So, I'm sure any of you who watch Animal Planet have seen the ads for the ASPCA (support them!) where Sarah McLachlan sings soulfully over video footage of really sad and abused animals. I cry every time, it's shameless. In fact, they've been so ubiquitous, that SNL and other people have been making parodies of the ads, which are actually quite funny (check out YouTube), and I don't think they do any real harm, since the kind of person who is left cold by the images of animals in pain is not going to donate (donate!) to the ASPCA (donate! Subtle subliminal typing-type message!) anyway.
They have a new one with what I thought was another SM song, but it's actually "My Skin", by Natalie Merchant (it's on i-tunes, I just bought it this morning), and it's even more agonizingly sad than "Answer" (SM), because the words are "I've been treated so long/ I've been treated so long/ As if I'm becoming untouchable", and I dare anyone not to be even the tiniest bit moved by the dog with all-over mange as those words are sung. It reduces me to absolute floods, but I'm easy to make tearful, thanks to the Vicodin. I'm easy to get with animal stuff anyway, but those ads are killer.
Anyway, It was just in my mind, I've got nothing really to say about the ASPCA, except that I like what they do a lot better than the Group That Begins With A P That Shall Not Be Named, because they and the rescue groups that work with them actually try to rehabilitate the animals that come in from abusive situations. And I'm not on board with the idea of treating animals as absolute equals to humans until we allow them to vote, work for a salary, and pay taxes. And the ASPCA isn't violent. I don't think the way to get people to treat animals better is to threaten them, insult them, offend them, and abuse them.
I'm just sayin'.
No group is perfect; there are always, always - no exceptions - issues with organizations run by people, because people are not perfect. But the ASPCA tries, and for that, they get my support. Yes, you can always make the argument that there are people in horrible situations, and why worry about animals when people are suffering, but my view is that it's all interconnected - animal abuse and people abuse go hand in hand, and all abuse is unforgiveable. I'm not a vegetarian (though I'm not really a big meat eater), because I accept that I am an omnivore, and as a species, we eat other species (like other carnivores and omnivores - and I'm not really averse to eating insects, as long as they're cooked), but I don't think farm animals should suffer, and I'm against feed lots, battery farming, and people who abuse farm animals, because it's unnecessary and it makes the meat taste like crap.
I went off on a tangent there; sorry.
I like animals - they seem to like me most of the time. I don't think it's appropriate to ignore animal cruelty, just like I don't think it's appropriate to ignore human cruelty - though both are ignored and glossed over every day. I think the world changes for the better a little bit at a time, and the small stuff is the foundation for the bigger stuff.
Um, yeah. All that from a song I like, and a commercial that makes me weepy.
Blame it on the snow day.
They have a new one with what I thought was another SM song, but it's actually "My Skin", by Natalie Merchant (it's on i-tunes, I just bought it this morning), and it's even more agonizingly sad than "Answer" (SM), because the words are "I've been treated so long/ I've been treated so long/ As if I'm becoming untouchable", and I dare anyone not to be even the tiniest bit moved by the dog with all-over mange as those words are sung. It reduces me to absolute floods, but I'm easy to make tearful, thanks to the Vicodin. I'm easy to get with animal stuff anyway, but those ads are killer.
Anyway, It was just in my mind, I've got nothing really to say about the ASPCA, except that I like what they do a lot better than the Group That Begins With A P That Shall Not Be Named, because they and the rescue groups that work with them actually try to rehabilitate the animals that come in from abusive situations. And I'm not on board with the idea of treating animals as absolute equals to humans until we allow them to vote, work for a salary, and pay taxes. And the ASPCA isn't violent. I don't think the way to get people to treat animals better is to threaten them, insult them, offend them, and abuse them.
I'm just sayin'.
No group is perfect; there are always, always - no exceptions - issues with organizations run by people, because people are not perfect. But the ASPCA tries, and for that, they get my support. Yes, you can always make the argument that there are people in horrible situations, and why worry about animals when people are suffering, but my view is that it's all interconnected - animal abuse and people abuse go hand in hand, and all abuse is unforgiveable. I'm not a vegetarian (though I'm not really a big meat eater), because I accept that I am an omnivore, and as a species, we eat other species (like other carnivores and omnivores - and I'm not really averse to eating insects, as long as they're cooked), but I don't think farm animals should suffer, and I'm against feed lots, battery farming, and people who abuse farm animals, because it's unnecessary and it makes the meat taste like crap.
