Guest guest Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 I am a committed vegan and animal lover and I choose not to support Peta. One of the main reasons for this is because they have a rabidly anti-pitbull stance and actively advocate euthanizing pitbulls. I have written to them about this and received a totally feeble reply. When I replied to their reply, I did not hear another word. One of the most beautiful animals I have ever shared my life with was a pitbull mix. I am appalled that an " Animal Rights " group stereotypes this breed and actively advocates killing them. In my opinion, there are far more worthy groups working in support of animals than PETA Joanna Warner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 I found out about PETA's stance on pitbulls from a website called BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls). On their website www.badrap.org they have a page entitled " The Ironies of PETA " in which they quote excerpts from an article by Ingrid Newkirk, founder of PETA, calling for a breed ban on pitbulls and the euthanization of all pitbulls brought to animal shelters. She urges people not to adopt pitbulls from shelters but instead to adopt " one of the countless other breeds and lovable mutts sitting on death row through no fault of their own " . This is the link to the page http://www.badrap.org/rescue/PETAA.cfm. I was really upset when I read this because we had recently lost our dearly beloved pit mix girl in a tragic accident. She was a shelter dog and I couldn't believe that PETA was calling for the extermination of dogs like her. She was the most loving, intelligent, giving, beautiful animal who could not have been more deserving of a loving home. I wrote to PETA along these lines and got a feeble response. When I wrote back again, I heard nothing. In honor of Willow's memory, I choose never to support PETA again Joanna Warner Steve Simitzis [steve] Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:40 AM joanna Cc: Re: PETA can you please provide a reference for this? this is a heavy claim, and if true, it goes against everything i've ever heard from PETA. all i was able to find on the web was information about PETA that they are against pitbull fights for sport. certainly a reasonable position to take. On 06/23/04, joanna <joanna wrote: > > > I am a committed vegan and animal lover and I choose not to support Peta. > One of the main reasons for this is because they have a rabidly anti-pitbull > stance and actively advocate euthanizing pitbulls. I have written to them > about this and received a totally feeble reply. When I replied to their > reply, I did not hear another word. One of the most beautiful animals I have > ever shared my life with was a pitbull mix. I am appalled that an " Animal > Rights " group stereotypes this breed and actively advocates killing them. In > my opinion, there are far more worthy groups working in support of animals > than PETA > > Joanna Warner > > > > > > BAY AREA VEGETARIANS (BAV) is a community group for veggies to network > & find support. > > Event Calendar, Charter, FAQ and More! > http://www.bayareaveg.org/ > > Bookmark this page! Don't miss local events! > http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.php > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 " Ingrid Newkirk: Even ardent animal lovers embrace this euthanasia policy Thursday, January 27, 2000 By INGRID NEWKIRK MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA that at many animal shelters across the country, any " pit bull " who comes through the front door goes out the back door -- in a body bag. From San Jose to Schenectady, many shelters have enacted policies requiring the automatic destruction of the huge and ever-growing number of " pits " they encounter. This news shocks and outrages the compassionate dog-lover. Here's another shocker: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the very people who are trying to get you to denounce the killing of chickens for the table, foxes for fur, or frogs for dissection, supports the pit bull policy, albeit with reluctance. The pit bull's ancestor, the Staffordshire terrier, is a human concoction, bred in my native England, I'm ashamed to say, as a weapon. These dogs were designed specifically to fight other animals and kill them, for human sport. Hence the barrel chest, the thick hammer-like head, the strong jaws, the perseverance, and the stamina. Pits can take down a bull weighing in at over a thousand pounds, so a human being a tenth of that weight is small potatoes to them. Pit bulls are perhaps the most abused dogs on the planet. These days, they are kept for protection by almost every drug dealer and pimp in every major city and beyond. You can drive into any depressed area and see them being used as cheap burglar