Wtf!?

[vancity_cowboy]

To be fair, they're not burying these animals for fun or anything, it's because they've been exposed to "foot and mouth" disease. If it does spread, those animals will die a very agonizing death.

if the hoof and mouth disease scare in korea is anything like the mad cow scare in north america, the animals haven't really been exposed to anything - but korea's hog sales will likely have been cut off by other trading partners thereby crippling their agriculture industry

however, different country, different culture, different values. i am no less disgusted by the practice than anybody else, but i know that europe and north america likely lead the world in animal welfare awareness - others lag far behind - but on the whole, if the size of population is taken into account, who is 'wrong'?

 

[mistressfreyja]

I was discussing this earlier today with a friend, and this was one question that arose. Very interesting, indeed.

So. It turns out that the SPCA was twice asked to assist in finding homes for the 100 dogs, but refused.http://www.vancouversun.com/news/ki...CA+help+separate+occasions/4206360/story.html

It turns out that the SPCA has decided that the 150 dogs that remain with the company "are not in need of protection". Let's do the math. 300 dogs -100 dogs killed = 200 dogs 200 dogs - 150 dogs "not in need of protection" = 50 dogs that have vanished. Somewhere out there are 50 dogs that most definately are in need of protection. What we can rely on is that they won't be getting it from the SPCA.

However, the SPCA's failure to protect the dogs shouldn't interfere in the SPCA's latest fundraising campaign - should it? It would be gross of me to point out on this page http://www.facebook.com/OneDollarForOneDogChallenge that 150 dogs are dead or missing from the 300 that pulled people around during the Olympics. And not one of those 150 dogs was "protected" by the SPCA just as the remaining 150 dogs won't receive any protection.

 

[uncleg]

Another Olympic Legacy, and a monument to greed. If anybody here is thinking that this is the first time this has happened, or that it will be the last is kidding themselves. PTSD, bullshit. Fawcett is a Director of Howling Dog and he was being sidelined by Outdoor Adventures. This is his payback, it doesn't justify what was done, but there is s bigger picture to this. Lancaster, mentions pedigree and value to the dogs, nope only as dogs. Most were mutts, crossbreeds Heinz 57 varieties. Some probably came from shelters in the first place and were picked up just for the Olympics. It's happened before, just not the numbers and no inhouse politics.

 

[tontos]

Another Olympic Legacy, and a monument to greed. If anybody here is thinking that this is the first time this has happened, or that it will be the last is kidding themselves. PTSD, bullshit. Fawcett is a Director of Howling Dog and he was being sidelined by Outdoor Adventures. This is his payback, it doesn't justify what was done, but there is s bigger picture to this. Lancaster, mentions pedigree and value to the dogs, nope only as dogs. Most were mutts, crossbreeds Heinz 57 varieties. Some probably came from shelters in the first place and were picked up just for the Olympics. It's happened before, just not the numbers and no inhouse politics.

If people stop bringing it up now that this has come to light then it will get buried like those poor pigs!! We need to follow up on these issues especially the dogs!There seems to be something funny with the SPCA. and their part in all this!? I find it very disturbing that they knew about their existense ,but did'nt did'nt do anything!??? Probably blame it on funding?? Is'nt this why they exist at all???

 

[jnewton]

If people stop bringing it up now that this has come to light then it will get buried like those poor pigs!! We need to follow up on these issues especially the dogs!There seems to be something funny with the SPCA. and their part in all this!? I find it very disturbing that they knew about their existense ,but did'nt did'nt do anything!??? Probably blame it on funding?? Is'nt this why they exist at all???

In the US, the largest abusers of animals are the government sanctioned shelters run by the SPCA and Humane Society. They operate in complete opposition to the ideals and principles of their founders. The vast majority of "official" shelters are run on an antiquated and utterly failed animal control model. Even the term "animal control" is an admission of failure.

