Animal Person

On Conditional Love

Yesterday I promised to write about "Conditional" over at Alec's Story, and again, if you haven't read the blog I highly recommend it. The other idea that came out of it (perhaps for tomorrow) as well as my e-mails and conversations with another blogger, is the life of a person who cares for a special needs animal.

Nicole at Alec's Story writes:

One of my pet peeves, so to speak, is the concept of “unconditional love” as attributed to dogs by humans. It is a popular way of romanticizing dogs and while I am loath to be the Grinch who stole unconditional love, there are reasons why I think this “compliment” is over- and misused in the context of human-dog relations.

That's a pet peeve of mine, too, along with "children are so honest!" (If you've ever seen the Bill Cosby bit about that, it's hilarious!)

When we adopted Violet Rays we knew she was diabetic and we chose her because we were told she was unlikely to be adopted (and had already been returned) and was living in a crate all day and night, just like at the track but at someone's house instead. We didn't adopt her so we could spoon with her at night or cuddle on the couch with her or have her be our trusted companion. And it's a good thing we viewed her that way because it took over four years to get even an inkling that she cared if we lived or died.

And we're still not sure.

Charles Hobson Booger, III, on the other hand, hangs on our every word and stares at us constantly. He needs to be touched, when we walk him he stays at our side, and he brings us toys to toss at him (he catches them and makes a neat pile of them all for some reason). When you toss a toy to Violet, she promptly takes it into another room and plays by herself. She throws it, catches it, and leaps around joyously with the toy. But she's also an alpha dog and Charles isn't.

Though I test Violet's blood sugar several times a day and give her her insulin and glaucoma medication and eye drops and eye gel, she is only mildly impressed with my dedication. Meanwhile, Charles thanks me all day long just for patting him on the head. If you call Charles' name, his ears perk up into full wombat, and he waits patiently for his instructions. When you call Violet's name her ears do perk up a bit, and if she feels like paying further attention to you she'll let you know.

Charles wants us to be with him, and Violet simply wants to be. When off leash and permitted to do anything, Charles wants to play racing games. Violet wants to explore on her own, roll around, leap, and do a couple of figure eights. She'll let you know when she's finished.

My angle on this pet peeve is my observation that many people adopt or buy an animal to satisfy a need they have. They want love, companionship, snuggling . . . unconditional love. This is the ultimate insult about this type commodification: buying love by proxy. And if they're not satisfied, they can return the animal and say "we never bonded." Is there an unwritten law that animals we purchase or even adopt are obligated to shower us with their unconditional love, or we have every right to return them?

We take an animal in because they need a safe, loving home where their needs can be met and they can enjoy (or not, depending on their disposition) the rest of their lives in comfort, without fear, and with plenty of appropriate stimulation. Not so they can boost our self esteem. If you have issues with self worth and want to feel loved, get a therapist and work all that out. But don't require that the animals in your care give you the type and amount of love you want.

Chipping Away at Greyhound Racing

In March of 2007 I wrote, "in a horribly-depressing vote of 198-138, New Hampshire's House voted AGAINST a bill that would shut down live racing at its three greyhound race tracks." E-mails were exchanged between yours truly and NH legislators, and though I knew the hounds would someday be free of racing, they were going to have to wait at least another year. At least.

Nearly two years later, one of the tracks closed. The Hinsdale track ceased operations in December and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

And this year, according to Tom Fahey in "Dog Racing May Be Gone Forever," the two tracks that remained "won permission to drop all racing dates. They will continue to operate as simulcast betting centers, and to host gambling events for charities."

If "won permission" sounds odd, that's because not every track wants to force live dogs to race. Not because it's wrong but because for most tracks it's not profitable. Other types of gambling are profitable, but not usually live dog racing. However, the law in most states where there is live dog racing specifically states that if there is to be gambling there must be live dog racing. So NH tracks "won permission" to drop dog racing, thereby also winning permission to be able to maintain their gambling operations.

This is not a ban on dog racing, but that does often come next.

Thanks to the folks at Grey2KUSA for their tireless efforts for greyhounds.

Finally, I'm off to Orlando to see the neurologist again. Charles looked great the first week after his surgery, and his condition has progressively deteriorated to the point where he is about 80% lame. Not 80% better--80% lame. I'll tweet (http://www.twitter.com/mary_martin)--or you can see updates over on the right column.

Wish me luck!

Good News for Greyhounds

We who want humans to stop using sentient nonhumans have few victories to celebrate. But one area that continues to provide them is the fight against the use of greyhounds as a source of entertainment (and gambling revenue) by forcing them to race.

Here are a couple recent bits of good news . . .

• You may recall that Massachusetts voters let their opinions about dog racing be heard when they voted to ban racing in their state. That decision was threatened, however, when Senate Budget Amendment 155 was introduced, which would have allowed racing to continue for several years beyond the original (2010) date of cessation. But voters called and e-mailed and sent letters to their legislators making sure that the original decision was preserved!
• Rhode Island's only dog track, Twin River, will be "suspending" dog racing.

