|
|
Friday, May 1
NEWS FROM ANIMAL LIBERATION-LAND
by
Selma
on Fri 01 May 2009 07:58 PM EDT
The FBI has added Daniel San Diego to its list of most wanted terrorists. He shares the honour with Osama bin Laden and others but has the dubious distinction of being the first domestic terrorist added to the list.
Oh, and thanks a lot, ABC. I was using the same title but had to change it after I visited your story.
The FBI put out a press release on April 22 listing various rewards for information in attacks targeting scientific researchers.
A couple of ALF members were indicted in Los Angeles on April 22, charged with conspiracy, stalking, and other crimes against researchers at UCLA.
A pro-research rally in Los Angeles attracted hundreds of supporters, vastly outnumbering the animal liberaton extremists protesting at the same time. I guess the animal liberation schtick is finally wearing thin with mainstream groups, which is a good thing indeed.
And then there's Mr Vick (rhymes with...). A buddy out west gave me the heads-up on this one:
Michael Vick in Talks to Become PETA Spokesman
Jailed NFL Superstar Looks to Rehab Image After Dog-fighting Rap
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Michael Vick is in talks to become the new spokesman for PETA.
Yes, you read that correctly. The disgraced one-time NFL superstar
serving prison time for funding an illegal dog-fighting ring is primed
to do public-service ads for People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals upon his release later this month. According to three people
with knowledge of the matter, the proposed endorsement is part of a
comprehensive PR scheme aimed at rehabilitating the quarterback's image
and gaining him readmission to the league that banned him from playing.
Well, at least Vick and Peta have something in common - both have used 'pit bulls' to further their own ends, both have shown no respect for animal life and both appear to be greedy and manipulative enough to deserve each other.
What's the difference between bumping off animals you promised to place in new homes then throwing the corpses into a dumpster and bumping off animals you were supposed to care for and burying the bodies in the backyard? Thirty million bucks a year, I guess.
This guy Vick isn't too bright, is he? Doesn't he have teh Google? Somebody should let him know that the worst thing he could do to rehab his image (such as it is) is to join forces with the most hypocritical, self-serving, histrionic group of animal-killing phonies around.
If Vick thinks people who love dogs are mad at him now, just wait until his goofy mug appears in a Peta commercial. I hope he goes for it just because I'm nice that way. Roll 'em!
Monday, March 9
CHICAGO, CHICAGO
by
Selma
on Mon 09 Mar 2009 10:48 AM EDT
Don't you wish Bob Barker would stay in the land of fruits and nuts? He was lobbying in Chicago last year for mandatory neutering. That proposal was killed and dogs' lives were saved.
However, it appears that behind the scenes lobbying has been ongoing and per usual, councillors are being fed lies by those with an agenda geared toward extinction.
John Yates has the details. If you live in Chicago, get busy.
Here's the lede:
CHICAGO – A City Council joint committee has scheduled a
hearing for this coming Thursday on a proposed citywide spay and neuter mandate
for dogs and cats. The American Sporting Dog Alliance is urging Chicago dog
owners to attend this hearing and voice strong opposition to this ordinance. The
10 a.m. hearing will be held on March 12, 2009, in City Council
chambers.
We
also are asking dog owners to take an active role by contacting the aldermen and
informing them about the issues described in this report, and your own reasons
for opposition. Faxes and letters are best, followed by phone calls and emails.
Here is a link to contact information for each member of City Council:
Here is a link to
the web pages of each of the aldermen, where you will find contact information:
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalProgramAction.do?programId=536879154&channelId=-536879035&topChannelName=Government.
Prompt action is urgent and should be the highest
priority. Inaction will doom dog ownership in Chicago.
And here's the whole thing.
