Crazy dreams and pit bull nightmares
By Gina Spadafori
March 8, 2008
Last night I dreamed that Drew was herding cats while I directed him to drive them into a pen. The scene was lifted entirely from “Babe,*” with Drew playing Babe and two large brown tabbies and one calico in the role of sheep. The cats walked eagerly forward, tails happily aloft, talking to Drew and gossiping to each other as they went.
I woke up to find Drew licking my face and the other pets looking at me in bemusement and concern. This is why I suspect my “That’ll do, Drew” was spoken not only in the dream, but to the bedroom at large.
That’ll do, indeed. It’s always like this in the Red Zone of a book project. …
***
Been meaning to point to Luisa’s post over on Lassie Get Help (speaking of herding dogs!) about Toronto’s pit bull ban. Does it ever seem that common sense has never been more lacking in legislation than it is today? (Asked and answered … yes!) Personally, I would rather my government act against real risks to public safety, like imported food and food ingredients. But that would buck some big money, and it’s far easier to take people’s pets away and pretend you’ve done something good.
Dogs aren’t people. Toronto’s city animal shelters aren’t Guantánamo. But dogs aren’t refrigerators or cars, either, so forgive me for comparing Toronto’s shelter system to a prison system, a place of isolation and suffering, when the wardens issue chilling statements like this:
A sign of just how controversial the [pit bull] issue can be, animal services officials refuse to allow the media to photograph or have contact with the condemned dogs in their shelters.
“All it would do is make the public very upset about that particular one dog and whoever might own that dog — it would potentially cause them further upset,” says animal services manager Eletta Purdy.
“Make the public very upset”? And why on earth shouldn’t we be “very upset” that a good dog — a dog that has never harmed nor threatened to harm anyone — may be scheduled to die because of a brindle coat or a broad head? Why on earth shouldn’t a family rage that a beloved, trustworthy companion was taken from them on the basis of a law rooted in ignorance and hysteria?
Why, indeed.
Perhaps Christie or Kim will blog today. Me? The 15th is the elephant in the room here, and he’s stamping his feet. You got more? Put it in the comments. I’m going to write, and then I’m going to the river with the dogs.
* I love “Babe.” I love when the mice sing “Blue Moon.” Yes, I’ve seen it lots. My brother was on jury duty once, and in the jury room they had “Babe” on an endless loop. My brother’s story: “So I’m sitting there in the jury room, and this cranky old man walks in. He looks up at the monitor, shouts, “NOT THE GODDAMN PIG MOVIE AGAIN!” and stomps out of the room.”
Don’t care. I love the goddamn pig movie. Which reminds me: Factory farm discussion over at Dr. Khuly’s, with a post from a “Swine Consultant” point of view.
(Why, yes, I have switched to decaf. Why do you ask?)
OMG! I dreamed about Drew last night too! Mine falls under the ‘way wackier’ category though I wish I would have had a dream a la BABE.
Comment by slt — March 8, 2008 @ 10:22 am
Drew IS dreamy … just ask him!
Comment by Gina Spadafori — March 8, 2008 @ 11:22 am
One of MSNBC’s lead stories right now is the Vick pit bulls at Best Friends. PETA’s opinion on the whole thing figures prominently in the article. Once again, why is anybody still listening to PETA? They are quoted as saying that the money that’s going to the Vick dogs would be better going to help other animals who are in danger of being euthanized. Maybe they think the money should be donated to PETA so they can better fund their own euthanization programs?
Comment by C.L.H. — March 8, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
thanks for the chuckle Gina. That pig movie is my favorite ever…Wizard of Oz doesn’t even come close.
Decaf gives me headaches. you?
Comment by nancy freedman-smith — March 8, 2008 @ 4:00 pm
The entire province of Ontario is under a pit bull ban and, of course, Toronto is subject to that legislation.
The city-run Animal Services (read: animal control) have a miserable euthanasia rate and are considering cutting back further on their “services”. Contrast them with the Toronto Humane Society and various smaller humane and rescue groups in the Greater Toronto Area, and the picture is quite different. THS (which is essentially no-kill) goes to bat frequently and loudly for the bully dogs, and they have many in their care.
The pit bull thing is all about votes. Fortunately, groups like the Dog Legislation Council of Canada and Banned Aid are putting donations to use to get the laws turned around.
One local site that I particularly like to follow on the subject is Caveat, at http://caveat.blogware.com/
Comment by shibadiva — March 9, 2008 @ 9:38 am
My tennant adopted Indo - a pit bull after I vouched for them. Indo is a nice little poochie with a smile bigger than his face! And with his jaws thats a mouthfull!
I wonder, if Babe had not gotten the sheep to cooperate, would the farmer have eaten him?
Bah ram ewe!
Comment by Bernard J. (Bernie) Starzewski — March 9, 2008 @ 8:18 pm