Dealing with Obstacles

This picture comes from a site with other interesting content too. It's a great way to remember that sometimes we just have to take charge of a situation. What better time to be reminded of this than on a Monday.

Have a happy one...

In the Most Humane City...

San Francisco is ranked number one as the Most Humane City. However, the news of the past couple of weeks concerning the killing of two coyotes in Golden Gate Park has the City in full debate.

I've been following this story, but to be honest, I haven't been sure what to think, which side to support. Would it be the public officials chartered to look after the safety of humans and pets alike in the park? Or the growing voices of the people of San Francisco, who have expressed an avalanche of opposition to the killings?

There were two compelling opinions on this topic:

Jon Carroll defended the killings, citing erratic behavior of the pair of coyotes (their behavior would have been more understandable if cubs were found and if the female was lactating). He talks about coyotes being everywhere, and challenges us to consider whether this issue is something easier for us to latch on to than broader world events (for instance, Darfur).

Jerry George very eloquently builds his case that the killings were unnecessary, that it was clear to anyone who knew coyote behavior that they were giving a warning nip to a 100-pound leashed Rhodesian Ridgeback to protect their den. He cites that pups are born in the Spring, so the female would not be lactating at this point.

Separate news articles tell about a pup being found dead very close to where the adult pair were shot. And humans have been feeding the coyotes for some time, which always results with peril for wildlife as they lose their fear of humans.

So, here's what I take away from all of this. We live in a world where many different species cohabitate, domestic and wild. When I walk with Chocolate off leash in open fields, I know I'm taking a chance that he could become prey to a larger carnivorous animal. While I love him immensely and always consider his safety, I take the chance because his love of running free is so evident. As a friend put it, if he were to die this way, he'd die happy. I wouldn't want to limit the population of wild animals for the convenience of my dog, I'd just want to make sane decisions for everyone's safety and well being. To get past the "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality. It seems the right thing to do in the City named for the patron saint of animals.

Horses Great and Small

Here's the new entry into the Guinness World Records for largest (6ft 6in or 19 hands 3.5 inches) and smallest (17.5 inches) horses. They were brought together for the photo shoot that will be included in the 2008 edition of the book, available August 7th. Radar is a Belgian draft horse and Thumbelina is a miniature sorrel brown mare.

In Today's News...

Oscar is making news today as a cat who lives at a hospice in Providence, Rhode Island, and seems to have the ability to predict within four hours when nursing home patients will die. For the most part, families appreciate Oscar's providing comfort in their loved one's final hours. The nursing staff notes when when Oscar settles in with a patient and contacts families so they can have additional time to say goodbye. The full story is covered as an essay in today's New England Journal of Medicine and is being reported via the Associated Press.

The more scientific among us would like to see Oscar's time documented between the living and the dying and note such things as whether there's a heated blanket that would be more attractive to him that's provided to the dying versus the living.

But the nursing staff doesn't care. Because Oscar has given comfort to both patients and families, he's been awarded with a plaque that commends "compassionate hospice care." May we all be so lucky as to have an Oscar with us at the end of our lives.

Think Your Job is Tough?

Check out what this rat has to deal with - he's being trained by the Colombian police force to detect explosives in minefields. Rats have an acute sense of smell which would help find the mines. And with a low body weight, he wouldn't activate them if he were to walk over them. The training also includes the cat, who helps the rat stay focused and become accustomed to predators.

That can make for a challenging day in the office....

Your Mommy Kills Animals

Bet that got your attention, eh?

This is the name of a new documentary film that analyzes animal welfare, animal rights, and animal liberation groups. With the news on Michael Vick and his indictment for dogfighting, I thought it was worth checking out the film and getting a more in depth look at what motivates these very different groups. I wanted to get a sense of the issues they deal with, that we as busy pet owners, may not be aware of past the press releases or high level news reports.