I urge everyone to read and circulate "Heartbreak at 45 mph" by Michael J. Mooney, which features Michelle Weaver, who was dedicated to finding my Violet Rays a suitable home. Her dedication included taking Violet back after her first adoptive home didn't want to deal with her diabetes, and even keeping her in her own home, away from other dogs (to control her condition and food intake and exercise) until we found her and demonstrated that were prepared to properly care for her.

There are people who care for the animals they use and trade, as the article shows. And not every dog's career ends in death or broken bones. Some get adopted into great homes. But for me, the number of adopted dogs doesn't make up for the fact that we have no right to breed dogs to use them as gambling chips.

Charles Emerges Victorious!

Nothing like driving three hours for a ten minute appointment.

Here's a reminder of Charles three days post-surgery:

And here's post-surgery Day 13:

And here's Day 14 (today), after removal of the staples:

His neurologist said he's healing well and his recovery shouldn't be as painful (for him or for us) as she first anticipated. She said that whatever we're doing is working beautifully and he can work back up to regular activity over the next six weeks. He can begin with walking half way around the block, a couple of times a day for a week, then next week all the way around the block. No off leash for six weeks and no running, but we can work him up to a brisk walk or light jog.

He probably will never be 100%, but we knew that going in, and I must say that his mood has been transformed and he's back to what he was like six months ago, before this all began. I'll bring a camera when I walk him so you can see how happy he is!

Thanks for all the well wishes!

Charles Comes Home!

I've been a bit preoccupied with a couple of stranger-than-fiction situations that recently caused me to tweet "Sometimes I wish there were a god so I'd have someone to blame."

But alas . . .

One situation was that Charles, who will turn six on June 3, has been lame for nearly six months. And after vet upon vet, and drug upon drug (and also some acupuncture and chiropractic), we had to take him to Orlando (3 hours north) for an MRI. Oh, after they redid everything we already did (exams and x-rays) that turned up nothing.

Though the problem presented as orthopedic, it was in fact neurologic. Severe nerve root compression at lumbar 7/sacral 1, which was causing not only lameness, but intense pain shooting down his leg.

 

Want a better look?

Closer?

I drove him up Monday morning and my husband went up yesterday afternoon to retrieve him. He is allowed outside only to relieve himself; he can't even go around the corner for a couple of weeks. The recovery time (i.e., period of very restricted movement) should be about 6 weeks and involve a lot of tranquilizers because he's a rowdy boy.

How did this happen? It appears that Charles never got the memo about his physiology. He isn't aware of the limitations of his build and thinks, for instance, that he has the agility of the golden lab puppy he plays with (or the adult goldens he plays with). Violet's idea of playing is to chase or be chased in large circles or figure eights. She won't even try all of that quick zigzagging that other dogs do. She won't stop short, pivot and change directions while maintaining speed. But Charles will.

Or at least he used to.

The neurologist recommended Charles not play like that anymore. As in, never.

Fortunately, greyhounds Ivy, TK and Baby just moved back into town so he'll have some friends to lounge around with in a couple of weeks when he's permitted more movement. And the issue with movement is that it leads to the formation of scar tissue, which puts pressure on the nerves that now have more room because part of his spine was removed.

So there you have it. Thanks for all the well wishes and wish me luck keeping him still for six weeks!

On Flourless Cakes and Injuries

This, dear readers, is my new obsession. Though I have never had an issue with gluten, I have decided to lower my intake of it as an experiment, just to see if I feel any kind of difference.

I began my journey by discovering something you all probably know, which is that you can substitute cooked black-eyed peas or adzuki beans for flour, like in the recipe for the above vegan flourless chocolate cake. I may never use flour again. In fact, I'm going to make either cookies or scones later today because I cooked way, way too many black-eyed peas and I don't want them to go to waste.

If you follow me on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/mary_martin) you know that I've had an interesting combo grande of physical issues, afflicting both me and my creatures.

• Violet was hopping into the Honda Element to run errands with my husband. Any excuse to go in the see-ay-are is fine with her. Even a trip around the block is fun. Her front legs were in the car but her back feet never made it and somehow were under the car while she slipped slowly backward and onto her back. I wasn't there and my husband isn't great in a crisis--he stands, mouth agape, completely frozen, and watches whatever train wreck is occurring rather than jumping in to try to help. And so we ended up with this--

And after a $250 vet trip it became this--

What we couldn't see until her leg was shaved was that next to the deep wound is a large bloody bump of a wound. But she galloped and pranced this morning and as long as the bandage stays on she'll be fine.

