I have to agree here. There are a lot of shelters that are trying to (and are) changing their status to "no kill" here. The Humane Society doesn't kill animals (unless they're unadoptable) and they keep them until they're adopted out - however there is one sick Humane Society in this country that I can't stand (at times). In Miami-Dade, they've made it illegal to own a pitbull (which is absolutely horsecrap) and if you're reported to have a pitbull they cease the dog and put it to sleep. Only rarely do I hear that they try to find another county who will adopt them out.

Yes, I'm a regular Animal Planet "Animal Cops" junky and Miami's is the one that really pisses me off.

Onward though, the way they kill the animals in the shelters here is digusting. The "humanely euthanized" term refers to put a bunch of a dogs together in a big room and gassing them to death (anyone else remembering the Holocaust here?). Now not all shelters use this technique, but most do and the animals are generally only given 3 days to find a new owner and then they're put to sleep. There aren't advertisements for these animals, it's just on a chance basis that someone thinks to come to them to adopt an animal. The Humane Society and the shelters are two separate organizations. Unfortunately while the Humane Society tries really hard, they can only take in so much and therefore the overflow goes to the shelters and those animals are poorly treated and killed.

To be fair to you people do jump to conclusions quickly - however to be honest, you're in a political forum and everything that is said in these forums are scrutinized with the utmost political eye. It's annoying but you have to make sure you're precise with your wording if you want people to understand what you mean.

You're not looking hard enough.

My roommate watches that. I can't; it's really too sad/disgusting.

Yes, and to be honest, once a topic of this sort comes up, I always get defensive and jump to conclusions because I've seen it over and over again. People choose to notice the gross stories of animal (And human) abuse outside of their realm of influence because it's much easier to sit back and criticize other cultures for their abuses. People do this for a number of reasons; for one thing, it gives you a sense of having some higher moral ground. For another, it requires you to do nothing; whereas noticing abuses in your own culture might force you to actually get up and do something. Also, when people do this shit, they're just reinforcing the racism they have culturally inherited whether they're aware of it or not. I'm not immune to doing this sort of thing, I just question motivations more often than some people.

Also, I'm biased on animal issues because I don't eat them. To me, this thing you find outrageous in another country is exactly the same thing that goes on in factory farms in this country, yet I imagine you (hello kitty kat) eat meat. Why is it that it's not ok to do this to dogs, but it's ok to do it to the animals who will end up on your plate?

OMG how sad!

That depends. Pet cruelty is so widespread it is apalling.

I live in the US and I once had a neighbor poison one of my dogs because it was barking at night "keeping them awake".

The bad part is that the local animal shelter was secretly telling people in our community that it was ok to poison (amongst other things) dogs and cats due to "overpopulation" and this was later uncovered, but that doesn't stop the owners or others from doing these things.

Also think of all the pets every year, stranded or left beside the road...cars run over and hit dogs and cats, often times without even stopping to check on it. (also a sad personal experience, witnessed a cat get run over and nobody cared and it was run over multiple times by people who could've stopped)

The whole fucking world is awful.

Obviously, quite a few people DO because there are anti-cruelty organisations. Think.

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"the height of arrogance is the height of control of those who create God in their own image"

What are you talking about here? The US doesn't get together to decide to mass kill dogs by clubbing like that article about China. YOU think.

Ooh, I'm a veggie too. I actually read a quote in a magazine the other day from Shania Twain (who is also apparently a vegetarian) and she said that she doesn't feed her children meat because for her to say "Don't kick the cow, but you can't eat it" doesn't make any sense. I agree. I'm not against people who eat meat, but I think that there are so many alternate options that not only taste GOOD, but taste like meat too that people refuse to try. It's sad.

Long story short, I agree with you.

I didn't say they did, but you have to admit that there are thousands out there who abuse their animals to some degree. The USA aren't the opposite on the meter.

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"the height of arrogance is the height of control of those who create God in their own image"

Agreed

I was just wondering how many dogs fought back. I mean, one of those dogs in the picture could rip your arm clean off if they wanted to.

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"the height of arrogance is the height of control of those who create God in their own image"

I hope they all did. I wish they would have killed someone or at least hurt someone or several people badly.

That is gorgeous and disturbing at exactly the same time.
I hope I get my eyes gouged out by the Devendra Banhart peacock.

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"the height of arrogance is the height of control of those who create God in their own image"

peacock shmeacock, could devandra hold a pencil in his forehead wrinkle?

No, but he could stick it in his third eye.
UNIKRON!

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"the height of arrogance is the height of control of those who create God in their own image"

that is so beautiful. you've done it again.
where's the quietly sobbing emoticon?