The directors of these shelters, either through laziness or indifference or haughtiness, turn a blind eye to the work of the last few decades in the No Kill movement. Indeed, it is only in the last couple of years that the Humane Society has begun to recognize the incredible success that communities have achieved in No Kill when the director and staff are committed to the concept. It is no longer a question of will it work in large cities - San Francisco proved it could, Calgary proves it can. It is no longer a question of whether it will work in rural counties - Upstate New York proved it can. It isn't a question of it working in the "Bubba Belt" of the Southern US. Charlottesville, VA, and a number of other areas proved it can. Reno, Nevada, proved it. It is being proven around the USA and other countries every day, yet shelter directors continue to claim it won't work in their community. The only reason it won't is because the shelter director and staff have no vision. If the actions of your local SPCA disgust you, your best course of action is to demand that the current director be invited to find other employment and a new director brought in who is absolutely committed to No Kill.

 

[jnewton]

All of those dogs could have been adopted. And for the ones that weren't socialized, there are so many shelter, rescue centers, and options available. Best Friends in Utah, has a NO KILL policy. So all of the dogs that were unable to adapt to a life with a family would have had a great place to run and be well fed and taken care of for the rest of their lives. If you have ever seen the t.v. show "dogtown" you will know the place.

Thank you for mentioning Best Friends. It is an amazing place. I have been there several times and every time I visit, I come away with a renewed faith in the basic goodness of humanity. The work that they and like minded organizations such as Alley Cat Allies are doing is helping to make the goal of a No Kill USA come closer to reality.

 

[vancity_cowboy]

In the US, the largest abusers of animals are the government sanctioned shelters run by the SPCA and Humane Society. They operate in complete opposition to the ideals and principles of their founders. The vast majority of "official" shelters are run on an antiquated and utterly failed animal control model. Even the term "animal control" is an admission of failure.

The directors of these shelters, either through laziness or indifference or haughtiness, turn a blind eye to the work of the last few decades in the No Kill movement. Indeed, it is only in the last couple of years that the Humane Society has begun to recognize the incredible success that communities have achieved in No Kill when the director and staff are committed to the concept. It is no longer a question of will it work in large cities - San Francisco proved it could, Calgary proves it can. It is no longer a question of whether it will work in rural counties - Upstate New York proved it can. It isn't a question of it working in the "Bubba Belt" of the Southern US. Charlottesville, VA, and a number of other areas proved it can. Reno, Nevada, proved it. It is being proven around the USA and other countries every day, yet shelter directors continue to claim it won't work in their community. The only reason it won't is because the shelter director and staff have no vision. If the actions of your local SPCA disgust you, your best course of action is to demand that the current director be invited to find other employment and a new director brought in who is absolutely committed to No Kill.

it sure hasn't worked in whistler, yet

 

[Miss*Bijou]

So. It turns out that the SPCA was twice asked to assist in finding homes for the 100 dogs, but refused.
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/ki...CA+help+separate+occasions/4206360/story.html

And it turns out that there were 350 dogs. When the staff member who killed the dogs laid several complaints about the treatment of the surviving dogs, the SPCA contacted the company's owner and decided that they "didn't have staff available to investigate unsubstantiated complaints". http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Up...out+welfare+remaining+dogs/4211853/story.html

It turns out that the SPCA has decided that the 150 dogs that remain with the company "are not in need of protection". Let's do the math. 350 dogs -100 dogs killed = 250 dogs 250 dogs - 150 dogs "not in need of protection" = 100 dogs that have vanished. Somewhere out there are 100 dogs that most definitely are in need of protection. What we can rely on is that they won't be getting it from the SPCA.

However, the SPCA's failure to protect the dogs shouldn't interfere in the SPCA's latest fundraising campaign - should it? It would be gross of me to point out on this page http://www.facebook.com/OneDollarForOneDogChallenge that 200 dogs are dead or missing from the 350 that pulled people around during the Olympics. And not one of those 200 dogs was "protected" by the SPCA just as the remaining 150 dogs won't receive any protection.

