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California proposes online animal cruelty registry
By David S. Greene
February 25, 2010
[Update from Gina: A lot of trainers have something to say about the death at Sea World. Heather Houlahan not only has something to say, but also something worth reading and thinking about. A must read. Go here.]
A scarlet letter for abusers? Along the lines of public sex offender registries (which are ubiquitous) and arsonist registries (three states have them now), California is seriously considering the creation of an online registry for those convicted of animal cruelty-related felonies. The drive is led in large part by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF)
In the meantime, ALDF has launched a new campaign, ExposeAnimalAbusers.org to help all states establish public animal abuser registries. The ALDF hopes such registries would protect animals, pet guardians and communities by preventing repeat offenses from anyone with a known history of abusing animals. This could include violence (torture, mutilation, intentional killings), sexual abuse and animal fighting as well as neglect (such as hoarding).[...]ALDF is promoting the registry not only as a way to notify the public but also as a possible early warning system for other crimes. “We know there’s a link between those who abuse animals and those who perform other forms of violence,” says Stephan Otto, the group’s director of legislative affairs.
The SFGate Tails of the City article is worth reading, of course, but the comments are even more entertaining.
How the day goes wrong: I enjoy our buddy YourPetsBestFriend’s blog, and this one is a keeper. Some days go bad before they’ve even started. As I’ve heard both Dr. Tony Johnson and Dr. Marty Becker insist, if you think a veterinarian’s life is glamorous, just follow them around awhile.
I always knew P.T. Barnum was right: I assumed at first glance that this article was from The Onion, since it’s the best satire site in the history of, well, ever. No such luck. Business Week, of all places, tells us that when The Rapture comes, if you’re among the chosen, you won’t have to worry about your pets’ safety and welfare. An outfit called Eternal Earth-Bound Pets will be happy to lend a hand. They presume your pets aren’t as virtuous as you, and in fact are soul-less. This is problematic, even with other Rapturous types.
“Pets don’t have souls, so they’ll remain on Earth. I don’t see how they can be taken with you,” he says. “A lot of persons are concerned about their pets, but I don’t know if they should necessarily trust atheists to take care of them.”
Hey, I’ll save you the bucks. I know I won’t be among the saved — all that stuff I did in college…we don’t need to discuss it here. So if you’re making the trip upwards, I’ve got you covered. I’ll be reasonable, too. Just another of the many services I offer. (Thanks to Susan for the tip on this one, as well as this week’s lede)
Adorable stamps for pet lovers: I don’t use stamps all that much anymore (do you?), but these are worth buying. Once more we tag our pal Maria Goodavage at Dogster. All the pets shown in these stamps were homeless, and most have been adopted. Are you a pet-loving philatelist? Want interesting stamps of your own? Head over to BeyondThePerf.com.
First video of the week, courtesy of our friends at Disapproving Rabbits: Phineas wants to make it crystal clear that he doesn’t like his new toy.
Second video of the week, courtesy of Pedigree. A friend sent me this, and I’ve already watched it 30 or 40 times. Pedigree Dog ad, shot at 1000 FPS
I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories. Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an email.
Photo Credits: Veterinarian visit: Flickr Tobyotter, creative commons. Pet stamps: beyondtheperf.com
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I can’t remember the last time I actually used a stamp but I might have to pick some of these up. And that Pedigree video is beautifully done.
Comment by Brett — February 25, 2010 @ 8:04 am
That Pedigree video I could watch a million times and see something new every viewing. Awesome.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — February 25, 2010 @ 8:08 am
I strongly endorse Gina’s added note, pointing readers to Heather’s spot-on Sea World editorial. Pure blogging gold.
Oh, and the Pedigree ad? It is addictive. I apologize in advance for the hours you may lose watching it obsessively.
Comment by David S. Greene — February 25, 2010 @ 8:50 am
I am in love with those stamps! Thx for the link
Comment by ericka — February 25, 2010 @ 11:07 am
“We know there’s a link between those who abuse animals and those who perform other forms of violence,” says Stephan Otto, the group’s director of legislative affairs.
Could some one point me to a true scientific study that proves this? Other than a few extreme examples? By the way there is already an online registry for “animal abusers’.. covers every state and all convictions.. and even those charged but found not guilty.www.pet-abuse.com. HMM.. so why do we need a state registry that we have to PAY for with a new TAX on pet food..?? A good question to ask the author Dean Florez.
Comment by bestuvall — February 25, 2010 @ 12:33 pm
I am in love with those stamps! Thx for the link
Comment by ericka — February 25, 2010
What can I say? Ya can’t lick our bloggers. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — February 25, 2010 @ 12:56 pm
I’d like to comment on the Sea World tragedy…
I truly am saddened by the death of the trainer there, but I also am doubly saddened by the conditions under which this Orca is being kept, for the sake of entertainment for us humans. From what I gather, he is mostly being kept as a stud.
This Orca is huge, and from what I can see is being kept in a small area. He has to be suffering from claustrophobia, seeing as how their natural habitat is the open ocean…not to mention boredom, as he is kept isolated for the most part.
Some are saying that his attack was premeditated. If so, his anger must be great against his captors, perhaps indicated by the thrashing that people described, as he attacked her?
Why are we subjecting him to this torment? Talk about animal cruelty.
Comment by Marcy — February 25, 2010 @ 11:01 pm
As long as people pay all that money to see the animals perform at such venues as Sea World they will continue to confine them, subject them to the most unnatural of conditions and then do all the hand-wringing/PR when such things happen. These animals belong in the WILD! I feel bad for the family of the trainer, too, but this will continue to happen until we learn to enjoy the animals in THEIR natural habitat.
Comment by dottie — February 26, 2010 @ 6:04 am
I agree with you dottie.
There are just some animals that are not meant to be pets, or to be confined in captivity…IMO.
Comment by Marcy — February 26, 2010 @ 10:40 am
I can understand that Sea World keeps these animals in captivity in order to make a product. I myself would like to go and see some dolphins or other marine life. However, if these animals are abused in any way then they are crossing the line. This should be regulated by a higher authority in order to prevent this from happening. Just remember, that animals are no different to people when it comes to feeling physical and emotional pain.
Comment by Ed Dale — June 14, 2010 @ 10:57 am