This morning Stoker sent me a link to the CNN.com article about how some PETA employees were arrested . . . for dumping some animal bodies in some dumpster, somewhere in Norfolk, VA (it had been going on for quite a while, apparently). Question: What are PETA employees doing with animal bodies?
The article says they were picking them up from animal shelters for euthanization (which, by the way isn’t a word recognized by the dictionary, but that’s how it appeared in the CNN.com article. I think the proper way to say it, is to be euthanized). New question: Since when did PETA, also known as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, euthanize animals? Someone asked me why it would matter that they were dumping them in a dumpster, I mean, after all, they are dead.
Well, I haven’t looked this up, but I think it’s always illegal to dispose of animals in dumpsters, even your own garbage can is off-limits when it comes to dead bodies, animal or human. I think. I’m pretty damn sure about that. In major cities it’s kind of a problem. People who live in apartments have a pet that dies and they either have to pay to have the animal cremated, or bury it in a pet cemetery.
Wait! Do pet cemeteries even exist? Yes, in fact they do. I found several links talking about pet death, burial and curb-side pick-up—a Fort Worth site calls this service a “process for properly handling the remains that not only shows respect for the pet, but also protects the health and safety of the public” [link]. I find this humorous and completely untrue. They tell you to put your cat or dog in a trash bag and leave it on the curb and they’ll have some stranger pick it up. What that stranger will then do with your pet, who knows. The site says it will be disposed of in a safe and sanitary manner, but will you ever know? Maybe they’ll get lazy one day and put it in a dumpster behind a shopping center.
Anyway, here’s a better link to a site discussing different ways to take care of your dead pet, most of them address how to truly show grief and respect for your old friend. Unlike the Fort Worth method, which advises a person to treat a dead animal like a freak biohazard*.
But back to my original point, which is about PETA and what the hell are they doing euthanizing animals? Why aren’t those kids out throwing paint on fur coats, liberating test lab rats and putting up pornographic Pamela Andersen-boycott-KFC billboards (all methods sure to convert the masses to their cause)?
Addendum (posted at 4:00 pm): Stoker sent me this link to a site revealing imporant facts about PETA. Some of you may know this already, but they seem to be more focused on shock tactics than saving the lives of animals. They euthanize over 80% of animals taken to them. This information came out several years ago, so you may have already heard it.
*I’m not saying it’s impossible for diseases to be spread through animals, like the bubonic plague and the hantavirus. I’m simply saying, yeah, wash your hands and don’t lick the carcass and you’ll probably be okay not using gloves. And certainly there are occasions where you’d want to use gloves. But let’s be honest. Dead human bodies are touched all the time by doctors and forensic pathologists, without gloves sometimes, and if I’m not mistaken (which I could be), a dead human body is much more likely to spread human disease among humans. So anyway. I don’t know why I even care about this subject. It’s totally stupid that I’ve dedicated an entire blog entry to pet burial. What a joke. I suppose my real crusade here is against (what I would call) basic human stupidity. I’m against it, stupidity. Even stupidity in myself. That’s why I’m so tough on myself because sometimes I can be very stupid.
9 comments:
I agree they are stupid. I'm not stuck on the issue of throwing dead animals in the dumpster - what worries me is "How did these animals die?"
Supposedly PETA believes in euthanization by lethal injection. But the drugs used for this kind of injection are a controlled substance (for obvious reasons). Neither one of these PETA people are veterinarians - so, either they were using a substance illegally or the animals died some grosser way.
Hmm.. when I had a pet guinea pig and he died, I just buried him in my back garden :-\
Ha! This reminds me of one of my all-time favorite quotes.
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." (Albert Einstein).
BTW, Penn & Teller (on their "Bullshit" show) did an exposé on PETA. They have a long history of this kind of stupidity.
Theresa- Why is it that the activists on the left don't adopt your attitude about euthanasia when talking about murderers and rapists on death row? It's the same clique that insists on candle-light vigils outside of prisons. Ironically, it's also the same group who doesn't have a problem sucking human fetuses down the drain when a baby won't be convenient. It's just a case of glaring hypocrisy, which is typical amongst activists of any cause.
Pro-choice when self-serving.
Pro-life when self-serving.
Pro-ethics when self-serving.
Cally: that's a good question. I hope the "how" comes out after their press conference. Or something. I haven't heard anything on the issue since last week.
Dainty fairy: I'm sorry about your pet guinea pig. At least you have a back garden for proper burials and stuff. I love how you say "garden." It kills me. I always wanted a guinea pig but never got one. Just cats and one unfortunate dog.
Theresa: That's true about some pets being better off dead than alive. But I disagree that pet ownership is slavery. I think many relationships between humans and their pets are mutually beneficial. I can't ignore the fact that my mother's cats seem to get joy and pleasure out of being with my mom, being held and fed on a regular basis.
If you've read anything about animals and stress levels, you know that an animal in the wild has as much or more stress than an animal in captivity. The stressors come from different sources, but are no less detrimental to the health of the animal. At least an animal in captivity doesn't have to worry about being torn to shreds by a lion or hyena.
I'm not saying that all petowners are good at taking care of their pet. But in general an animal will live longer and have a healthier life being in someone's home than out in the wild fending for itself.
Linda: I wish I'd seen that Penn and Teller expose. But then, maybe not, all I need is to add fuel to this fire. I've got to stop thinking about the things people do that I think are stupid. It wears me out.
Blinders are under-rated.
Stoker: I think you're right. Basic motivations are always self-serving. It's easy to make the law when you don't have to bow to the law yourself. Once the law is responsible for your own prison-sentence you want to revoke it. It reminds me of the truth about a good ruler, which we haven't seen in years: a good king (or president) will leave his throne behind when he knows it's in the best interest of the people to do so.
And I love how Pamela Anderson is constantly wearing Ugg boots. Sheepskin.
PETA puts on stupid TV ads they get a whole bunch of hollywood twits like ALEC BALDWIN and PAMELA ANDERSON to do stupid antimeat ads they they kill animals are throw them away in a dumpster and blabber about COMPASSION in their stupid ads and protests PETA IS STUPID
PETA blabbers about compassion in their stupid ads and protests then go and kill up to 95% of the animals they have adopted and they call that compassion? PETA IS STUPID
We have a anuial county fair and there are rules to make sure the animals are always healthy and safe so if PETA dont like it tell them to GO JUMP OFF A CLIFF
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