From the Sydney Morning Herald: Make sure they’re dead: humane seal clubbing

Hunters will have to follow three steps recommended by an independent panel of vets. After clubbing or shooting the seal, a hunter must check its eyes to ensure it is dead and if not, its main arteries must be cut.

“The vets think the three-step process provides more certainty around humaneness,” Kevin Stringer, a fisheries spokesman, said.

Current regulations say if the hunter discovers a seal is still alive, he has to hit it again on the head, an act that does not always ensure death. Cutting its arteries leaves nothing to chance.

That is considered humane? Would you think it was humane if someone did it to a kitten? How about a puppy? What is the difference between a kitten or a puppy and the baby seal? Not all kittens and puppies are domestic - many are born stray or feral. Would it be okay to kill a feral dog or cat by clubbing it to death, then slitting it’s throat? I think that sounds more like a serial killer in the making, personally.

If the hunting of seals is allowed, we can at least call it what it is. It is NOT humane. It is NOT pretty. It is a horrific death for any animal. Perhaps it puts food in people’s mouths and generates a lot of income, and thus is justifiable to many. Justify it then; don’t sugarcoat it.

If you can’t tell it like it is, maybe your conscience is trying to tell you something.

I’m not a fan of back yard breeders. I hate the notion that some people are so irresponsible with their pets that millions of animals are killed every year just because there are not enough homes.

That said, if you do have a dog, I fully believe it is your right to NOT spay or neuter it, should you choose. I might call you plenty of derogatory terms if you let your animal contribute to the pet overpopulation problem, but I would NEVER advocate a forced sterilization program.

Personally, I am not a fan of early spay/neuter, and I believe that is my right to make decisions about my pet’s health. I am a responsible pet owner. My dog was sterilized at what I believe was the best age for her, and she did not have any litters.

L.A., however, has chosen to make it illegal for most people to have intact pets.

I’ll add that as yet one more reason why I don’t want to live in Los Angeles. At this point, I’m so disgusted with them, I won’t even visit. My tourism dollars will not be going there. This is AMERICA, not China. The last time I checked, we were not a communist country. Yet the trend these days seems to be more and more controlling of what private citizens can and can’t do in their own homes, on their own property, and now, with their own pets.

I find this trend to be disturbing, to say the least. Instead of penalizing people who are irresponsible, perhaps by requiring a paid license to breed and actually enforcing current animal protection laws, they make yet another law that invades the privacy and infringes upon the ownership privileges of citizens.

L.A. should be ashamed, not proud.

From CNN: From fighters to friends, Vick’s pit bulls learn new life

It warms my heart to see those dogs being given a second chance. Pit bulls can be the sweetest, most loving dogs - this is the secret no one seems to realize except the dog fighters. You see, in order to fight a pair of dogs, two humans and a referee must be in the ring with them. Do you think they would breed animals that might attack the humans in the ring? Of course not.

The rash of “pit bulls” attacking humans is usually some type of Molosser mixed breed that has a blocky head, that had been untrained, unsocialized, and often chained in the yard for who knows how long. Most people couldn’t identify a real pit bull if you paid them money.

The latest “dog mauled somebody” story I saw, the pictured dog was obviously Husky or Malamute along with some Rottweiler. But instead of calling it a Husky cross, they called it a Rottweiler cross (it must sell more papers). And the kid went into the person’s yard where their dog was chained, and the dog mauled the kid. They want the dog destroyed, even though it was the mother’s fault for letting her child wander into the other person’s yard. Newsflash - dogs protect their property. Try keeping an eye on your kid.

Please, people, blame the DEED, not the BREED. Are some dogs more prone to be dominant or pushy than others? Absolutely. Are they a menace in the wrong hands? Absolutely. But that means only that one should punish the wrong hands. Please support dangerous dog laws and anti-cruelty laws. Support educating dog owners about chaining and neglect. Support educating people on how to interact with dogs.

Don’t support breed bans.

I just read another article on a proposed beach ban on dogs. The biggest reason? People not picking up after their dogs. Around here, picking up after your dog in public is the law. Like many municipal laws, it’s often ignored when it becomes inconvenient.

Picking up after your dog IS inconvenient. After all, the astounding lack of a place to put it after you pick it up forces you to carry around a stinky mess. Is that the price we pay for walking our dogs? Absolutely. Could it be easier? Absolutely. I purposefully walk my dog where I know there are trash cans or dumpsters along the route so I’m not stuck carrying the bag all the way home.

Do you know where there are a lot of dogs, yet no dog feces to be seen? My local forest preserve. You see, they provide pick up bags and GARBAGE CANS. There are garbage cans all over the place. You never have to go too far to find one. Not only does this mean you can ditch the poop, you can also ditch any other trash you have. There is no litter there, either.

Our preserve is groomed, meaning the gravel trails are kept up and the grass next to them is cut back. Someone is already patrolling the area, so having them empty the cans is not difficult.

Do you know where there are a lot of dog feces, soda cans, water bottles, and plenty of other nasty litter, trash, and unmentionables? The big county forest preserve, where there are no trash cans at all other than the ones at the entrance.

It’s not rocket science. The more convenient you make it, the more likely they are to do it. If you want people to clean up after themselves and their pets, be it dog feces, soda cans, or other litter, provide them plenty of garbage cans along the way.

Apparently, there are an awful lot of people who believe anything they read from news sources. North Denver News posted this piece about a man who had his thumbs surgically altered so he could use his iPhone. People not only believed it, but rambled on and on about it, how stupid the guy was, and so on. Only later did the editor post a small link at the bottom that, when clicked on, explains that the article was meant as satire.

“Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought” — Sir Arthur Helps

Common sense, as they say, is not so common.

People, please THINK about what you read. Mull it over. Do a little research on your own and try to have actual original thoughts. Your brain could use the exercise. Everything anyone says should be taken with a grain of salt. No matter who or where it comes from. Teachers are human beings and can make mistakes. Textbooks can have errors. News stories usually tell only half-truths. Those with enough money and power can fund studies to “prove” whatever they like. Statistics lie. Doctors and veterinarians can be wrong, mistaken, or just not up to date with research. Science is always changing its collective mind.

There is no truth, there is only perception. When people thought the Earth was flat, they honestly believed it. It was their truth. Sure, we know better now, but what else do we “know” that might turn out to be wrong 5 years from now?

Have an open mind that is willing to doubt and open to acceptance in equal measure. Be a cynical optimist. Don’t just accept things as true with no questions asked. Don’t be sheeple, kids.