alarms, wearing heavy logging chains around their necks (they easily break regular collars and harnesses), attached to a stake or metal drum or rundown doghouse without a floor and with holes in the roof. Bored juveniles " sic " them on cats, neighbors' small dogs, and even children. In the PETA office we have a file drawer chock-full of accounts of attacks in which these ill-treated dogs have torn the faces and fingers off infants and even police officers trying to serve warrants. Today, organizing dog fights is a federal offense in this country, yet pits are still king of the ring. Humane officers and other law enforcement agents routinely break up rings in New Mexico, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Florida. They confiscate dog-fighting paraphernalia, including treadmills used to build doggie endurance and drugs used to numb pain from injuries inflicted by opponents and to " jazz up " the dogs. They find mesh bags in which kittens, rabbits, puppies, and other small prey are suspended over the dogs to encourage fighting spirit. Not uncommonly they find what's left of dogs who have lost their battles. They are not always dead. Those who argue against the euthanasia policy for pit bull dogs are naive. One dog that had just been adopted by a family suddenly clamped his jaw onto the thigh of a 7-year-old boy. Two grown men had a hard time getting the dog off and the child suffered permanent nerve damage. Tales like thisabound. I have scars on my leg and arm from my own encounter with a pit. Many are loving and will kiss on sight, but many are unpredictable. An unpredictable chihuahua is one thing, an unpredictable pit another. People who genuinely care about dogs won't be affected by a ban on pits. They can go to the shelter and save one of the countless other breeds and lovable mutts sitting on death row through no fault of their own. We can only stop killing pits if we stop creating new ones. Legislators, please take note. " INGRID NEWKIRK Steve Simitzis [steve] Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:40 AM joanna Cc: Re: PETA can you please provide a reference for this? this is a heavy claim, and if true, it goes against everything i've ever heard from PETA. all i was able to find on the web was information about PETA that they are against pitbull fights for sport. certainly a reasonable position to take. On 06/23/04, joanna <joanna wrote: > > > I am a committed vegan and animal lover and I choose not to support Peta. > One of the main reasons for this is because they have a rabidly anti-pitbull > stance and actively advocate euthanizing pitbulls. I have written to them > about this and received a totally feeble reply. When I replied to their > reply, I did not hear another word. One of the most beautiful animals I have > ever shared my life with was a pitbull mix. I am appalled that an " Animal > Rights " group stereotypes this breed and actively advocates killing them. In > my opinion, there are far more worthy groups working in support of animals > than PETA > > Joanna Warner > > > > > > BAY AREA VEGETARIANS (BAV) is a community group for veggies to network > & find support. > > Event Calendar, Charter, FAQ and More! > http://www.bayareaveg.org/ > > Bookmark this page! Don't miss local events! > http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.php > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 can you please provide a reference for this? this is a heavy claim, and if true, it goes against everything i've ever heard from PETA. all i was able to find on the web was information about PETA that they are against pitbull fights for sport. certainly a reasonable position to take. On 06/23/04, joanna <joanna wrote: > > > I am a committed vegan and animal lover and I choose not to support Peta. > One of the main reasons for this is because they have a rabidly anti-pitbull > stance and actively advocate euthanizing pitbulls. I have written to them > about this and received a totally feeble reply. When I replied to their > reply, I did not hear another word. One of the most beautiful animals I have > ever shared my life with was a pitbull mix. I am appalled that an " Animal > Rights " group stereotypes this breed and actively advocates killing them. In > my opinion, there are far more worthy groups working in support of animals > than PETA > > Joanna Warner > > > > > > BAY AREA VEGETARIANS (BAV) is a community group for veggies to network > & find support. > > Event Calendar, Charter, FAQ and More! > http://www.bayareaveg.org/ > > Bookmark this page! Don't miss local events! > http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.php > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 Joanna's right, Willow was a sweetheart of a dog. Everyone who knew her misses her! I don't understand the motive for PETA & Ingrid