Friday, February 20
NEWSFLASH: THE 'LOCKING JAW' LADY IS BACK!
by
Selma
on Fri 20 Feb 2009 10:39 AM EST
First, she deleted the locking jaws post. Then she started deleting all comments that provided scientific or statistical information in the second post. Then she put up a third post about how good the 'debate' was and deleted a bunch of factual comments from that entry. Then, she decided she liked the mindless troll....I guess birds of a feather is the way it works... more »
Thursday, February 19
CREATURES' CAUCUS - THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR
by
Selma
on Thu 19 Feb 2009 06:04 PM EST
John Tenniel's illustration of the Dodo in "A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale".
An illustration from Alice in Wonderland. Image in Public Domain Uh-oh. It looks as though those wolves in sheep's clothing at the HSUS are conning legislators again.
It seems they are still pretending that they have widespread support for their schemes.
SmartDogs has some details and a call to action for our friends in the US.
The Creatures' Caucus is about to be whelped. Speaking of ticking time bombs.
THE VICKTORY DOGS WERE KILLING MACHINES - NO, WAIT -
by
Selma
on Thu 19 Feb 2009 01:19 PM EST
 Gee, it's tough to keep track of the self-serving lies changing positions of the Hypocrisy Society of the United States these days.
First, the Vicktory dogs were the most dangerous dogs in the country. Then they were just the wimpy pets of a wannabe tough guy. They were so pathetic they couldn't fight their way out of a wet kibble bag. They were nothing compared with all the 8-week-old puppies killed in N. Carolina the other day - now those were some lean, mean fighting machines, I tell you what.
The Vicktory dogs needed care and attention which meant an HSUS fundraising drive but at the same time they were better off dead because they were ticking time bombs, unsafe at any leash length.
Or something. My head hurts.
Yesbiscuit tries to sort it out in her post, Pants on Fire.
Wednesday, February 18
THE MYTH THAT WOULDN'T DIE
by
Selma
on Wed 18 Feb 2009 01:20 PM EST
Extra! 'Pit bulls' have locking jaws! Oh, the humanity! more »
McGUINTY SAVES FACE, LOOKS LIKE ASS
by
Selma
on Wed 18 Feb 2009 11:52 AM EST
Chairman Dalton says he consulted with animal welfare agencies and that's why 'pit bulls' were banned. Clever dodge, but there are those pesky facts that always get in the way of a good yarn... more »
Sunday, February 15
MAKING UP FACTS, CONCOCTING STATISTICS
by
Selma
on Sun 15 Feb 2009 11:30 AM EST
There was a dog incident in Oregon but details are scant:
Vale—In the wake of the attack of a 5-year-old boy by a mixed breed dog
Jan. 3, one resident is angered and believes actions by sheriff’s
deputies regarding pit bulls is not fair.
A Malheur County
Sheriff’s Office deputy happened to be on patrol and spotted a
black-colored dog inside an enclosed yard where it held the young boy
by the arm and was dragging him around.
The deputy yelled at the dog, which did not respond, and went to a gate and entered the yard to rescue the victim.
The dog is described as a 'pit bull', boxer and lab cross. OK. Maybe it's just a Lab/Boxer cross, maybe it's a Lab/hound cross, but we have to get 'pit bull' in there somehow.
(Just ask the people in Omaha, where their new insane regulations are working out really, really well. That dog was a shepherd/chow/'pit bull' mix and there have already been several reports about it.)
The fun part comes later in the Oregon article. Here's Ledy van Kavage, formerly of the ASPCA, now with Best Friends:VanKavage spoke not about specific breeds of dogs, but of the specific
dog involved in attacks. She said 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal
attacks are not sterilized and 25 percent of fatal dog attacks occur
when the dogs are running in packs.
I hate to quibble, but talking about dog bite-related fatalities is a red herring as is the intact status meme. It sure sounds like a big number, 97%, doesn't it? The trouble is, nobody has verified this 'fact' and 97% of the average annual DBRF count in the US is 19. Fatalities are so rare that discussing them doesn't add much if you are trying to stop garden-variety bites and more serious attacks such as the one under discussion. It sure gets people riled up, though - it's too bad those who like to throw this 'fact' around don't point out that there are around 72 million dogs in the US to, you know, put things into perspective.
