Streetlife

Love generation,

I have no problem, as I have mentioned before, with people forming a relationship with other animals. Isn't it great that two different species can benefit from one another without the need for leads or other methods of restraint. Just to let you know that there is plenty of food for stray dogs. we humans discard tons of the stuff everyday. Even around my area the foxes rummage around in the bins at night.

Hi Jed, regarding your quote below:-

"Try it yourself. Take your dog out for a walk, let it off the lead, walk away without calling your dog and when it finally comes home don't let it in or feed it and then see what happens."

1. As for the first bit - it happens daily my friend - we dog owners go to the park and let our dogs off lead - you are mistaken if you think we have to 'call' them continually to come back to us - or else they will 'leg it' and run away....

2. Nor I or any of the numerous dog owners I meeet daily ever tell me they are in constant fear that their dog will run away 'for freedom' if they let their beloved dog off the lead...

3. Our dogs happily trot along with us enjoying their exercise, the company of other dogs, and the companionship of their owners.

4. Regarding your second bit of your post - I used to volunteer at horse riding stables - one of the clients whose horse was stabled with us told me his wife developed various mental health problems and would sadly evict their pet dog from the house as soon as the hubby went to work. The poor dog was left on the streets til the evening when the hubby came home. Did the dog 'run for freedom' - No my friend! It anxiously waited to go back into his owners' home....

Ged - Am I right in guessing you're playing devil's advocate - but on a deeper level - fully accept that dogs love being...our pet dogs :-)

yes, he was so loved...... And I still think of him and speak about him still.  Once we thoguht we'd be clever and all four of us, stood facing a differenct direction and ran to see what Bobby would do.

He looked surprised then anxious and turned around in each direction before deciding on his action. That was to run to each of us in turn and run in front of each of us, tripping us over. As he tripped one, he'd go on to the next one.  When we were all on our bums on the floor, he casually lay down in the middle on the grass and waited for us to return to him.

Needless to say,we didn't try that again.

Love generation,

Most of your 'slave animals/pets' stay around because we feed them. I did say that 'when the dog comes home' as I know they do, but that has to be in conjunction with not feeding the animal.

Devil's advocate? I never thought of it that way, I suppose you are right. Who else is there to speak up for their rights.

Ged do you know what trolling is? I'll explain it to you. It's when people write on forums with comments in order to get a certain type of reaction. Usually these are people that don't get out often or have been served a bad hand in society and life. As a result thy take their aggression out on forums trying to wind people up. You are doing it wonderfully. Like I said in an earlier post everyone is entitled to their own opinions but if their opinions upset other people please keep them to yourself. The only thing you are accomplishing by calling it slave animals is winding people up and proving to people how ignorant you are. to give you a blunt harsh example. There are people out there who are racist. It's not acceptable and incredibly upsetting however everyone is entitled to their own opinion. You are pretty muh of that sort. Like I said harsh but the only comparison I could think of on the spot.

Sorry for the typos I'm on my iPhone.

I was brought up with animals, and I'm not just talking about my siblings. We had a German Shepherd called major who I, and the rest of the family, loved. We also had a cat called snookums (named by my younger sister. It was embarrassing having to go out and shout for the cat to come in and get fed.) 

However, I grew up and started to form my own opinion. This is the conclusion I came and I am highly unlikely to change my mind. I don't even expect you to change your mind either. The fact that you will think about this at a later time is good enough for me.

I am not a supporter of those animal terrorist groups, or whatever they call themselves. However, I would support, intellectually, their reasons for doing so.

Hi Ged - I have given examples to refute the popular theory held by doubters - that pet dogs only love us & stay with us for food....the examples I gave included the scenario of dogs spending their lives with poor/homeless owners - and feral dogs visiting human settlements for companionship on a regular basis AFTER they have eaten....

Once again - no disrepect to you Ged - this is a free for all forum - but it seems that rather than re-assess your views based on sensible informatin people are offering you - you have perhaps decided to use this as an exercise whereby you are not ready to consider challenging your beliefs - but - with respect - you are reading each point - and thinking hard  about any possible objections you could raise - no matter how weak/flawed - and then posting these...

That is fine too Ged - but at some stage it may help you to re-read this thread and perhaps see if what people are saying challenges your beliefs - rather than feeling a need to have to earnestly come up with counter-allegations with every point you can do so with...just a thought my friend :-)

Ged my friend - please forgive me - but I'm thinking what Dianne Meyer just said - your posts very much read lilke those of someone who is 'trolling' - ie continuing to post whatever counter-claims you can - simply for the love of winding people up...