I went off on a tangent there; sorry.
I like animals - they seem to like me most of the time. I don't think it's appropriate to ignore animal cruelty, just like I don't think it's appropriate to ignore human cruelty - though both are ignored and glossed over every day. I think the world changes for the better a little bit at a time, and the small stuff is the foundation for the bigger stuff.
Um, yeah. All that from a song I like, and a commercial that makes me weepy.
Blame it on the snow day.
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Comments
BINGO.
I used to support Greenpeace, too, but like their founder, they lost me when they decided to go from a "save the earth" to a "destroy capitalism" stance. I like the earth, and I like animals, but both organizations are no longer really focused on what they claim they're trying to protect, but practising a kind of unfocused nihilism that isn't accomplishing anything except alienating their possible supporters.
I'm all for publicity stunts that bring attention to injustices or corporate malfeasance, but equating battery farming to the deaths of the Holocaust, and setting off bombs that hurt innocent people isn't cool.
And - if you do the same (go to You Tube), do NOT click on the one that says "animal abuse, graphic pictures". I didn't make it through the whole thing and it has left me shaking with rage.
Are they our equals? Hell no! IMO, Human Cruelty is orders of magnitude worse.
Ｓｕｄｄｅｎ ｗｏｎｋｙ ｆｏｒｍａｔｔｉｎｇ ｎｏｔｗｉｔｈｓｔａｎｄｉｎｇ， ｔｈｅ ＴｕｄｏｒＣａｔｓ ａｎｄ Ｉ ｗｉｓｈ ｙｏｕ ａｌｌ ｈａｐｐｙ ｔｈｉｎｇｓ． Ｉｎｃｌｕｄｉｎｇ ｂｏｘ ｔｕｒｔｌｅｓ． ｘｏｘｏｘｏｘｏｘｏ
*sniffle*
because thats better than the Humane Society how?
i have 8 adopted cats and a dog i got from women's humane. who is currently fighting a skin allergy that makes him tear his back up.
i couldnt watch the ads and am glad i dont have Tv
That said, I tend to give the ASPCA a bit of a hairy eyeball, since they seem to feel that veterinarians who don't work for them are Teh Evil. Very much tired of that, thankyouverymuch.
Sometimes you may find you do more good locating a local rescue group THAT DOES GOOD WORK and donate directly. Or volunteer. Foster some kittens. Go play with the dogs. Bring old towels, blankets, etc.
Not all rescue groups are created equal - some are pretty looney-tooney. You might (dare I say it) as a local vet for a referral.
That national, umbrella organization.... sometimes treads awfully close to the "Humans are evil and should be eliminated to leave the earth to the deserving critters" line. I have occasional philosophical differences with them, as they don't often think long term about their "stances." F'rinstance - if you alter the body of law to allow pet owners to sue for pain and suffering.... the cascading series of events will eventually create a culture in which liability insurance sky rockets and, ergo, so does veterinary care. How badly do you want to pay $4000 for a dog spay? Just sayin'.
It was started by the former director of the local SPCA after an, ahem, difference of opinion with their Board of Directors. The vast majority of volunteers at the SPCA followed him, which kind of shows you what their opinion was. I volunteered there for a while and they are wonderful with their animals and extremely active in rescuing them and finding them good homes. I think the SPCA BoD found him to be a bit too active for their tastes. They were worried about possible legal complications; he was more worried about the animals who were suffering.
It's a fact that there have been suits in the case of a couple of puppy mills and on his watch the SPCA had a very public one about a Katrina dog's adoption. But I think he gets animal loving lawyers to represent them pro bono and they've been more about the custody of the animals rather than for any damage awards. The condition of the animals would probably rule out any question of that, an animal has got to be in pretty sad shape before they actively take one away from it's owner.*
* They do so with the presence and blessing of the County Animal Welfare officers or local police, I must hasten to add, they don't just barge in and grab them. Most times it's Animal Welfare who calls them.
It's "pay it forward" of a sort, I guess.
The HSUS is a lobbying, fund-raising organization that does not run any shelters. There are those who say they're as bad as PETA when it comes to animal rights- I have no opinion on that myself as I don't deal with the HSUS. If I donate money it's directly to the charity of my choice.