We've talked about this before. It's most likely not the intact status of the dog that causes the attack. It's become clear that negligent owners are less likely to socialize and train their dogs and are less likely to take them for routine veterinary care. They are the people who leave their dogs tied out day in, day out, where they are accessible by the public, including unwitting children.
Since owners of that calibre are less likely to visit a vet, they are not exposed to the now militant insistence that every dog should be neutered young, regardless of breed, regardless of size, regardless of personality. You have to be tough to resist the pressure these days, trust me.
Here's more:She also spoke highly of laws in Illinois, which consider any dog to be
dangerous if it threatens a person or companion animal such as another
dog, cat or horse.
If this happens, the dog must be sterilized, which statistically reduces cases of bites, [...]
Notice how we jumped from fatalities to bites? What a smooth slide that was. I don't like to contradict Ms Van Kavage, but many studies show that the dogs more likely to bite are neutered females. Others show increased reactivity and territoriality in females and increased activity in males after neutering. Who is compiling these statistics? Heck, nobody is even counting dog bites, let alone verifying the reproductive status of the offending canines. They can't even get the breed right most of the time.
Here's the fun part:One magazine editor simplified this classification of dog.
“It’s a mongrel basically,” Wash.-based Animal People editor Merritt Clifton said.
Are you laughing yet? Usually just seeing Clifton's name is enough to set me off. He actually makes some sense on a couple of points for a change but nobody's all wrong all the time, not even Clifton (I can't believe I just wrote that).
Here's Clifton's explanation for why 'pit bulls' are so reactive - pay attention, breed historians, because I'll bet you didn't know this:
Though some might label pit bulls as aggressive, Clifton said pit bulls
are often reactive because of the fact they were originally trained to
hunt rats on ships. However, because of their size and their inability
to pull large amounts of cargo from ships, they were not considered apt
for either job and instead began being bred for dogfighting on the
docks.
This rat-killing, he said, has made them more reactive.
For the best ever critique of Clifton's oft-referenced 'study', you have to read these posts:
Part I:
http://lassiegethelp.blogspot.com/2007/08/dangerous-breeds-dog-bite-statistics.html
Part II:
http://lassiegethelp.blogspot.com/2007/08/pit-bulls-dog-bite-statistics-and.html
Nitwit:
Wednesday, February 11
BANNER WEEK FOR FLAKES
by
Selma
on Wed 11 Feb 2009 12:24 AM EST
Thursday, January 29
DOTTY OLD THINGS
by
Selma
on Thu 29 Jan 2009 06:19 PM EST
There's a case for euthanasia, alright, but not for adoptable pets more »
Monday, December 1
THE HOUR, CBC TONIGHT
by
Selma
on Mon 01 Dec 2008 04:10 PM EST
Not a bad interview
more »
Sunday, October 12
HEY, LAHK MA 'PEEIT BOOLLS'?
by
Selma
on Sun 12 Oct 2008 05:47 PM EDT
Welcome to the witch hunt more »
Sunday, August 24
TOM SKELDON - WHAT A GREAT GUY!
by
Selma
on Sun 24 Aug 2008 03:35 PM EDT
His friend is sticking up for him in the Toledo Blade more »
Wednesday, August 13
'PIT BULL' CLONING IRRESPONSIBLE: H$U$
by
Selma
on Wed 13 Aug 2008 03:46 PM EDT
I wasn't going to comment on the 'pit bull' cloning because I feel that it's the lady's money and ultimately, her heartbreak. In other words, it's really none of my business, like 95% of the gossip news today.
However, when the H$U$ weighs in crying crocodile tears for 'pit bulls', I can't ignore it.
"The pit bull is perhaps the most abused and persecuted dog breed [sic] in America and the money spent to clone this one pit bull could have been better used to help so many more" said Michael Markarian, Executive Vice President of the Humane Society.