• I was leaving the house on Friday and slipped on a filmy, shiny substance on the tile next to the ironing board, and my feet flew out from under me and I landed, cartoon-style, right on my tailbone. And the iron fell off the board and headed straight for my head, so I blocked it with my arm. I lay there for minutes, in full-on Munchian Scream--

I could scream only to myself as I was in so much pain that I couldn't muster up the energy to make any noise.

Oh, and I forgot to tell you that I had been so run down that I was coughing and had lost my voice (no, not swine flu) and then developed a fever.

• Charles Hobson Booger, III has been to I believe 4 vets (some several times) and hasn't been able to use his back right leg for 5 months (and yes, atrophy has set in). He has had various diagnoses and treatments, and none have made a difference. We will drive about 3 hours north tomorrow morning at 5am for our 8am appointment at Affiliated Veterinary Specialists for an MRI and/or bone scan and soft-tissue scan. He may have a nerve sheath tumor, which is inoperable but can be tackled via radiation. All I want is for my poor boy to be able to use his leg properly. And obviously to not be in pain.

So after the corn removal, it wasn't the corn. After the ligament medication it wasn't the ligament. After all of the x-rays and injecting pain blocker into his knee joint (and him screaming in pain), it wasn't the knee joint. After all of the groin talk, it wasn't the groin.

Frankly it all began when his pinky nail was removed, and my husband thinks perhaps a nerve was damaged or the pinky nail on a greyhound is far more important to balance and gait than you might think. We'll see . . .

Thanks for all of the well wishes. We deal with difficult times with humor, so though it might sound depressing at my house, it's actually pretty funny. And the dogs' spirits are high, as they get plenty of attention and stimulation. And of course, Emily is just as opinionated and irritable as ever, and still shows no sign of dying from her FIP. It's all good, and we'll get through this just fine. A lot lighter in the bank account, but it's worth it!

On "Discarded" Greyhounds

From and article by: Ms T Baker
Co-ordinator, www.greytexploitations.com (which has that fabulous Racism=Speciesism=Sexism graphic on its front page)

Dougie is the third greyhound in as many months – which we know of – to have been subjected to this kind of attack but sadly, he was the only one to survive.

The body of a brindle greyhound was found on a footpath in between Trimdon and Kelloe in County Durham last month, emaciated, with signs of trauma to his chest and both ears cut off.

On February 14th, a heavily pregnant greyhound – Valentina - was found in similar circumstances, dumped on wasteland in a rural village on the outskirts of Bristol.

 . . .

The modern day racing greyhound's life is conditioned purely by economics - if it’s too old or slow to compete as a gambling medium - it will be disposed of as cheaply as possible and swiftly replaced with one that can, from endless supply which are bred in Ireland with the aid of EU funding.

Over 16,000 greyhounds are bred to supply the approximate 10,000 annually racing on British tracks and even taking into account the 4,500 re-homed by the industry’s own Retired Greyhound Trust, we are still left with a huge shortfall of ‘unaccounted’ dogs. The RSPCA believes: "at least 20 greyhounds a day - either puppies which do not make the track, or 'retired' dogs aged three or four - simply 'disappear', presumed killed"

Many vets will admit to killing healthy greyhounds – by definition it cannot be classed as euthanasia – for a cut price fee, for fear the dogs will be disposed of in a less humane manner and you have to accept the vet’s justification of this when you hear of stories similar to Dougie’s.

. . .

I wish Dougie a beautiful life – one which he deserved from birth and one which I hope all greyhounds will enjoy in the very near future.

Click here for more on Dougie's story, including videos (nothing graphic, just more coverage of the story)

Finally . . . Jasmine the Greyhound

I received this steadily for a month or two and still find it heartwarming. And for all of you naysayers, it was verified by Snopes.

*******

In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused.

In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a Greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for Animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need.

Geoff and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved.

They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.

But Jasmine had other ideas. No-one remembers now how it began, but she started welcoming all Animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn’t matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, any other lost or hurting Animal, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick.

Geoff relates one of the early incidents. “We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them.”

“But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings.

“She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose.”

Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary’s resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits.

And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the Roe deer with affection and makes sure nothing is matted.

 

“They are inseparable,” says Geoff “Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary.

It’s a real treat to see them.”

Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next Orphan or victim of abuse.

From left, Toby, a stray Lakeland dog; Bramble, orphaned Roe deer; Buster, a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine with a Mothers heart doing best what a caring Mother would do… Such is the order of God’s Creation.

Link: http://www.warwickshirewildlifesanctuary.co.uk/index.htm

New Grey2K Video



On Florida Legislation

Florida's legislative session began last week and some rather odd tax exemptions are now under review including:

•     nets used by commercial fisheries;
•     generators used on poultry farms;
•     fuel used to heat the huge warehouses in which chickens raised for meat (broilers) are confined;
•     bait used by commercial fishermen in the entrapment of lobsters, crabs and other crustacea;
•     feeds for poultry, ostriches, and livestock, including racehorses and dairy cows;
•     the sale of racing dogs by his or her owner/breeder.

