hoffpig

:D

My one-eyed, blind, deaf, 15-year-old, rescued shih tzu was at large today. I am really pleased I found him before he terrorized any member of the public, encountered council or, indeed, ran into many of the dog lovers who voice their opinions on this thread. Good luck, Hugo. And good luck to his owners, too. They obviously give a damn. So many dogs are not that lucky.

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Are you people actually happy that owners of greyhounds sell their dogs to universities if the dog doesn't perform or is done breeding or whatever? Is this OK in the universe?

No-one is going to adopt the dogs. It is a matter of keeping animals out of laboratories as much as possible, because past abuse of animals in laboratories has been sickening and horrendous. It is all about being vigilant to the nth degree - and not offering animals up as cheap objects for the experiments of the 80s and 2010s and 2020s like gormless, unconscionable idiots because it might suit science, councils and people who think animals are worth nothing.

Editing to expunge a rather heated observation. Hmm, hijacking, and where debate goes on these forums. Hijacking? Moi? You have SO got to be kidding.

Ah, surgeons might take organs from a "dying" human being - but they don't get to experiment on perfectly healthy folk at, say, $2 a pop, honing their skills.

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Petition signed and forwarded. I'll write to councillors tomorrow.

The law is an ass. Fellow we know, for eg, settled an argument by smacking his pal a good one on the head with a machete. Hospital long time. He is very probably the "criminal" these folk were sitting with, while wasting their lives, defending their case and standing up for dog owners who believe there's more to life that red tape. They had carried a 10lb dog across some sand, and admitted as much: had they scrambled across rocks to assigned spot they'd have been within the law. Aforementioned bloke had police descend in quantity to search his council home - and miraculously find no signs of dope dealing, but still his taxpayer-funded legal counsel expected a 4 to 6-year jail term. He's home and hosed, hurrah! No costs at all but to the court and hospital systems and society. Think there's a two-year "good behaviour" bond. Hmm. People who carried a small dog across a patch of beach and did no harm to anyone or anything cop penalties of $1200. Hmm. Thinks: I'll walk my dogs on empty beaches and take my chances that common sense prevails - though one does despair, rather.

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Should people be able to walk down a country lane with an off-leash dog? Or should the fines still apply? For e.g. if I am visiting my friends in Cobbora, is it irresponsible to walk my three 12-year-old, small to middling, well-mannered dogs off-leash down the dirt road outside their house (and 100+ hectares) and if I am fined $330x3 should I defend the case? If a responsible dog owner deems that no possible harm can be done by, or to, their very small dog on the rocks out of reach of any bather or anyone else on a beach ... ... we have such a different idea of dickhead it is quite amazing that we are even of the same species. We also have very different ideas about freedoms that are worth defending. We also clearly have a very different notion of what enjoying dogs is all about - and here where I live, when beaches are E-M-P-T-Y, as they will be for hours on any weekday (and for days in winter), my boys and I will frolic and rejoice with any other of the many dog owners who also think stupid, stifling, ghastly laws that do no one but revenue any good should be shoved where the sun don't shine. And, yes, if I cop a fine I will fight it in court. If rights aren't worth defending, some simple pleasures surely are. Also, I despair of people blaming "irresponsible dog owners" all the time even when nothing has happened and less than bugger all (as in this instance) harm has been done. This person copped court costs that might have bought four rescues from Monika's. They think it's absurd, and so do I. But even more ridiculous is how Good dog owners are tails down, back in their box, whimpering and yelping "bad dog owner" and having their animals' liberties curtailed at every juncture - banned from beaches, parks, playgrounds, cafes and all the rest. Muzzles on. Jackboots on ... and down this road we go. But maybe leave the dog at home, just to be safe.