I wonder how 'pit bulls' got into this mess? That quote sounds kind of familiar.
I guess they're right though. The money could have been used to help so many more to die.
Death for Vick's dogs urged
Humane Society chief recommends euthanizing seized pit bulls
New York Times News ServicePublished on: 08/01/07
SURRY, Va. — More than 60 dogs seized from Michael Vick's property have been sheltered here and in kennels across several counties in southeastern Virginia since April.
<snip>
"Officials from our oganization have examined some of these dogs and generally speaking, they are some of the most aggressively trained pit bulls in the country," Wayne Pacelle, the president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "Hundreds of thousands of less-violent pit bulls, who are better candidates to be rehabilitated, are being put down. The fate of these dogs will be up to the government, but we have recommended to them, and believe, they will be eventually put down."
Friday, August 8
GROUP STARTS PETITION TO FIRE SKELDON
by
Selma
on Fri 08 Aug 2008 03:06 PM EDT
Now, this is what I call a feel good story (except for the 'animal rights activists' part..they love guys like Skeldon...sigh...).
Local group petitions to fire dog warden
Posted:
Aug 8, 2008 05:50 AM EDT
Report by Jonathon Walsh - email | bio
Posted by LS
LUCAS COUNTY (WTOL) - Pet owners are petitioning commissioners.
A group of animal rights activists is gathering signatures to get a number of things changed including firing Dog Warden Tom Skeldon.
The group is called 4 Lucas County Pets. Members are not happy with the warden's office.
Gee, tough break, Tom. It looks as though your ignorance and second-rate performance are finally catching up with you.
Here's the rest of the story from WTOL in Toledo. (Warning: Picture of Skeldon with story)
Thanks to LeeAnn for the heads-up!
Wednesday, August 6
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
by
Selma
on Wed 06 Aug 2008 10:28 AM EDT
But you can keep them for the birds and bees.
Wow, check out the new fundraising plot hatched by the H$U$, Best Friends and the ASPCA.
It's a licence to print!
Wednesday, July 16
OK, LET'S PLAY
by
Selma
on Wed 16 Jul 2008 11:20 PM EDT
Boomeranging the media bloviators more »
Sunday, June 29
FROM THE LAND OF THE FREE
by
Selma
on Sun 29 Jun 2008 10:32 AM EDT
From the comments on one of my Ohio posts:
We have posted a couple of responses to these letters at our blog:
http://pitbullrescuecentral.blogspot.com/
Please feel free to circulate. We need to stop the flow of misinformation.
Also from the comments at the same post:
Check our response to Councilwoman Thompson's raving lunacies at helpfido.blogspot.com.
Please feel free to cross post. And please add us as a favorite!
Thanks- your friends at HELP FIDO.
Sorry for the delay in getting those posted, I really have been busy with something important and large this week. I've added the PBRC blog and the Help Fido blog to my roll under Man's Only Friend.
Note to PBRC and other 'pit bull' rescues/support groups: Some of your content was taken out of context, no doubt. However, we have to be careful about what we put out there always keeping in mind that both the good and the evil among us can access and use the information to suit their purposes.
Case in point: The statements around aggression in dogs are unsubstantiated by any scientific authorities to date. There is no evidence that any breed, or in the case of most 'pit bulls', mixed breed, of dog is born with a tendency toward same-species aggression. Also, according to the experts, there is no difference between aggression towards other animals and aggression towards humans - it's just a matter of unchecked escalation. The most obvious explanation for this is of course that People Are Animals Too(c).
Is there same sex aggression among dogs? Absolutely. Is there a greater tendency towards aggression when owner expectation or behaviour reinforces it? Indubitably. Is there any genetic basis for most of the popular statements about dog aggression and how it arises? None, barring disease or disorder, ie, while it would be possible to breed a line of dogs exhibiting a psychopathology, it would be difficult and ultimately pointless.