Newkirk bothering to take a position toward pitbulls at all. This is discrimination against a particular breed of dog; generalization that normally occurs among humans, called racism. Good for you, Joanna, for standing up for what is right. I have another friend who dislikes Peta's objectification of women in their ad campaigns. Women scantily clad attract attention, obviously why Peta uses this strategy. I have debated my friend on this point, understanding the nature of consumerism and marketing, but she thinks it contributes to abusive attitudes and views of women as sex objects. I see both sides of the argument and remain neutral on that point, myself. Hearing everyone's views on PETA, though, is helpful, especially considering, as many have said, that there are other AR and veg organizations that can be supported. I appreciate this open discussion. Marcy - " joanna " <joanna " Steve Simitzis " <steve Cc: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 10:49 AM RE: PETA > > I found out about PETA's stance on pitbulls from a website called BAD RAP > (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls). On their website > www.badrap.org they have a page entitled " The Ironies of PETA " in which they > quote excerpts from an article by Ingrid Newkirk, founder of PETA, calling > for a breed ban on pitbulls and the euthanization of all pitbulls brought to > animal shelters. She urges people not to adopt pitbulls from shelters but > instead to adopt " one of the countless other breeds and lovable mutts > sitting on death row through no fault of their own " . This is the link to > the page http://www.badrap.org/rescue/PETAA.cfm. I was really upset when I > read this because we had recently lost our dearly beloved pit mix girl in a > tragic accident. She was a shelter dog and I couldn't believe that PETA was > calling for the extermination of dogs like her. She was the most loving, > intelligent, giving, beautiful animal who could not have been more deserving > of a loving home. I wrote to PETA along these lines and got a feeble > response. When I wrote back again, I heard nothing. In honor of Willow's > memory, I choose never to support PETA again > > Joanna Warner > > > Steve Simitzis [steve] > Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:40 AM > joanna > Cc: > Re: PETA > > > can you please provide a reference for this? this is a heavy claim, > and if true, it goes against everything i've ever heard from PETA. > > all i was able to find on the web was information about PETA that they > are against pitbull fights for sport. certainly a reasonable position > to take. > > On 06/23/04, joanna <joanna wrote: > > > > > > > I am a committed vegan and animal lover and I choose not to support Peta. > > One of the main reasons for this is because they have a rabidly > anti-pitbull > > stance and actively advocate euthanizing pitbulls. I have written to them > > about this and received a totally feeble reply. When I replied to their > > reply, I did not hear another word. One of the most beautiful animals I > have > > ever shared my life with was a pitbull mix. I am appalled that an " Animal > > Rights " group stereotypes this breed and actively advocates killing them. > In > > my opinion, there are far more worthy groups working in support of animals > > than PETA > > > > Joanna Warner > > > > > > > > > > > > BAY AREA VEGETARIANS (BAV) is a community group for veggies to network > > & find support. > > > > Event Calendar, Charter, FAQ and More! > > http://www.bayareaveg.org/ > > > > Bookmark this page! Don't miss local events! > > http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.php > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 I find some of these claims hard to believe - pitbulls tearing off the faces of infants - come on. --- joanna <joanna wrote: > > " Ingrid Newkirk: Even ardent animal lovers embrace > this euthanasia policy > Thursday, January 27, 2000 > By INGRID NEWKIRK > > MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA that at many animal > shelters across the country, > any " pit bull " who comes through the front door goes > out the back door -- > in a body bag. From San Jose to Schenectady, many > shelters have enacted > policies requiring the automatic destruction of the > huge and ever-growing > number of " pits " they encounter. This news shocks > and outrages the > compassionate dog-lover. > > Here's another shocker: People for the Ethical > Treatment of Animals, the > very people who are trying to get you to denounce > the killing of chickens > for the table, foxes for fur, or frogs for > dissection, supports the pit > bull policy, albeit with reluctance. > > The pit bull's ancestor, the Staffordshire terrier, > is a human concoction, > bred in my native England, I'm ashamed to say, as a > weapon. These