Now that is fine too - but having considered your responses I am politely no longer replying. If you think you have 'won' - that's fine too. But - with all respect to you my friend - this is simply becoming a forum for you to wind people up merely to pass the time - rather than to think and reflect upon the excellent advice people have given you here to help you challenge your beliefs.

I won't be posting again - but i would urge you to revisit this thread in your own time - & think and reflect upon what people have said - again it's up to you - trolling is fine too....but with respect - I don't waste time with trollers...finally I very much hope you will re-read this thread with some thought and insight... and if any of this post sounds harsh - my apologies. 

I am a dog lover/owner like the others on this thread - I have no agenda to insult you - but I can't  think of a politer word than 'trolling' at present :-)

Dianne,

I know what a troll is and I can assure you that I am not one of them. Just because I have a strong belief does not make me a troll. The original question was about the mess in the streets caused by dogs. One of the answers to this question is to stop having dogs. That would solve the problem overnight. That is not going to happen but every journey starts with a step.

I don't like the idea of walking down the road with my grandkids and having to tell them to watch where they are going.

Did you think that when the abolition of slavery was being considered that some peoples' opinion was different from the slave owner? Or when the drink-drive laws came in. Loads of country pubs objected to that. Their opinion was different from those who wanted the drink-drive laws. Same with the smoking ban. Should we have stopped those people from having an opinion because it was different from the majority at that time? Isn't that called dictatorship?

Now I am being considered a troll because I have the decency to reply to people who have replied to me. Fair enough. I shall stop replying to this posting.

i don't see you as speaking up for animals' rights in this respect.  Yes, animals have rights but is it realistic to believe that they feel the burden of slavery. After all, we are looking at possibly 50,000 years of mutually beneficial cohabitation between humans and cats/dogs.  I rather feel you are anthropomorphising too much: putting your own philosophical beliefs in the mouths of happy dometic animals

The Jains in India have probably the most extreme/advanced philosophy as regards animal 'rights'.  They try to live without harming any other creature and some even wear face masks to avoid accidentally inhaling flies and suchlike.  In modern India, the Jains run most of the animal rescue centres.  However, though they are all vegatarians, they do not object to others eating meat, insisting only that no animal should have to suffer in the process.

Being a dog owner and a mother myself, I can see both sides of the argument. I have a chihuahua and jack Russell, and never walk them without poop scoop bags. I always clean up after my dogs, and know that my two should always be on their leads around children. 

But there are some that spoil it for us! When taking my son to the park (daubeny green in particular), I am forever watching where my son steps, in fear of dog mess. It infuriates me, that I can take the time to clean up after my pooches, but others can't! 

isn't ther something wrong when a discussion, in this case a sensible discussion, turns into - "well I'm not posting anymore,,,,,,but don't think you have won the arguement"

my two-penneth.......absolutely crazy to consider that dogs only stay with their owners because they are fed. haven't there been many cases of dogs staying with their owners after the owners death. i think anyone who has had a dog knows how strange the "slavery" view really is.

but thanks Jed - you put up an arguement - it made me think - then I disagreed with your arguement. That is a civilising process!

...and, yes,, Ged, keep posting....

Belatedly seen this thread. Just wanted to say that my two rescued dogs were in a very bad way (one abandoned and starved nearly to death and roaming around in the freezing cold, one on the streets as a helpless and sick 5 week old puppy) when found in Ireland, fostered, made well and brought over by an amazing charity organisation that saves some of the 30,000 odd stray dogs being put down per year in Ireland.

They are now the happiest 'slaves' (oh really) you could meet. They also run very joyfully back to me after their twice daily 3-4 mile runs off lead.

When I moved to this street, someone was going out with a bit of chalk, circling each dog poo pile on the pavement and putting a comment like 'Please pick this up' or 'how would you like this at the top of your path' - all polite, but making a point. This was actually really successful in getting the regulars to stop leaving a mess. I've tried it since and it does help a lot!

Joyce, thanks for this helpful suggestion.  I will have to think how to adapt this to grass.

The council in Langley have taken to using a iluminous spray paint in our local park. Each dropping gets a bright coat and is easerly visible. I can only asume that the paint used is water based and does eventualy dissapear.

Just seen this on the Council's website about compulsory chipping

Thanks, David W, that sounds like an idea at least then I wouldn't kneel in it when tending our communal 'garden', which is what happened on Saturday!