All dogs tend to be naturally unafraid of humans, or friendly towards humans, which is the same thing. It's the nature of the beast and it explains why they've been with us for many millennia - around 50,000 years according to the latest information.
Other generalizations which are common among supporters of 'pit bulls' (and other types), for example that 'pit bulls' love people and were selected for this quality, are great with kids, etc can be just as harmful. No matter what the generalization, by differentiating 'pit bulls' or any other kinds of dogs based on tendencies or behaviour for which there is no evidence other than the anecdotal kind, you are isolating the dogs, making them different and attributing qualities to them that are not supported by the research to date. You don't take any dog out of the box, wind him up and get the finished product whether he's a Chihuahua or an Irish Wolfhound.
That's what the bad guys do, generalize and make statements founded on minimal anecdotal evidence - it's just the other side of the coin. So yes, they will cherry-pick from your information and use it to their advantage. Be careful what you put out there and be able to back up your statements with references if need be.
This issue is a matter of concern. While we fight tooth and claw through the courts and elsewhere at great financial and personal cost to prove that so-called 'pit bulls' (which don't technically exist) are the same as other dogs, some of the groups which are onside with our cause are providing the enemy with ammunition - even though they have the best of intentions.
****
There was a fatality in Florida this week. Since I doubt that the story will get the typically wide play that a death reportedly caused by another shape of dog would merit, I'll do my part to get it out there.
Brent posted the news and his take is, as always, a good one.
Luisa has a good post about the story which focuses on some of the comments by readers of the news item in Florida. Her piece points out how an already ignorant public has been propagandized (and thereby rendered more ignorant) into believing all the nonsense about 'breeds' of dogs by a lazy, pandering media and self-serving government drones.
No need to gild the lily, they've got it covered.
****
As always, if you want to keep tabs on what the trogs are plotting, No Pit Bull Bans is a great source for upcoming anti-dog owner legislation. I check in there regularly.
Later (I hope).
Wednesday, June 4
OHIO BILL PULLED
by
Selma
on Wed 04 Jun 2008 12:50 AM EDT
Tyrone Yates has had second thoughts about his proposed statewide ban - the search-and-destroy variety - on 'pit bulls'.
He's decided that perhaps it wasn't too logical and might have been a bit Draconian.
He's right.
Giving credit where due, at least Yates had the guts to admit he'd made a mistake and is trying to put things right for the people of Ohio. For that, he'll get respect, unlike some politicians I could name.
KC Dog Blog has the details.
Note: Posting has been super-light lately for various reasons.
I'll be working the DLCC booth at Woofstock this weekend in Toronto. Drop down and say 'Hi' if you're in the area (Front Street between Church and Jarvis). We'll have t-shirts for sale, some designed by me. All proceeds to the Ontario legal fund.
Support BannedAid
Tuesday, May 27
BUT THAT'S WHERE I GET MY INCOME...WAHHHHH!
by
Selma
on Tue 27 May 2008 09:23 PM EDT
Maybe it's time to get a real job... more »
Sunday, May 4
TICKING TIME BOMB OR TRUSTED FRIEND? PART II
by
Selma
on Sun 04 May 2008 07:23 PM EDT
Cornhole or ass-hat? You decide! more »
Monday, February 4
HUNTING DODOS
by
Selma
on Mon 04 Feb 2008 01:01 PM EST
Talkin' bout Sacks...a perfect subject for a layabout like me more »
 1 Attachments
Wednesday, January 23
TELL ME MORE ABOUT MY EYES, DAHLING....
by
Selma
on Wed 23 Jan 2008 07:38 PM EST
Really, tell me more. more »
PREDICTABLE, PREVENTABLE DOG BITE CASE HAS MEDIA CALLING FOR 'BAN'
by
Selma
on Wed 23 Jan 2008 11:22 AM EST
Heads up to dog owners in Saskatchewan more »
|
