Comments on: Where are the pets of television? http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/ Blogging by a team of pet-care experts led by Dr. Marty Becker. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:03:03 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: LauraL http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-412427 LauraL Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:22:56 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=5812#comment-412427 Thanks for an interesting and thought-provoking post! Couldn't agree more about the pet-deficient L-Word. I mean, seriously - not one dog or cat in the bunch? That is SO not our community. One thought re cause and effect - I wonder whether the upsurge in pets in 50s-60s TV caused more acceptance of pet ownership, or whether it was a reflection of a cultural trend already underway. One could (and ought to) ask the same about GLBT characters on TV. (Then again, early TV pets didn't have to battle national organizations' boycotts every time they got a recurring role. But I digress.) Thanks for an interesting and thought-provoking post! Couldn’t agree more about the pet-deficient L-Word. I mean, seriously - not one dog or cat in the bunch? That is SO not our community.

One thought re cause and effect - I wonder whether the upsurge in pets in 50s-60s TV caused more acceptance of pet ownership, or whether it was a reflection of a cultural trend already underway. One could (and ought to) ask the same about GLBT characters on TV.

(Then again, early TV pets didn’t have to battle national organizations’ boycotts every time they got a recurring role. But I digress.)

]]> By: Susan Fox http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-412372 Susan Fox Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:10:30 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=5812#comment-412372 I do agree with the idea that an increased presence of pets, which would portray more accurately how families live in America, might cause people to consider their pet's needs more seriously. My first thought, though, when I read the post, is what the implications of a greatly increased use of animals in television would be for the welfare of the dogs and cats involved in the filming. I get nervous when someone's revenue stream/income is dependent on getting a certain behavior from an animal on a schedule. The trainers aren't all Rudd Weatherwaxs and Bill Berlonis, I would imagine. American Humane can't be everywhere at once. I have some of the same concerns about the game ranches where photographers, and some artists, go to get a large percentage of the wildlife photos we see in the media. I do agree with the idea that an increased presence of pets, which would portray more accurately how families live in America, might cause people to consider their pet’s needs more seriously.

My first thought, though, when I read the post, is what the implications of a greatly increased use of animals in television would be for the welfare of the dogs and cats involved in the filming.

I get nervous when someone’s revenue stream/income is dependent on getting a certain behavior from an animal on a schedule. The trainers aren’t all Rudd Weatherwaxs and Bill Berlonis, I would imagine. American Humane can’t be everywhere at once.

I have some of the same concerns about the game ranches where photographers, and some artists, go to get a large percentage of the wildlife photos we see in the media.

]]> By: Tina Clark http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-412244 Tina Clark Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:31:40 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=5812#comment-412244 Don't forget Paul Anka on Gilmore Girls. Further on Porthos, the beagle on Star Trek Enterprise: There was one episode where Porthos was near death and it was taken very seriously. He survived. And as far as Data's cat, Spot, I remember being extremely distressed by one episode where Data had written a poem to Spot, and part of the poem said, "and though you are not sentient...." What???? Don’t forget Paul Anka on Gilmore Girls.

Further on Porthos, the beagle on Star Trek Enterprise: There was one episode where Porthos was near death and it was taken very seriously. He survived.

And as far as Data’s cat, Spot, I remember being extremely distressed by one episode where Data had written a poem to Spot, and part of the poem said, “and though you are not sentient….” What????

]]> By: JenniferJ http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-412234 JenniferJ Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:01:41 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=5812#comment-412234 Not TV but looks like Pixars new movie due out in May has a dog that plays a role, Plus the movie trail made me smile http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/216386/new_trailer_for_pixars_up.html Not TV but looks like Pixars new movie due out in May has a dog that plays a role,

Plus the movie trail made me smile

http://www.denofgeek.com/movie.....rs_up.html

]]> By: Christine H http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-412182 Christine H Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:14:30 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=5812#comment-412182 Digby on Pushing Daisies played a pretty big part in the show's mythos and was spotted in most episodes, even if he didn't play a role in that plot. It seems like even he disappeared a bit in the later episodes of the second Season (that aired), though, along with Pigby who debuted at the beginning of the second season. Digby on Pushing Daisies played a pretty big part in the show’s mythos and was spotted in most episodes, even if he didn’t play a role in that plot.

It seems like even he disappeared a bit in the later episodes of the second Season (that aired), though, along with Pigby who debuted at the beginning of the second season.

]]> By: Cait http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-412086 Cait Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:53:47 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=5812#comment-412086 Oh! And I forgot Ducky, on NCIS, who has corgis! (and a crazy old mother, who I think also has corgis.) Oh! And I forgot Ducky, on NCIS, who has corgis! (and a crazy old mother, who I think also has corgis.)

]]> By: Suzie http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-412065 Suzie Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:47:50 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=5812#comment-412065 70% of Americans have pets?! Wow, my friends and family must be true aberrations. Among us the percentage is, at most, 25%. 70% of Americans have pets?! Wow, my friends and family must be true aberrations. Among us the percentage is, at most, 25%.

]]> By: Kim Thornton http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-412059 Kim Thornton Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:29:07 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=5812#comment-412059 Next week House will have a cat that predicts people's deaths, a la Oscar the nursing home cat. Next week House will have a cat that predicts people’s deaths, a la Oscar the nursing home cat.

]]> By: H. Houlahan http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-412048 H. Houlahan Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:21:02 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=5812#comment-412048 Sarah Silverman has a really OLD dog named Doug on the Sarah Silverman Show. Two degrees of separation. I don't get HBO and have never seen True Blood, but the two dogs (playing one character) who are on it are Pip's younger half-brothers. They were also on an episode of House and The Women's Murder Club. I have yet to see them onscreen. I think that TV writers don't know how to write realistic animal characters that are natural parts of the lives of the humans. Directors often don't know how to work with them. So they don't try. Sarah Silverman has a really OLD dog named Doug on the Sarah Silverman Show.

Two degrees of separation. I don’t get HBO and have never seen True Blood, but the two dogs (playing one character) who are on it are Pip’s younger half-brothers. They were also on an episode of House and The Women’s Murder Club. I have yet to see them onscreen.

I think that TV writers don’t know how to write realistic animal characters that are natural parts of the lives of the humans. Directors often don’t know how to work with them. So they don’t try.

]]> By: Eucritta http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/09/where-are-the-pets-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-412040 Eucritta Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:37:32 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=5812#comment-412040 <i>I always found it strange that it took around 6 seasons before it was ever mentioned that Grissom had a boxer on CSI.</i> It's also been *mentioned* -- but not shown -- that Doc Robbins is fond of cats, and at one point he said he had Siamese. I forget which season that was. I *heart* Doc Robbins, and dearly wish there'd be more of him in the show. I always found it strange that it took around 6 seasons before it was ever mentioned that Grissom had a boxer on CSI.

It’s also been *mentioned* — but not shown — that Doc Robbins is fond of cats, and at one point he said he had Siamese. I forget which season that was.

I *heart* Doc Robbins, and dearly wish there’d be more of him in the show.

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