And speaking of racing dogs, several bills were filed that will help them, if passed. 

• Senate Bill 2594/House Bill 1437: 

Provides that a greyhound permitholder who meets certain requirements may engage in specific wagering activities without meeting a minimum number of live performances. Imposes a moratorium on the issuance of new greyhound racing permits. Conforms provisions. Revises the number of live performances that a greyhound permitholder must conduct in order to renew a cardroom license.  EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/01/2009. 

In other words, what currently ties greyhound racing to gambling activities unrelated to the dogs, is a certain number of live races. Without a minimum live racing requirement, fewer dogs will be forced to race, and the real profit-making activity can increase.

The sponsors of this legislation, are Senator Don Gaetz and Representative Mike Horner. Drop them a note or call them to thank them and mention either SB 2594 or HB 1437. 

Senator Don Gaetz:

850-487-5009
gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov
web site

The Capitol
Room 320
Senate Office Building
404 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

House Sponsor, Representative Mike Horner:
850-488-8992
mike.horner@myfloridahouse.gov
web site

The Capitol, Room 323
House Office Building
402 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300

Thanks, and have a greyt day!

On Diabetes and Autism?

I wrote a guest post about diabetes in "pets" at Paw Talk called "Lessons Learned" which was published over the weekend. I think it's important to reach out to the pet people, as many have already demonstrated their desire to see sentient nonhumans as more than just commodities. Perhaps with time and some exposure to a reasonable line of thinking regarding those they see as pets, progress can be made regarding those they see as food or clothing. After all, I was a cat person as a child. A cat person who liked the taste of chickens (though I later realized that fried batter was the taste I liked).

Diabetes is still one of the top five reasons readers come to Animal Person, and I understand why. Diabetes in humans is its own industry and it's out in the open and there are seminars and commercials and books about it, all of which encourage the person with the disease to take control of it.

But when it comes to "pets," it's all very cloak and dagger. You have to trust your veterinarian to do all of the work and then you just follow the instructions about insulin. However that doesn't educate you or put you next to the disease on a daily basis--there'e always a vet (/"expert") between you. Confidence in dealing with the disease comes from knowing as much as possible and doing as much as possible (i.e., testing, blood curves, taking lots of notes about how different variables affect the animal in your care).

Next, I've always felt like I couldn't talk about why Temple Grandin's autism made her the spokesperson for a different way to kill because that would be politically incorrect. Her autism gives her a free pass of sorts, at least from me. But not from Jeffrey Masson and Jeff Nelson in "Temple Grandin: Using Autism to Make Money Killing Animals," who say what many of us have been thinking:

“Grandin’s autism gives her a special understanding of what animals, whether house cats or cattle, think, feel and—perhaps most important—desire.” The reviewer [who wrote that sentence] has bought into the myth that Dr. Grandin seeks most to instill: because she is autistic, she understands animals. All you need to do is say this aloud to realize how ridiculous it is. Try it in other ways: “I am depressed, so I understand dogs.” “I hear voices, so I understand birds.” We have never heard anyone describe an animal, any animal, as autistic, so why should somebody who is autistic understand animals better than anyone else?
 . . . .
Why would we need to have somebody self-proclaimed as autistic explain these emotions to us? All we need to do is live with any animal—dog, cat, parrot, cow, chicken, pig, sheep, goat, or even rat—to understand how deeply they feel emotions similar to ours.

Temple Grandin is the perfect spokesperson for animal exploitation industries because, like me, many people are loath to ask what could possibly make her more qualified than anyone else to talk about the thoughts and feelings of sentient nonhumans. I'm glad someone finally has.

Good News/ Bad News for Guam Greyhounds

The good news is that the only greyhound racetrack in Guam, which had about 250 dogs, abruptly closed after its owner, John Baldwin, could not get casino-style gambling approved for the property. The bad news is that Baldwin just started giving away greyhounds to anyone who came to the track. None of the hounds were spayed or neutered, and no records were kept. Obviously, no home studies were done and no background information was taken, and some of the hounds were given to dog fighting enthusiasts who used them as bait dogs. Many who took dogs later dumped them in remote places. It is not known exactly how many escaped from their new "homes" or how many have died (until their corpses are found, as a handful have). Evidently approximately 120+ dogs are ready for forever homes (more on that in a bit).

Guam Greyhounds writes:

We received a call from a passerby about two dogs tied to a boat in Umatac - down at the very southern part of the island. I spoke to the owner and he said he got them from the race track in the first week when they started giving them away. He took a male and female to breed them for later on and also to guard his fishing boat. They were both emaciated and when I questioned him about feeding them, he said he didn't know how to care for them anymore, because they wouldn't eat what he gave them. With some friendly persuasion I convinced him to sign them both over to GAIN. He wanted to be assured that we won't use them to race and then " make money out of them". I informed him that they are now officially retired and will never race again.