dogs were > designed specifically to fight other animals and > kill them, for human > sport. Hence the barrel chest, the thick hammer-like > head, the strong jaws, > the perseverance, and the stamina. Pits can take > down a bull weighing in at > over a thousand pounds, so a human being a tenth of > that weight is small > potatoes to them. > > Pit bulls are perhaps the most abused dogs on the > planet. These days, they > are kept for protection by almost every drug dealer > and pimp in every major > city and beyond. You can drive into any depressed > area and see them being > used as cheap burglar alarms, wearing heavy logging > chains around their > necks (they easily break regular collars and > harnesses), attached to a > stake or metal drum or rundown doghouse without a > floor and with holes in > the roof. > > Bored juveniles " sic " them on cats, neighbors' small > dogs, and even > children. In the PETA office we have a file drawer > chock-full of accounts > of attacks in which these ill-treated dogs have torn > the faces and fingers > off infants and even police officers trying to serve > warrants. > > Today, organizing dog fights is a federal offense in > this country, yet pits > are still king of the ring. Humane officers and > other law enforcement > agents routinely break up rings in New Mexico, > Massachusetts, Michigan, and > Florida. They confiscate dog-fighting paraphernalia, > including treadmills > used to build doggie endurance and drugs used to > numb pain from injuries > inflicted by opponents and to " jazz up " the dogs. > > They find mesh bags in which kittens, rabbits, > puppies, and other small > prey are suspended over the dogs to encourage > fighting spirit. Not > uncommonly they find what's left of dogs who have > lost their battles. > > They are not always dead. > > Those who argue against the euthanasia policy for > pit bull dogs are naive. > One dog that had just been adopted by a family > suddenly clamped his jaw > onto the thigh of a 7-year-old boy. Two grown men > had a hard time getting > the dog off and the child suffered permanent nerve > damage. > > Tales like thisabound. I have scars on my leg and > arm from my own encounter > with a pit. Many are loving and will kiss on sight, > but many are > unpredictable. An unpredictable chihuahua is one > thing, an unpredictable > pit another. > > People who genuinely care about dogs won't be > affected by a ban on pits. > They can go to the shelter and save one of the > countless other breeds and > lovable mutts sitting on death row through no fault > of their own. We can > only stop killing pits if we stop creating new ones. > Legislators, please > take note. " > > INGRID NEWKIRK > > > > Steve Simitzis [steve] > Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:40 AM > joanna > Cc: > Re: PETA > > > can you please provide a reference for this? this is > a heavy claim, > and if true, it goes against everything i've ever > heard from PETA. > > all i was able to find on the web was information > about PETA that they > are against pitbull fights for sport. certainly a > reasonable position > to take. > > On 06/23/04, joanna <joanna wrote: > > > > > > > I am a committed vegan and animal lover and I > choose not to support Peta. > > One of the main reasons for this is because they > have a rabidly > anti-pitbull > > stance and actively advocate euthanizing pitbulls. > I have written to them > > about this and received a totally feeble reply. > When I replied to their > > reply, I did not hear another word. One of the > most beautiful animals I > have > > ever shared my life with was a pitbull mix. I am > appalled that an " Animal > > Rights " group stereotypes this breed and actively > advocates killing them. > In > > my opinion, there are far more worthy groups > working in support of animals > > than PETA > > > > Joanna Warner > > > > > > > > > > > > BAY AREA VEGETARIANS (BAV) is a community group > for veggies to network > > & find support. > > > > Event Calendar, Charter, FAQ and More! > > http://www.bayareaveg.org/ > > > > Bookmark this page! Don't miss local events! > > http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.php > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 and here is the root of the problem: " Tales like thisabound. I have scars on my leg and arm from my own encounter with a pit. " is it a personal grudge against pitbulls? the animal rights community needs to take them to task for this. their position on pitbulls, if this is true, is identical to the position you hear from so-called " ethical " sport hunters. On 06/23/04, joanna <joanna wrote: > > " Ingrid Newkirk: Even ardent animal lovers embrace this euthanasia policy > Thursday, January 27, 2000 > By INGRID NEWKIRK > > MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA that at many animal