Well. The film delivers that plus a whole lot more. Here are the thoughts that are uppermost in my mind since seeing the film:

• Right up front, and especially if you want to see it, you need to know that while this film works very hard to be balanced, it contains very violent scenes of animal abuse. If you are sensitive to violence as I am, you should be cautioned that there are images that will haunt you hours and days after you've seen the film. You walk out wondering how some idiots think it's ok to inflict such extreme abuse on animals. You wonder how widespread it is and you worry that's it much more than you fear. More thoughts on this at the end of this post...


• The title of the film comes from a comic book PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) put together in 2003. Be Warned: the comic book and the accompanying video are also violent.


• So, being a past PETA member and a mother, I watched the entire film thinking PETA must regret this particular "PR" campaign. But then I came home and checked out the PETA Web site. The comic book and video are not only easily obtainable on the site, but they get double billing via their "Fur is Dead" site. In the blog commentary that introduces the video, linked above, the PETA team sees this effort as "full brilliance." I shudder.


• PETA is not the only group that comes under scrutiny in the film. Most of the big organizations are examined, and I was reminded how important it is to understand how contributions are used within a particular organization. As a contributor to the Humane Society of the United States, I realize there's a role for their work in lobbying for better laws and regulations for animal welfare, which is how they are described during the film. The controversy comes in just how much on-the-ground service they provide. The content on their website can be interpreted as being hands on, or it can be interpreted as providing training and support to those who are hands on. You should research and make a decision on what is important for you and follow through with that. For me, this next bullet was extremely eye opening...


• The film interviews those who were on the ground rescuing pets during Hurricane Katrina. The interviews show it was the US military, proceeding without orders (a significant action), and small, private groups and organizations of people - many within the community, and most we've never heard of. One group highlighted was Pooch Heaven, based in Encino, California. It occurred to me that this is what happens in many crisis situations: the unsung heroes of the day are barely known because the big PR machines are blasting out their messages and overshadowing these extraordinary community efforts.


• Interesting tidbit and sidebar: the SPCA laws (Society for the Prevention of Cruelity to Animals) were in place before child abuse laws. So the first child abuse case used the SPCA laws to gain conviction.


• The groups fighting for animals rights and liberation are, for the most part, very young (late teens to early twenties) men with an extreme depth of passion for their issues. They articulate an absolutist mentality, along the lines of "no action can be immoral" when fighting for what they so strongly believe in. It's a little bit scary. Some groups interviewed were ALF (Animal Liberation Front), SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Abuse Campaign), and Hugs for Puppies (no kidding).


• I'm aware that thoughout our history, it's many times the extremists of the day who push the envelope of change forward (think of the Vietnam protests), so I believe there's a role and a benefit to having a wide variety of voices being spoken on an issue, however...


• We have become a nation of political extremes. Animal rights and animal liberation are now in the heart of the battle by being declared the number one domestic terrorism threat from the other extreme. Political vilification happens both ways, and no reasonable middle voice is being heard.

Which makes me think: is it time for the "Reasonable Middle" to speak up? I think of myself and my friends as part of this demographic. We care deeply about many issues, but are unsure how to participate where it will make a difference. In the case of animals, it's noted in the film that all factions have the same core value: a love of animals. But if only the extremes are being active in the debate, do we shortchange what we could be doing overall for animal welfare? During the California Healthy Pets Act debate, I watched the CVMA (California Veterinary Medical Association) very closely in their participation and opinion of the bill. They were my "Reasonable Middle" - if the vets were happy, I'd be happy. In the larger animal rights issues, I'm not sure such an entity exists. And that makes me worry, for ourselves and our pets...

Happy Saturday

For those in vacation mode, here's a bit of light summer musings...

Harry Bliss is a New Yorker cover artist and cartoonist who does a strip called "Bliss" - this is his entry in today's papers...

and here's another good one from his site:

Quote of the Day

The best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can't ask his patient what is the matter -- he's got to just know.

Will Rogers