The human moral compass is a fascinating thing. This person apparently didn't think it was right to race the dogs for profit, yet breeding them as guard dogs, or basically starving them, or tying them to a boat, presented no problems for him.

We humans are quite a conflicted species.

Not all of the dogs were given away. Some were simply released into the villages and jungles to fend for themselves. There is an also unknown number of dogs at the track whose futures are unclear and in the hands of the track management. Why any of this occurred this way when any rescue group would find a way to take them, I have no idea.

The island, a U.S. territory, is about three times the size of Washington  D.C. with a population of 175,000 people.  Imagine a hundred greyhounds running loose. Imagine the future ecological catastrophe and public health problem when even a few surviving females come into heat.

Volunteers of Guam Animals in Need (GAIN) are coralling/rescuing, rehabbing, and sending dogs to Homestretch Greyhound Rescue & Adoption in California, every three to five days, for further treatment and relocation to other west coast rescue groups.

You can donate to GAIN through Grey2kUSA here (and mark the gift "for Guam greyhounds), and to Homestretch here.

Colorado Votes Against Re-opening Dog Track

I didn't know about this until it was over, and thank heavens it all turned out okay, but greyhound racing came close to being revived in Colorado. Mile High Greyhound Park was almost given a window of opportunity to reopen.

Thankfully, Charmaine Settle, a Grey2K USA board member, sprang into action. According to an e-mail I received last night from Grey2K USA:

With just 48 hours notice, Charmaine and her husband Bill created a presentation for the legislative committee considering a bill to restore dog racing to Colorado. She also engaged representatives from the Rocky Mountain Animal Defense League, Colorado League of Humane Voters, Focus on the Family and the Humane Society of the United States to testify for the greyhounds. Thanks to these efforts a vote to advance HB 1095 failed.

If HB 1095 had passed, Mile High Greyhound Park might have re-opened and the cruelty of dog racing would have recommenced in Colorado. Thanks to Charmaine this will not happen and we will remain vigilant to ensure this harmful proposal is not revived.

Greyhound racing is per se illegal in 35 states. In five others the tracks have closed but a statute that actually prohibits dog racing hasn't been enacted yet. Pari-mutuel dog racing remains legal and operational in 10 states: Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Alabama, West Virginia, New Hampshire and Rhode Island (and a ban will go into effect in Massachusetts in 2010). If you'd like to know more about greyhound racing and how to stop it, contact Grey2k USA or the Grey2K USA Education Fund.

I'm Daryl Hannah, and Other Good News

Bea wanted some good news today, and here it is: I'm Daryl Hannah. That's good news for me, and your good news is that maybe you're Woody Harrelson or Paul Watson.

This is all according to "What's Your Green Personality?" at TheDailyGreen, which is a minute-long quiz that has a space for comments and that doesn't ever mention veganism. Funny thing, as I'm all three of the aforementioned celebrity-types, and they're all vegans. Strange omission. But mainstream enviros are loathe to mention animals without the word "sustainable," followed of course by their rationale for continuing to eat their "tasty" steak.

Wow, this is getting cynical for a good news day.

Let me start over.

Did you hear that 1 in 200 children is a vegetarian? (That's about 367,000 kids.) And that the rate could be four to six times higher for older kids who have more control over what they eat? (Here's more on the study.) The less-good news is that the number of vegetarian adults is not on the rise. Furthermore, vegetarian doesn't mean vegan (though it doesn't not mean vegan, either).

Wait, good news, only good news.

Let me start over, one more time.

Those Stella McCartney running shoes? They're vegan. That's great news. But I suppose it doesn't count as you already knew that. The less-great news? They were $135. And even less-great? My heels are killing me, my shins hurt as well, and I'm going back to Asics.

Damn. Did it again.

One last time.

Charles doesn't have cancer! How's that for good news? He has some kind of soft-tissue damage in his back right leg, but no broken bones or cancer (50% of middle-aged greyhounds who go to the vet lame will have osteosarcoma). And he must be mildly tranquilized because he is so frustrated from not being allowed to run that he's going crazy and can easily aggravate his injury.

But he doesn't have cancer. And that makes at least the running shoes a lot less of a big deal.

Find Adam Some Good News

Adam wanted me to find him some good news yesterday and I'm thinking of billing him for my time because it took me an hour.

:)

Here's the problem: If I were a welfarist, I'd have plenty of good news to report. A slight change in the slaughter technique of chickens, horses not being slaughtered here (but still being slaughtered elsewhere, and after excruciating transport), a designer ceasing the use of fur trim on his leather goods, a fast food chain introducing a vegetarian option that can be made vegan, an upswing in the number of some endangered species (that will become delisted and hunting will resume). These all could be seen as victories. They all could be seen as good news.

