life that all of us seek. Even though I am horrified over some of the things that I read on animal abuse and cruelty or pictures that I’ve seen, I know that by informing myself on these issues, I become more aware of what’s happening behind closed doors and how I can help. I strongly encourage people who are reading this to do the same.

Some people think dog fighting abuse is just the actual fighting of dogs, but they do not understand that these animals are not just abused in the ring. The abuse is ongoing. A few examples of abuse associated with dog fighting include the following (information provided by the Animal Liberation Front):

“Because of the high degree of dog-to-dog aggression in them, it can be difficult to have fighting dogs mate. Many breeders employ an apparatus to restrain the female during mating to prevent injury to either dog. This is commonly referred to as a “rape stand,” which is a stand used to strap and immobilize female dogs for breeding purposes […]

“The conditioning of fighting dogs may also make use of a variety of legal and illegal drugs, often including anabolic steroids to enhance muscle mass and encourage aggressiveness. Narcotic drugs may also be used to increase the dogs’ aggression and mask pain during a fight. Dog fighters also often accumulate a large assortment of veterinary supplies for pain control and wound management, so that they can avoid trips to a veterinarian. Veterinarians in several states are specifically mandated to report suspected dogfight activity that comes to their attention through treating such animals. One of the ASPCA’s most recent contributions to the field is the recently-published “Veterinary Forensics,” by Dr. Melinda Merck, forensic veterinarian with the ASPCA, which educates veterinarians on how to look for signs of cruelty to the animals brought to their practices.

“Young animals are often trained or tested by allowing them to fight with other dogs while muzzled or leashed in well-controlled “rolls.” Those that show little inclination to fight may be discarded or killed at an early age. Additional experienced is gained through fights with other dogs. Some fighters will use inexperienced “bait dogs” as sparring partners, often using stolen pets. “Professional” fighters claim to abhor this practice since it does not provide the animal with experience that is useful against another experienced fighting dog.

“Although there are many other common techniques used in the training and testing of dogs, these methods vary widely among different fighters and may range from systematic to haphazard. “Street” fighters usually make little investment in conditioning their animals, relying on “quick fixes” to produce aggression. These might starvation, physical abuse, and use of stimulants or other drugs to excite the dogs.”

If you suspect anyone of dog fighting practices, please report it. Dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states of the U.S. Please make sure that these laws find its way to the people that deserve to be behind bars. Sadly even after these dog-fighting owners are caught and arrested, sometimes there is little hope for the dogs. These dogs have experienced years of conditioning in fighting since they were puppies, leaving them permanently aggressive and dangerous with each year that passes in that specific environment. Thus, some dogs cannot engage in a life void of dog fighting because they are just too far past the point possible for rehabilitation and deemed unfit to re-enter normal society with other dogs and humans. As such, these dogs are put down, which is extremely unfortunate since it was not the choice of these dogs to become killing machines, but a path chosen by their owners.

This type of animal abuse is not limited to just dogs, but also includes cock fighting and bull fighting. Cock fighting is illegal in 49 states of the U.S. Most people don’t feel as bad about cock fighting compared to dog fighting. Whether it’s because of the size of the animal or not, it is the same principle of depreciating the value of life in any form or shape by manipulating the fate of these animals for money. As for bullfighting, it predominately occurs in Mexico, Spain, and South America, and it involves a fight to the death of either the bull or the matador. Further information can be found in the links listed below.

Again, please help to inform yourself about animal fighting and ways you can help.

Suggested links to visit:

ASPCA: Fight Animal Cruelty - Dog Fighting FAQ

HSUS: The Humane Society of the United States - Dog Fighting

HSUS: The Humane Society of the United States - Dog Fighting Fact Sheet

Animal Liberation Front - Dog Fighting FAQ

CNN.com/US - Dog Fighting a Booming Business, Experts Say

NBC4.com - Police Discover Apparent Dogfighting Training Operation

Shakesville Blog: “Dog fighting is cruelty… It’s not the dog’s fault.”

Animal Fighting: Facts - Bull Fighting, Cock Fighting, and Dog Fighting

HSI: Humane Society International

There is a little uneasy feeling I get whenever I see a dog with a little black box hanging from its collar. It’s almost as if I’m looking at a dog on house arrest! I just can’t quite understand why anyone would actually think it’s ok to put a device like that on an animal, as if it’s not demeaning or inhumane to “train” your pet through the use of electric shock. Well, it is.

I understand that training your pet can sometimes be frustrating and time-consuming even, but it’s not necessary to resort to a shock collar and neither is it fair to your pet. I am a proud dog owner, and I only practice training methods that do not involve physical punishment. A shock collar represents physical punishment with the touch of a button, not to mention possible mental consequences. It is no different from hitting your pet after he/she does something that you don’t like because you are teaching your pet through the use of physical pain. Maybe the simple press of a button may make the owners feel better about their choice over a shock collar because they don’t actually harm their pets with their bare hands. In reality, it’s just a different way of inflicting pain.

I’m sure that there are plenty of pet owners that love their pets unconditionally but still use shock collars on them. Maybe they simply do not know that they are truly harming their pets, and maybe their pets have eventually become immune to the shock releases.

As an alternative, try training your pets (dogs in particular) with the use of your voice, getting them familiar with certain commands. Keep your voice tones consistent (e.g. Use a more high-pitched or more cheerful tone of voice when your dog does something good, and use a stern and deep tone of voice if your dog does something bad). By keeping commands and these training habits consistent, your dog will most likely be able to listen to you with great success.

Another effective training method is the use of rewards or treats, which is not only very helpful in grabbing your pet’s attention, but a snack that your pooch will very much appreciate! If you still cannot seem to get the training results you want out of your dog, there are plenty of dog-training classes that you and your dog can enroll in. These are just a few alternative dog-training suggestions. Try researching on your own a little, and really take the time to find out about more humane methods to train your pet, and keep those shock collars from creating any more buzz… literally!

Note: The dogs shown in the provided photos (above) are not my own pets. These photos were found on the web.

A few suggested links worth visiting:

BBC NEWS: Police Urged to Drop Dog ‘Shock Collars’

APBC: Shock Collars - The Shocking Truth

Wikipedia - Shock Collar (Informative)