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I've been wide awake since 3:00 AM. It's now 4:21 and I have to start getting ready for work in just over 2 hours.
The Calgary Herald (Edmontonians hate Calgary - it's our officlal rival city) ran a story in their paper about a bullmastiff cross who jumped a back fence and attacked a woman who was walking her friend's miniature pinscher. Well, the target of the attack was actually the little dog but the woman got in the middle of the frenzy and took some biting herself. The owner of the bullmastiff immediately and willingly surrendered the dog to the authorities.
Now, this is very very unfortunate and sad.
But here's what really really bugs me:
1) the number of on-line ANONYMOUS reader comments that strongly insist the woman who suffered non-life threatening but no doubt painful bites SUE the owner of the dog that jumped the fence - I quote a reader comment: "Yes....sue they must....My new club wanna join? It's called "People Before Dogs".
Seriously, we have developed into an alarmingly litigious society. We want to sue when people make faces at us or are rude to us or say mean things about us; when grandma dies in a nursing home at 97 years old because dammit, it must be someone's fault; when someone rear ends us going 10 KM/H; even when we're simply WITNESSES to a fatal traffic accident (yes, there is a lawsuit in the system from a guy who, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, saw a horrible car accident and he's suing the City of Edmonton because he still has nightmares). Our culture's penchant for get-rich-quick-by-suing-the-pants-off-everybody makes me sick.
2) the number of inane reader comments like "DOGS ARE NOT HUMANS" (well, duh, and that's a bad thing???).
3) Other comments like: "It is nice to know that dog attacks are down but obviously some people still aren't getting the message that big dogs can be dangerous." and "Any animal, big dogs in particular, can be dangerous or pose a health hazard."
4) For every unfortunate incident like this one, there are gazillion happy, courageous, heartwarming, wonderful stories of happy, courageous, heartwarming, wonderful dogs (even big ones) that don't make newspaper headlines.
So that's my 4:00 am rant. I'm done. Maybe I can catch an hour's worth of shut-eye before the alarm starts making obscene noises.
humans, as a species, are pretty disappointing alot of the time. every animal on our planet seems to reach it's full potential daily - it's inately wired-in to 'be the best' dog, cat, bird, etc. with all the potential and opportunities available to us, we humans miss the mark with our 'me first' mentality.
long ago, i was fortunate enough to share my life with a bullmastiff. he was the most loving and true being...
the older i get, the more i find humans will let you down, while dogs, cats and animals in general will strive to be the best... i know i'm jaded, but by gosh, i'm human...
charon
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
10711
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9 June 2010 - 8:20 pm
cometdog said: Charon, in my case - people die on me suddenly so I wouldn't know! Oh wait, so do my dogs! Am I jinxed?
I started to laugh (because the Comet always makes me laugh) but not this time. I'm trully sorry. It sounds as though you have lost many loved ones way to prematurely.
As a Former Calgarian (and never an Edmontonian ) - I find the cities in general, the smaller ones included to have some ridiculous views on dogs. The smaller towns seem to be so much more tolerant of pet life. Unfortunately we're back in a city - who thankfully passed a 'dangerous dog' act VS a BSL law - but believe me there was a big up roar from the bully haters.
Calgary just went through some sort of by-law reading (I was only half listening) and some Calgarians wanted to be able to keep chickens in their yards. Some chimed in saying they would rather have chickens then dogs next door - or that they should limit the amount of dogs people can own. One woman got on TV talking about her neighbors who had she 'thinks' 6 dogs who are kept inside all day. She blathered on about how they barked and pooped - then ended it with "They look like pitbulls and I fear for my safety!"
Give me a break lady - thanks for the ignorance!
It is sad the kind of society we live in today and it's sad that animals often pay the price for human stupidity - but as was already said - it's got to be someones fault, but it's never our own!
We better not let Monkey Butt read this - he might sue Comet for starting the Anti-Monkey-Butt-Force.
I know what you mean, Carmen - I think people are way too lawsuit-crazy. I'm sorry you had a sleepless night - I hate those! Especially when you get caught up thinking about stuff like needless lawsuits. Hope you have sweeter dreams tonight!
Susan
Holly joined the world of tripawds on 12/29/2009. She has a big little sister, Zuzu, who idolizes Holly and tries to make all of her toys into tripawds in Holly's honor. And she's enjoying life one hop at a time!
My thought on this topic and what plagues humankind is an almost encouraging acceptance or unawarness if you will of "Social Narcissism" which is at epidemic proportions in my opinion! Wow, I'm sorry that is really cynical of my. Oh well just a thought I had when I starting reading on this topic.
As a Former Calgarian (and never an Edmontonian ) ... It is sad the kind of society we live in today and it's sad that animals often pay the price for human stupidity - but as was already said - it's got to be someones fault, but it's never our own!
It's tough sometimes, that's for sure.
Oops. I wrote that bilge at 4:00 in the morning . No offence, Former Calgarian. Seriously, I don't give a heck of a lot of thought about Calgary except that two of my kids now live there. I do find it awfully big and fast and don't understand why anyone would want chickens in their yard???? And that lady thought dogs pooped???
You are right though, I'm afraid - it is indeed the era of "someone else's fault."
LOL no offense taken - friendly rivalry, one I partake in myself often. I live right in the middle now - going out to watch a hockey game almost requires SWAT gear to stay safe, LOL!
You find Calgary big and fast? I find Edmonton overwhelming, LOL. Can't find my way around to save my life in Edmonton!
BSL is breed specific legislation - like the pitbull bans in ontario, muzzling laws, leash laws etc - directed towards specific breeds - like my guys. I think we'd have up and moved (but not to Edmonton, LOL) if they chose the BSL over the 'dangerous dog' act - which penalizes dogs based on aggressive behavior rather than breed.
I don't know why anyone would want chickens - I'd rather have a neighbor with dogs than chickens! There would probably be less law suits if everyone had chickens for neighbors instead of humans, though!
My thought on this topic and what plagues humankind is an almost encouraging acceptance or unawarness if you will of "Social Narcissism" which is at epidemic proportions in my opinion!
It can be a crazy self-centered world for sure! I'm dreaming of retirement on a secluded island somewhere where I don't have to deal with people who don't think traffic signs and rules apply to them, who butt in lines at movie theatres and text on cell phones during the movie; who cluster at the top of escalators chatting, who push their grocery carts overflowing with goods to the "Express" line or worse, realize they've forgotten something and dash at an incredibly leisurely pace through the aisles to get it while a line-up of other customers wait; oh, my. I could go on and on. It makes me mental sometimes.
Of course, I am pretty tired right (never thought I'd see the day when I would be ready to call it a night at 9:12 in the evening)! . Riley's already headed upstairs to warm the bed.
LOL no offense taken - friendly rivalry, one I partake in myself often. I live right in the middle now - going out to watch a hockey game almost requires SWAT gear to stay safe, LOL! ...
I don't know why anyone would want chickens - I'd rather have a neighbor with dogs than chickens!
LOL!!! Too funny!! SWAT gear!! Hm. In the middle, like between both cities, like Red Deer??!