Can any of them be said to be steps toward the abolition of the use of any sentient nonhuman? At the very least we can say that it's impossible to tell in 2008. The answer will become clearer in a decade or two. Maybe. I can say, however, that more people are more aware of the myriad uses and abuses of animals than ever before in my lifetime, from my observation. And I can also say that more animals are being brought into this world only to be used and slaughtered than ever before (and that one's not just in my lifetime).

From my vantage point, I'm not overwhelmed with good news. I see a lot of excuses and rationalizations, and a lot of individuals claiming to care but admitting they're "weak" and therefore not able to stop eating animals like us vegan superheroes.

But I also see individuals around me making choices that represent a drastic departure from the way they were raised and the way our culture tells them to choose. I do see more people cutting back on animal products. But that's just people around me, and it's not a real indication of anything.

And, of course, I do see a light at the end of the tunnel for greyhounds, which brings me to the good news, which I found right here in the greyhound abuse capital of the US of A in "Officials say 'no' to poker at greyhound track" (in Pensacola). This is impressive because the economy is in such bad shape, and Florida's housing market has been hit particularly hard (along with California), that if I were a betting person I might have bet against the dogs and for Escambia County expanding gambling in the form of poker rooms at the dog track. Foreclosures, it turns out, have been caused by gambling though, and that was part of the reason for the vote against expansion. (Clearly, I should not gamble.)

There is no--no--mention of the dogs in the article. This was all about whether or not gambling is "moral."

And just so you know, a former security guard at the Pensacola Greyhound Track, Robert L. Rhodes, spent "his entire adult life" slaughtering greyhounds by shooting them, sometimes in the neck or mouth (he was aiming for the brain), for $10 each. He slaughtered up to 3,000 dogs in the last 10 years and dumped them in pits on his property.

If you were wondering what often happens to greyhounds, whether they are winners or not, now you know. Some get sold to laboratories for medical research (or donated and a tax deduction for the "property" donated is taken), some get adopted by nice people, some get adopted by horrible people, some get a lethal injection (which is perfectly legal to do to a healthy greyhound, by the way), and some get shot in the head, neck or mouth and dumped in a pit.

No poker rooms spells the end to racing in Pensacola--inevitably. And it spells even fewer dogs being bred to be used and slaughtered. Is that a huge victory? Stupendous news? It's a great step in the right direction, for sure.

It took some doing, but there's your good news. And if you've found any, Adam and I would love to hear about it!

Happy Birthday Violet Rays!

During the second half of 2004, I slowly became unhealthily preoccupied with greyhound racing, and more specifically, with adopting a retired racer. Each day, I’d check Petfinder.com, hoping for the magical moment when I’d see a dog and say, “That’s the one.” As with Emily, I was looking for an older creature or one with special needs (not special needs as in “doesn’t tolerate cats”). The special needs dogs are marked with a green heart on Petfinder.com, which makes locating them quick and easy. 

I spoke with a woman who allegedly reads auras during the time I was searching for a dog and, truth be told, convincing my husband to come on board with the idea. The woman told me that my aura could be Indigo, though that would be unlikely as Indigos my age are uncommon (they would more likely be young children at the time), and recent ones, such as Michael Jackson and the Columbine killers, were evidence that I probably wouldn’t want to be an Indigo who's over 30 anyway. More likely, she thought, I was a Violet, which seemed about right. When I saw Violet Rays, a diabetic, red brindle on Petfinder, I knew she was the one, and I began campaigning for her adoption. 

I detest the racing industry and the stupid names they choose for the dogs, so I was surprised that she had such a nifty one. Though I was sure I was supposed to save Violet Rays, to say the adoption process did not go well would be a grave understatement. I inadvertently offended the rescue group when I told them that Violet was not as healthy as they claimed, and that her teeth would cost nearly $1,000 to clean. They threatened to take her away from me, and after mediators, pet psychics, three veterinarians, and six thousand dollars of veterinary care and supplies, I evidently demonstrated my fitness as a greyhound guardian, and was permitted to keep her. 

It took a year to regulate Violet’s diabetes, with fifty percent of that year spent at the vet and Violet dropping to under 50 pounds (her racing weight was 61). After having my third vet say, “I can’t help her,” I proceeded to specialists near Miami. Internist Dr. Toll gave me the best advice yet: "Stop going to the vet and regulate her yourself at home." And I did, and she gained nearly 15 pounds and was joyous and playful until . . . she went blind. We replaced her cataracts (via phacoemulsification) and she was delighted to have her sight back. For four months. Then her left retina detached and she began to go blind in that eye. Then she developed glaucoma.

Ah, but that doesn't stop her from running at top speed at the baseball field or the beach at sunrise, or leaping around the house while tossing her toys in the air and catching them, or correcting the behavior of any dog in the neighborhood, no matter how large.

The Great Food Wars
One thing I was thoroughly unprepared for when I adopted Violet was the controversy around what to feed her. I was shocked to discover that there’s an entire subculture of people who spend a lot--and by that I mean too much--time talking about poop, omnivore versus carnivore versus herbivore, raw food, and whether kibble is the food of the devil.

