link--this

I consider myself an animal advocate, but nowhere near to the point where PETA is. I believe that there should be tougher anti-cruelty laws for people who abuse animals, and I believe in educating people about spaying/neutering pets. I also believe that it should be illegal for landlords to refuse to rent to people because they have pets.

On the other hand, I do eat meat, and drink milk. It is the way of nature for animals to kill other animals for food. Try telling a tiger in the jungle that it's cruel to eat meat, and you'll be his next snack! Although I choose not to wear fur, I do wear leather, as they don't kill the animal just for the leather...they use the meat, too.

Anyway, this kind of thing is exactly the problem I have with PETA. Stuff like this gets on the news, and many people assume that anyone who does any animal advocacy work at all is *one of those PETA nutcases*. Try to get the message out about spay/neuter, and find you are not taken seriously.

This pisses me off to no end!

¤ ¤ credit: Christine M. | 03.27.02 at 07:01 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

oh, don't even mention the spay/neuter thing... last night on the news, there was this story about how they're proposing to change a state (CA) law that would make it so animals left put in the shelter will be euthanized after three, coun't 'em THREE days. and you KNOW at least half of these pets come from families who just find it a nuisance to care for an animal. those fuckers should be caged for three days, then lined up and shot.

¤ ¤ credit: mikey | 03.27.02 at 07:12 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

And don't get me started on the fuckers that want to clone existing animals as household pets (not for science/research) rather than send people to the shelters to take home the ones that just have three more days to live...

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 03.27.02 at 07:19 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Ok, I'm really not a religious person, but I can see exactly how a billboard like that is really going to offend a lot of people.

I'm also of the school that thinks activism for animal rights is wonderful and I too feel badly for people who get tossed into the "PETA freaks" description.

¤ ¤ credit: sherry | 03.27.02 at 07:29 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

First of all, I found your blog through Susan's, and enjoy it immensely!

I am vegan, not because I think it is unnatural or immoral to eat/wear/use animal products, but because of the cruel and, well, nasty ways animals are raised and slaughtered. I often consult PETA for information, but I refuse to be a member or associate myself with them because I don't support some of their non-peaceful and destructive methods of protest and awareness.

It's so encouraging to read the posts here supporting spaying/neutering and adopting from shelters.

¤ ¤ credit: Miranda | 03.27.02 at 07:39 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Robyn, I am with you on that cloning thing...I ranted about it a while back!

There was an article in Time magazine, which showed a picture of the cloned kitty...and its mommy. They looked NOTHING alike. So what is the point in cloning a deceased pet if it's not going to look or act anything like the original? What's the point in doing it AT ALL???

Mikey...if they ever do line these people up and shoot them...I wanna sign up as a shooter!

¤ ¤ credit: Christine M. | 03.27.02 at 10:01 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

my brother got his dog from the animal shelter... and he's really the coolest dog ever. so i'll always encourage picking a dog up from there, nevermind the fact that it'll save a life...

¤ ¤ credit: mikey | 03.28.02 at 04:15 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

Have you seen our Madeline? We got her as a rescue kitty after Florida east coast fires in 1998 (which lasted for weeks). When people were evacuated all along the coast, they were finding pets tied to mailboxes, just hoping firemen would find them! They had so many in the shelters they were shipping the abandoned babies to Miami and Tampa BY THE SEMI-TRUCK FULL! When they did a news story on it, Todd didn't even have to ask...and we were in line at 8 a.m. the next morning at the local shelter taking them in, and came home with Madeline...

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 03.28.02 at 01:57 PM | link--this ¤ ¤