I agree with you, Al. I would never give a penny to the SPCA. And when someone abandonned a dog with me a couple of years ago, even if it was a terrible time for me to end up with a 10month old giant puppy that was untrained and not neutered yet, I couldn't bring myself to leave him at the SPCA and kept him until I found a home for him myself. Unfortunately there are too many so-called organizations who end up being well oiled fundraising machines; the money they raise is re-funelled into raising more money but not much of it gets used on actions and help for the animals. That's why it's always better to donate to smaller organizations who use the funds in a way that directly helps the animals they use for their fundraising efforts! (ie small rescues or grassroots conservation orgs)...not big fundraising machines like SPCA. There are TONS of local rescues who do much more with much less money and who will actually use your donations on needy animals.

 

[HankQuinlan]

They sentenced the guy who beat a puppy to death in his hotel room in Victoria to six months.

We all seem to get upset when the cruelty is to puppies --- or to dolphins as in "The Cove" documentary ---or to baby seals --- but we really need to look at wider issues. The rules for treatment, transport, and slaughter of food animals in this country are incredibly lax and horrifically inhumane. I think it would be good for us to have our faces frequently rubbed with images of what regularly happens to animals before they reach our kitchen or fast food trays, and we might take a step forward as a society in both our humanity and our health.

 

[maroonedsailor]

What most people don't know is that up to 80% of your donations go to the fundraising companies that contract with SPCA or firemen or the blind or whatever to raise money for the charities. This applies to many thrift stores too. They get donations of goods for free, sell for whatever and keep 80%

I agree with you, Al. I would never give a penny to the SPCA. And when someone abandonned a dog with me a couple of years ago, even if it was a terrible time for me to end up with a 10month old giant puppy that was untrained and not neutered yet, I couldn't bring myself to leave him at the SPCA and kept him until I found a home for him myself. Unfortunately there are too many so-called organizations who end up being well oiled fundraising machines; the money they raise is re-funelled into raising more money but not much of it gets used on actions and help for the animals. That's why it's always better to donate to smaller organizations who use the funds in a way that directly helps the animals they use for their fundraising efforts! (ie small rescues or grassroots conservation orgs)...not big fundraising machines like SPCA. There are TONS of local rescues who do much more with much less money and who will actually use your donations on needy animals.

 

[jnewton]

Now we find that the company changed it's name from Howling Dog. Why? 65 complaints of animal cruelty. And yet, the 150 dogs still there are "not in the need of protection". Today, the SPCA admitted they had refused to take the 100 dogs because the dogs "weren't adoptable". And yet, the SPCA is currently running a fundraiser "A buck per dog" - yup, they want you to give them a $100 dollars so that they can "protect" animals.

What's really disgusting is the SPCA is on the committee that is going to "investigate" this.

Anyone have some Whitewash?

You can be certain the SPCA does, in 5 gallon (20 litre for you Canucks - lol) buckets.

 

[Very Veronica]

Bullshit. If you're really concerned about animal welfare you wouldn't distinguish between livestock & pets (pigs are smarter than dogs btw). And you would vote 3x/day not to consume cheap meat.

'In just one hour in the US, more than 1 million land animals are killed for food. Before their slaughter, most of these farm animals - nearly 10 billion each year - endure lives of abuse with virtually no legal protection at all. Considering this staggering figure, the mistreatment of farm animals is among the gravest animal welfare problems in the nation. Instead of being recognized as the social, intelligent individuals they are, chickens, pigs, cows, turkeys and other animals are treated as mere meat, egg and milk production units and denied expression of many natural behaviors.'

- Food Inc.

What happened to those dogs was horrific. Hopefully their suffering will not go in vain and will make people wake up.

But for the sake of some little mouthful of flesh we deprive a soul of the sun and light and of that proportion of life and time it had been born into the world to enjoy.

-Plutarch

We can't do much about what they did in South Korea, we can't even refuse to buy the meat because it will never be imported into Canada. We can do something about what happened in Whistler.