At first, I was swept into the cult-like energy of the raw foodists, who believe that raw meat and meaty bones should be the basis of the canine diet, as it replicates the diet of wolves in the wild. The idea is that if my dogs were in the wild, they’d maybe catch a rabbit, go for her stomach, which would contain some partially-digested veggies and maybe fruits (but no grains), then proceed to eat her, bones and all. However, if my dogs were in the wild, they’d be dead by now, either due to predators or choking on bones or stepping into traps meant for fur-bearing animals. They probably wouldn’t live past ten-years old, and they’d be hungry most of the time. I’m not quite sure why we’d want to replicate that.

Furthermore, just because a creature does something in the wild, doesn’t mean he should do it in your home if you want maximum health benefits and longevity. What’s the goal, here, to get greyhounds to live as they would in the wild, or to help them live happy, healthy, disease-free, long lives? (And the same goes true for people.)

This conundrum hit me when I was deep into raw food. And I mean deep. I would buy carcasses of chickens and rabbits from butchers, and procure oxtails and cow marrow bones to clean the teeth of my hounds (and I must say they did a fabulous job). I ground up greens and fed them no grains, and they produced what my husband called “diamonds” in place of poop. “Time to make the diamonds,” he’d say, inviting them for a walk.

But Violet’s blood sugar was way up during the raw food phase, despite all of the “experts” telling me that it was grains that would be a problem for her. I decided to ignore the raw food “experts” and feed Violet whatever appeared to make her the happiest and healthiest, as evidenced by her bloodwork, coat, skin, breath, energy, and of course, poop. And that hasn't been one type of food. She thrives on a diet without animal products as well as one with some animal products, but not on the diet of a carnivore.

My favorite Violet Rays story of all time occurred two years ago. I was walking her and Charles on a walking path that's like a corridor, where there's nowhere for them to go and they know almost everyone who might show up. I unhooked their leashes so they could run at full speed for a couple of minutes, and they had a grand ole time. On their final run, Violet was speeding toward me and her hind legs slipped on mud created by the virtually-nonexistent Hurricane Ernesto. She plowed into me and knocked me over and unconscious. When I came to, two wet noses were nudging my face and I had a pounding headache, a cut up knee, and a cut up, sprained arm, which was later put in a splint and sling.

The following exchange occurred between the woman who did my CAT scan and me.

CAT scan woman: Wow, you look pretty good for having gotten hit by a bus!

me: I didn't get hit by a bus.

CAT scan woman: They told me you got hit by a Greyhound bus.

me: I was hit by a Greyhound DOG, not a Greyhound BUS.

CAT scan woman: In that case, you look really bad.

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY VIOLET RAYS!

On Why I Haven't Joined the Obama Dog Craze

I signed the Presidential Pooch Pardon, and I think we all should. But I've been getting asked why I haven't started a campaign for a greyhound in the White House, and I wanted to address that. (Greyhounds are hypoallergenic.)

I'm not sure how good an idea it is to campaign for any kind of purebreed dog as the next White House companion animal. I think the focus on saving a life by adopting from a shelter is the simplest message that's least likely to have unintended, negative consequences.

Like what, you ask?

Let's say Obama goes with the goldendoodle, but gets her from a breed rescue group or a shelter rather than a breeder. Yes, there's a rescue message in there, but there's also a purebreed message in there. Considering the extent to which this particular President Elect has become somewhat of a cult figure, I'd be concerned that he might start an accidental trend--an increase in the demand for goldendoodles. And that means an increase in the breeding of goldendoodles.

The greyhound situation is actually worse, in that rescuing a greyhound, and particularly one who raced, isn't as smooth sailing as it is often made out to be. Yes, they can be giant couch potatoes and they are very catlike. But they also need to run in an enclosed area, for hundreds of yards at a time, at least a couple of times a week, and they create divots galore, especially when they turn. And trotting them out onto the White House lawn without a leash is fine (as there are fences . . . eventually), until they see a squirrel, at which time they take off like a shot and will very likely mow down anyone in their path in an attempt to catch the squirrel. And they have behavioral issues and socialization issues (most often both are around small dogs, as greyhounds have high prey drives which are exploited during training). What has been done to them during the first two years of their lives can turn them into difficult pets. Now, with love and patience and time, that situation can change, but they have had very hard lives before they are rescued, and it shows.

Meanwhile, there are greyhounds who are bred for show, and they don't have the issues that retired racers have. And a greyhound in the White House is bound to increase the demand for non-racing greyhounds, particularly once the word gets out that they don't have the same problems.

Finally, it's not out of the realm of possibility that a greyhound in the White House might actually help the dog racing industry. We simply don't know what would happen and it's too risky to throw the dice and find out.

