Idaho Gov calls for Wolf Kill

[Sirenna]

That sucks. I read somewhere that here in Canada only one third of one percent of all official animal abuse complaints actually leads to criminal charges and then the sentences are conditional like house arrest.

People (profilers, I guess) think that committing animal cruelty at a young age is an early indication psychopathy.

[noc]

Rue721, a family member of mine had a similar issue in a small town in the midwest. The police peered over the gate at the dog with his ribs sticking out, but did nothing. My understanding is that the laws are not very strong in all towns and enforcement is tough.

I lived in a town of almost 500,000 that only had one animal control officer on Sundays. Even if there are more officers, they have a wide territory.

There was a woman who used to let her pitbull run loose and it terrified the joggers, families walking with their kids, etc. It took about 6 months before she got a ticket for doing this. I think the dog was actually a pretty good dog, it's just not the sort of dog you want to see running down the street toward you. I have had aggressive dogs in the past, and they need exercise too (it actually helps calm them down). I found that I just muzzled them for walks with the soft black cloth muzzle so they could breath. I'm pretty cautious but I've had kids run up to my dogs (I never walk more than two at a time) and I'm glad I had the muzzle on.

I'm off the wolf topic. I would love to see them. They fascinate me in terms of their social structure. I would like to see them in the wild, and like dogs, I think we have to accept and work around the parts of their nature. However, it is kind of like the polar bears, do you want one in your neighborhood? No, that's what reserves are for.

[Sirenna]

Every neigbourhood seems to have a resident cat-lady or man. They feed and house so many strays and they're always umkempt. They don't seem to have control over their housekeeping or daily ablutions. Yet they think they are caring for neglected animals even though it doesn't extend to different species. Just the cats. I wonder if there is some sort of feline obsessive-compulsive disorder where people can't help but collect more cats.

[noc]

I was never around too many cats and am allergic, so I don't know much about them. But, it seems like one is always hearing stories about a house with 30 cats.

I had a girlfriend who had nine rescue dogs. Another one with 30+ rescue parrots (I kid you not). Both had enough resources to handle it, but I sometimes wonder if it was an obsession. It made them both happy and nuts at the same time (try going on vacation and finding a brave dogsitter or birdsitter).

The one with all the birds had a new home built with a special room (I kid you not) in the basement with a separate ventillation system. She spent 4-5 hours a day caring for the birds. I don't think many of us have the space or ability to excercise that many dogs which like to be in packs too. I think what starts as love becomes cruel in its own way.

by the way, I loved the book "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill". Maybe someone will adopt the wolves and write a best selling book.