shelters across the country, > any " pit bull " who comes through the front door goes out the back door -- > in a body bag. From San Jose to Schenectady, many shelters have enacted > policies requiring the automatic destruction of the huge and ever-growing > number of " pits " they encounter. This news shocks and outrages the > compassionate dog-lover. > > Here's another shocker: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the > very people who are trying to get you to denounce the killing of chickens > for the table, foxes for fur, or frogs for dissection, supports the pit > bull policy, albeit with reluctance. > > The pit bull's ancestor, the Staffordshire terrier, is a human concoction, > bred in my native England, I'm ashamed to say, as a weapon. These dogs were > designed specifically to fight other animals and kill them, for human > sport. Hence the barrel chest, the thick hammer-like head, the strong jaws, > the perseverance, and the stamina. Pits can take down a bull weighing in at > over a thousand pounds, so a human being a tenth of that weight is small > potatoes to them. > > Pit bulls are perhaps the most abused dogs on the planet. These days, they > are kept for protection by almost every drug dealer and pimp in every major > city and beyond. You can drive into any depressed area and see them being > used as cheap burglar alarms, wearing heavy logging chains around their > necks (they easily break regular collars and harnesses), attached to a > stake or metal drum or rundown doghouse without a floor and with holes in > the roof. > > Bored juveniles " sic " them on cats, neighbors' small dogs, and even > children. In the PETA office we have a file drawer chock-full of accounts > of attacks in which these ill-treated dogs have torn the faces and fingers > off infants and even police officers trying to serve warrants. > > Today, organizing dog fights is a federal offense in this country, yet pits > are still king of the ring. Humane officers and other law enforcement > agents routinely break up rings in New Mexico, Massachusetts, Michigan, and > Florida. They confiscate dog-fighting paraphernalia, including treadmills > used to build doggie endurance and drugs used to numb pain from injuries > inflicted by opponents and to " jazz up " the dogs. > > They find mesh bags in which kittens, rabbits, puppies, and other small > prey are suspended over the dogs to encourage fighting spirit. Not > uncommonly they find what's left of dogs who have lost their battles. > > They are not always dead. > > Those who argue against the euthanasia policy for pit bull dogs are naive. > One dog that had just been adopted by a family suddenly clamped his jaw > onto the thigh of a 7-year-old boy. Two grown men had a hard time getting > the dog off and the child suffered permanent nerve damage. > > Tales like thisabound. I have scars on my leg and arm from my own encounter > with a pit. Many are loving and will kiss on sight, but many are > unpredictable. An unpredictable chihuahua is one thing, an unpredictable > pit another. > > People who genuinely care about dogs won't be affected by a ban on pits. > They can go to the shelter and save one of the countless other breeds and > lovable mutts sitting on death row through no fault of their own. We can > only stop killing pits if we stop creating new ones. Legislators, please > take note. " > > INGRID NEWKIRK > > > > Steve Simitzis [steve] > Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:40 AM > joanna > Cc: > Re: PETA > > > can you please provide a reference for this? this is a heavy claim, > and if true, it goes against everything i've ever heard from PETA. > > all i was able to find on the web was information about PETA that they > are against pitbull fights for sport. certainly a reasonable position > to take. > > On 06/23/04, joanna <joanna wrote: > > > > > > > I am a committed vegan and animal lover and I choose not to support Peta. > > One of the main reasons for this is because they have a rabidly > anti-pitbull > > stance and actively advocate euthanizing pitbulls. I have written to them > > about this and received a totally feeble reply. When I replied to their > > reply, I did not hear another word. One of the most beautiful animals I > have > > ever shared my life with was a pitbull mix. I am appalled that an " Animal > > Rights " group stereotypes this breed and actively advocates killing them. > In > > my opinion, there are far more worthy groups working in support of animals > > than PETA > > > > Joanna Warner > > > > > > > > > > > > BAY AREA VEGETARIANS (BAV) is a community group for veggies to network > > & find support. > > > > Event Calendar, Charter, FAQ and More! > > http://www.bayareaveg.org/ > > > > Bookmark this page! Don't miss local events! > > http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.php > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2004 Report Share Posted June 24, 2004 > I find some of these claims hard to believe - pitbulls > tearing off the faces of infants - come on. I don't mean to imply support for the whole PETA line on this issue but " tearing off the faces of infants " , if sensationally phrased, is unforunately fairly common with many types of dogs. Small children are head-height, and often approach dogs quickly and straight on, and dogs get scared and snap. My neighbor's dog, for example, got seized and euthanized after reacting in exactly that way and badly injuring a toddler who ran up to him. It wasn't a pit though. Also common is Ingrid's point about pits locking onto something. They do it in dog fights, they do it when scared and snap, in all sorts of situations. I don't know, it seems to be part of their genetic programming, but letting go doesn't seem to be something they are willing or able to do in stress situations. It is documented that they have some other dangerous " wiring " too: they rarely bark or otherwise warn with typical dog body language (curled lip, growl, ear angle, etc); they often actually wag their tails before attacking, etc. For plenty of horror stories, and some reasonably objective studies, do some web searches. I too have met some really exceptionally sweet and wonderful bull terriers but in general I think they are very scary. As are several other breeds designed for hostility. While personally I'm very conflicted about euthanasia in general, the point in the original article I do agree with is that breeding dogs, or buying dogs from breeders, are both real sources of these types of problems. --Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2004 Report Share Posted June 24, 2004 Thanks for the information. Too bad parents can't do a better job keeping their babies/toddlers away from dogs in general. Why should the dog be blamed for parents' neglect? --- Bruce Cannon <bc wrote: > > I find some of these claims hard to believe - > pitbulls > > tearing off the faces of infants - come on. > > I don't mean to imply support for the whole PETA > line on this issue but > " tearing off the faces of infants " , if sensationally > phrased, is > unforunately fairly common with many types of dogs. > Small children are > head-height, and often approach dogs quickly and > straight on, and dogs get > scared and snap. My neighbor's dog, for example, > got seized and euthanized > after reacting in exactly that way and badly > injuring a toddler who ran up > to him. It wasn't a pit though. > > Also common is Ingrid's point about pits locking > onto something. They do it > in dog fights, they do it when scared and snap, in > all sorts of situations. > I don't know, it seems to be part of their genetic > programming, but letting > go doesn't seem to be something they are willing or > able to do in stress > situations. It is documented that they have some > other dangerous " wiring " > too: they rarely bark or otherwise warn with typical > dog body language > (curled lip, growl, ear angle, etc); they often > actually wag their tails > before attacking, etc. For plenty of horror > stories, and some reasonably > objective studies, do some web searches. > > I too have met some really exceptionally sweet and > wonderful bull terriers > but in general I think they are very scary. As are > several other breeds > designed for hostility. > > While personally I'm very conflicted about > euthanasia in general, the point > in the original article I do agree with is that > breeding dogs, or buying > dogs from breeders, are both real sources of these > types of problems. > > --Bruce > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2004 Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 How is PETA's position on pitbulls "identical" to sport hunters'? A better analogy is that this is what will happen to cows when everyone ceases eating them (and hence breeding them). If overwhelmed, overpopulated shelters are killing sweet, lovable animals all the time (and they ARE), I don't see a problem with accelerating the nonexistence of a dangerous breed (the sweetness of some pitbulls doesn't sway me, and neither does the Bad Rap site information). And, No, I don't have a grudge against pitbulls; I've been bitten on the arm by a doberman, and my wife was bitten in the face by a different doberman, but I do NOT advocate getting rid of dobermans----just the pitbulls. --Mark A companion of dogs, cats, and rabbits, and 15-year vegan. Steve Simitzis [steve] Wednesday, June 23, 2004 3:40 PMjoannaCc: Subject: Re: PETA and here is the root of the problem:"Tales like thisabound. I have scars on my leg and arm from my own encounter with a pit."is it a personal grudge against pitbulls?the animal rights community