I say let the industry die the death that's already begun, educate people about dog racing and also get them to question the idea that racing dogs is even acceptable, adopt a retired racer if you can (they're certainly not for everyone), and when you get the chance to vote for a racing ban or in any other way support one, do so.

On Token Gestures for Nonhumans and a PPS Opportunity

"Great Apes Debate Leads to EU Testing Ban Proposal" (Reuters) begins with:

"Europe's environment chief plans to ban laboratory tests on mankind's closest relatives -- chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and orangutans -- in a clampdown on animal testing by the drugs industry and other laboratories."

The funny thing is that there haven't been any great apes used in research in the EU in six years.

At first I thought: This is like what happened in the states in the US that banned greyhound racing after the sport had already died and there were no operational dog tracks in those states (that happened with every state but Massachusetts). And it does help because it virtually prevents racing from being revived. But the analogy isn't a good one for several reasons:

1. The EU proposal stipulates that:" Great apes could only be used in experiments if the survival of the species itself was at stake, or in the case of an unexpected outbreak of a life-threatening or debilitating disease in human beings." Ah, the old we're-doing-this for-your-own-good rationale (the good of apes or people, so they've got everyone covered). Translation? If researchers want a reason to experiment on great apes, my money says they'll be able to find/create one that fits the criteria. I don't see the proposal communicating respect for the natural life of great apes. It says: Sure, we respect you and think you should be spared experimentation--until we don't.
2. Monkeys are not included. This is like if the ban on dog racing included only greyhounds, which could easily spark a whippet racing industry (if anyone cared about dog racing anymore, and the industry's real problem is lack of interest). I do think it's wonderful to ban the use of an animal, but it's not really anything to write home about if another animal will be abused in the place of the banned one. This reminds me of the people who stop eating "red meat" and just eat more chickens. That's great for cows, but not so great for chickens.

The proposal "is considered by many animal advocates as something of a token gesture." And that's animal welfare groups! You know a proposal doesn't do anything significant if welfare groups don't even like it.

As for Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary, you may know that they have the opportunity to expand the sanctuary by 35 acres and acquire a 4,000 square foot home (to be used as an Education Center, volunteer housing and for sanctuary visitors). $70,000 of the $100,000 needed has been raised and PPS needs $30,000 before the end of the week to make a cash offer on the property, which will be used to exploit and enslave animals if they don't raise the money!

I'm overnighting $1,000 today (of the money allotted for my SEP-IRA, as I'm not exactly rolling in extra cash this year).

Please donate whatever you can (click on "Make a Donation" on the left side, below the word "Go").

Greyhound Racing Banned in Massachusetts

I'm thrilled to announce that Question 3 on the Massachusetts ballot was passed and greyhound racing will end at the state's two tracks by January 1, 2010.

Thanks to Christine and everyone else at Grey2KUSA and the Committee to Protect Dogs for their tireless work.

Now, about Florida . . .

On Daylight Savings Time and "The End of America"

Sunday morning, Monday morning, and today, at 4:30, I heard a breathing sound frightfully close to my face, and it wasn't coming from my husband. I slowly opened my eyes and saw six eyes staring back at me. Charles, Violet and Emily haven't gotten the memo that we humans decided not only that we would invent a way to think about what occurs in our lives and the life of the universe and call it Time, but we would then manipulate it in an attempt to serve the economy or decrease the use of electricity.

It's not their fault, but for them it was 5:30 am, and that means it was time for breakfast.

I have to get them used to the new schedule, but rather than making them wait 60 minutes, which basically would have been equivalent to giving myself a headache, I settled for 20. And what a long and annoying 20 it was, including pacing and circling (Charles), rooing (Violet-it's the greyhound's way of talking) and smacking me in the face (Emily-and she did it without her claws, thank heavens).

These mornings remind me of how much the nonhumans in our homes depend on us and acclimate themselves to our lives. They eat when we allow them to, they go out when we allow them to, and they go in the c-a-r (we can't say the word in our house without a stampede to the garage) only when we allow them to.

It's Election Day, and I long to be able to see the day when I'm going to go to my polling place and cast a vote for the end to some use (any use, really) of sentient nonhumans. I long for the day that we've done such a great job with our vegan education that experimentation on animals is rarely done, horse racing, dog racing, circuses and rodeos are all but extinct, and we will vote to legally ban all of them. (I doubt the ban will come first, and I doubt animals we use for food will be first to be given consideration.) I long for the day that I don't feel compelled to rescue greyhounds, because their breeding has dramatically decreased due to the death of the dog racing industry.

Finally, last month, Kelly informed us in a comment that there was film about Naomi Wolf's book tour for Give Me Liberty (I posted about it twice--it's the sequel to The End of America) at My America Project . On this Election Day, no matter whom you have decided is deserving of your vote, in honor of the founding fathers whose work has largely been undone, I recommend watching "The End of America," and sending it to your friends and family.

And of course . . .

MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS VOTE YES ON QUESTION 3!