Effort continues to ban dog auctions in Ohio – and writer offers his take on pet store puppy sales

The Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions is thankfully still working diligently on its effort to ban the practice of selling dogs at auctions.

Mary O’Conner-Shaver is one of the individuals heading up the movement for a ballot measure and she notes Ohio is one of few states where dog auctions are still legal – from a story posted on WYTV.com.

As I’ve noted before, dog auctions are the nasty cousins of the equally nasty puppy mill industry.

Online gambling site calls for end to betting on greyhound racing

In an op/ed published on OnlineCasinoNews.com, OnlineGamblingPal.com is calling for an end to gambling on any activities that involved cruelty to animals, such as greyhound racing.

Jack Mason of OnlineGamblingPal.com is quoted in the piece – “Greyhound races and galgo hunting and the treatment that the dogs receive are more like scenes from a horror movie. I urge my colleagues to check their websites and remove any content that promotes, encourages or facilitates greyhound betting and racing.”

Three interesting reads: on tail-docking, domestication and ‘a typical day at the SPCA’

Let’s play link parade. I found three interesting opinion pieces on three topics – tail-docking, our responsibility for animals we’ve domesticated and a report on the day in the life of a shelter worker.

Dr. Michael Morris of the University of Auckland (New Zealand) writes about tail-docking in puppies and the removal of “dew claws,” in an editorial posted on SunLive.Co.NZ.

Come on folks. Dogs were born with these body parts and need ’em.

Catalonia parliament votes to ban bullfighting in its region of Spain

In an amazing turn for the better, the parliament in Catalonia, Spain has voted to ban bullfighting. It is – as reported by the BBC – the first region of the mainland to do so.

The vote of 68 to 55, with nine abstaining, came on the heels of a petition presented with 180,000 signatures opposing bullfighting as “barbaric and outdated.” Hopefully, the remaining regions of Spain’s mainland will join the humane 21st century and ban the practice as well.

Packed Up: BP’s Propaganda

Doug Suttles, COO of BP appeared on The Early Show on CBS Wednesday morning to discuss the ongoing BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Gusher Disaster.
Suttles said the industry’s ability to fight a big spill and control a blow-out on the sea bed “is significantly different” than it was on the 20th of April.

He said they’ve created new techniques to skim and invented “things” and “mounted the largest response the world has ever seen.”
And he said these new techniques will be available to the industry if this ever happens again.
I’ve noticed Suttles always carefully selects his wording of statements such as this. While his statements above might be factually accurate – in maybe a warped sense – there is a gaping hole in the presentation.

Widespread use of antibiotics in farm animals is a health hazard

OpposingViews.com published an editorial piece Monday written by Sean Joshua, who reports the widespread use antibiotics in farm animals has become a health hazard for consumers. And the practice speaks volumes about the treatment of the animals.

Joshua notes antibiotics are given to far too many farm animals – even healthy animals – waiting to go to slaughter. This is done because they are stuffed into tight quarters on factory farms, where the more going to slaughter, the more profit.

Columnist looks at defining the definition of ‘no-kill’

I found a column Sunday on the Las Cruces Sun-News website, written by Judy Long, who is identified as “a retired professor of sociology and longtime animal lover.”

Long offers her take on the issue of ‘no-kill,’ as it relates to a system of municipal shelters that euthanize homeless pets.

Yadkin County (NC) to transition to lethal injection at its animal shelter

As a standard practice, homeless dogs and cats will no longer face the horrors of the gas chamber in Yadkin County after a county commission vote to stop using carbon monoxide. The Yadkin shelter will use lethal injection in most cases.

Each time I post a story such as this one, I have to make a statement about how utterly unfortunate it is that homeless pets are dying in shelters anywhere. Not enough is being done to educate the public about the need to spay and neuter pets.

Puppy mills continue to be problematic in Texas and Oklahoma

As I’ve suggested before, when it comes to the issue of puppy mills, it’s a case of – the more news stories the better.

While the stories are always laced with depictions of cruelty, more people need to know what is happening across the country. If just a few more people become better-educated each time a report runs in a local newspaper or TV news shows or on the Web, then we’re making headway.

Pets are another victim of the BP Oil Disaster

This topic – another byproduct of the BP Oil Gusher – isn’t being given enough attention. Many people who are being adversely effected economically by the disaster in the Gulf, are turning over their pets to local shelters.

I’m glad the New York Times and other news services are bringing a little more national attention to this issue.