needs to take them to task for this. theirposition on pitbulls, if this is true, is identical to the positionyou hear from so-called "ethical" sport hunters.On 06/23/04, joanna <joanna wrote: > > "Ingrid Newkirk: Even ardent animal lovers embrace this euthanasia policy> Thursday, January 27, 2000> By INGRID NEWKIRK> > MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA that at many animal shelters across the country,> any "pit bull" who comes through the front door goes out the back door --> in a body bag. From San Jose to Schenectady, many shelters have enacted> policies requiring the automatic destruction of the huge and ever-growing> number of "pits" they encounter. This news shocks and outrages the> compassionate dog-lover.> > Here's another shocker: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the> very people who are trying to get you to denounce the killing of chickens> for the table, foxes for fur, or frogs for dissection, supports the pit> bull policy, albeit with reluctance.> > The pit bull's ancestor, the Staffordshire terrier, is a human concoction,> bred in my native England, I'm ashamed to say, as a weapon. These dogs were> designed specifically to fight other animals and kill them, for human> sport. Hence the barrel chest, the thick hammer-like head, the strong jaws,> the perseverance, and the stamina. Pits can take down a bull weighing in at> over a thousand pounds, so a human being a tenth of that weight is small> potatoes to them.> > Pit bulls are perhaps the most abused dogs on the planet. These days, they> are kept for protection by almost every drug dealer and pimp in every major> city and beyond. You can drive into any depressed area and see them being> used as cheap burglar alarms, wearing heavy logging chains around their> necks (they easily break regular collars and harnesses), attached to a> stake or metal drum or rundown doghouse without a floor and with holes in> the roof.> > Bored juveniles "sic" them on cats, neighbors' small dogs, and even> children. In the PETA office we have a file drawer chock-full of accounts> of attacks in which these ill-treated dogs have torn the faces and fingers> off infants and even police officers trying to serve warrants.> > Today, organizing dog fights is a federal offense in this country, yet pits> are still king of the ring. Humane officers and other law enforcement> agents routinely break up rings in New Mexico, Massachusetts, Michigan, and> Florida. They confiscate dog-fighting paraphernalia, including treadmills> used to build doggie endurance and drugs used to numb pain from injuries> inflicted by opponents and to "jazz up" the dogs.> > They find mesh bags in which kittens, rabbits, puppies, and other small> prey are suspended over the dogs to encourage fighting spirit. Not> uncommonly they find what's left of dogs who have lost their battles.> > They are not always dead.> > Those who argue against the euthanasia policy for pit bull dogs are naive.> One dog that had just been adopted by a family suddenly clamped his jaw> onto the thigh of a 7-year-old boy. Two grown men had a hard time getting> the dog off and the child suffered permanent nerve damage.> > Tales like thisabound. I have scars on my leg and arm from my own encounter> with a pit. Many are loving and will kiss on sight, but many are> unpredictable. An unpredictable chihuahua is one thing, an unpredictable> pit another.> > People who genuinely care about dogs won't be affected by a ban on pits.> They can go to the shelter and save one of the countless other breeds and> lovable mutts sitting on death row through no fault of their own. We can> only stop killing pits if we stop creating new ones. Legislators, please> take note."> > INGRID NEWKIRK [snip] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2004 Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 On 06/24/04, " Mark P. Kurowski " <mark.p.kurowski wrote: > How is PETA's position on pitbulls " identical " to sport hunters'? perhaps instead of " identical " i should have said " analogous " . sport hunters believe that animal rights purists harm the environment by opposing sport hunting, which they believe serves as a check to overpopulation of " game " animals. likewise, PETA believes that euthanizing pitbulls is okay, because of the perceived benefits to reducing their population, and that opposing their killing harms children. either way, it boils down to humans deciding which animals can live or die for the sake of engineering a more " correct " mix of species, using the orwellian rationale that killing lives actually saves lives. -- steve simitzis : /sim' - i - jees/ pala : saturn5 productions www.steve.org : 415.282.9979 hath the daemon spawn no fire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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