Blagojevic gone, but Illinois governor’s race still a dog fight
By David S. Greene
March 1, 2010
Pet killing debate now high profile issue in Illinois: This November, Illinois voters will be going to the polls to select a new governor. You remember the whole Rod Blagojevic mess? Well, he was replaced by Lt. Governor Pat Quinn. Quinn (a Democrat) is now running for election in his own right, and last week came out with a statement about who his prospective running mate might be:
“I think it’s important for our lieutenant governor to be someone who loves dogs,” Quinn said.
That might sound a little odd for a governor’s race, but The Huffington Post tells us the remark has its roots in an ongoing debate over the use of the carbon monoxide gas chamber to kill shelter pets in multiples.
In 2009, the Illinois legislature passed a bill banning the use of carbon monoxide gas chambers for the mass [killing] of dogs. At the time, Sen. [Bill] Brady voted against the bill. And recently, just days after the Feb. 2 primary [for the GOP nomination] he introduced a new bill to re-legalize the practice.
Brady took considerable flak over the proposed legislation from the Humane Society [of the United States] and the story garnered a good deal of media coverage.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Brady was pretty quick to back off this porcupine:
Brady gutted the legislation Wednesday and turned it over to another sponsor after the Humane Society of the United States condemned the measure and characterized the procedure as cruel.
“A constituent asked me to do it, and I have an obligation to represent my constituents,” Brady said.
“I was never for it, but I thought it was a subject that deserved discussion. But the politics surrounding me being the nominee created an environment that’s more attack mode than discussion mode, so we shelled the bill.”
The Sun-Times reports the “constituent” was an animal-control facility in Brady’s district, apparently one with management that believes killing pets in a cruel and terrifying way is preferable to, you know, just plain old killing them. Someone, please, get those people information on building a no-kill community. Or better yet, replace them with people who at least live in this century.
Oly the Olympic puppy: You may have seen something about a bunch of winter sports taking place in and near Vancouver over the last couple weeks. Jordan Malone is an American short-track skater. He didn’t have a great Olympics, but he did have a best friend who got him through it all.
Uncanny canine carousel carvings: You may know Tim Racer as one of the co-founders of BADRAP. However, you might not know about Tim’s phenomenal talent in creating drop-dead gorgeous canine carousel sculptures. Tim takes up to 700 hours getting these works of art exactly right, and has been known to fly across the country to meet his models, using the opportunity to take precise measurements with calipers. Thanks to Susan and Gina for tipping me off to this SFGate article.
So what does “Cami Missy Diva Piglet Punky Girl” mean? I’m a sucker for psychological discussions that try to analyze tidbits about me and use those little factoids to draw broad-brush conclusions. This one from Forbes Magazine is perfect, then. What you name your pet gives clues as to your personality.
Your dog’s name says a lot about who you are. “The name of a dog reflects the personality and sense of humor of the owner,” says Lisa Peterson, spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club. “For example if you name your toy poodle ‘Brutus,’ that shows a sense of irony.”
Ok, so maybe I won’t learn as much as I hoped, but you should still check it out.
Funny things that veterinary clients say: PetConnection BFF Dr. Patty Khuly has a funny piece on Dolittler about great stuff uttered by her clients. The comments yield even more, so be sure to read them too.
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.
Image: Ruff weekend on the campaign for state Sen. Bill Brady (HuffPo image).






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