Monday, October 7, 2013

Dogs are people, too

I ALWAYS CONSIDERED LADY A PERSON, TOO

You might check out
a N.Y. Times story called Dogs Are People, Too. These people are doing MRIs to prove that dogs have emotions and thoughts like humans. They want to prove that dogs deserve more respect than puppy mills and "being put down."


As the writer said, "DOGS have long been considered property. Though the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 and state laws raised the bar for the treatment of animals, they solidified the view that animals are things — objects that can be disposed of as long as reasonable care is taken to minimize their suffering.


"But now, by using the M.R.I. to push away the limitations of behaviorism, we can no longer hide from the evidence. Dogs, and probably many other animals (especially our closest primate relatives), seem to have emotions just like us. And this means we must reconsider their treatment as property."

Check it out. I don't know if it proves anything, but it's worth your time.

I've long known that dogs are people, too.

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com  TWITTER: EDITORatWORK.

More entries from the Dog Blog

Blog entries from The Auto Racing Journal
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)

More blog entries by Tom Gillispie

Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie

Sunday, October 6, 2013

I worry about the snake and Lady's safety

This isn't really about dogs, not directly, but it's all about worries I have. And they surround my family and my dog Lady.


LADY SNIFFS AROUND
IN THE YARD.
The other night, I went out to the carport, and there was a large copperhead snake sticking its head out of a bookshelf that was lying on its side. I wasn't sure that's what it was until I got in the car and turned on the headlights.

The head had disappeared, and I could see the body move as it wound around the bookshelf. That was unnerving, of course.

It was gone, thankfully, by the time I got home.

I worry about my dog Lady. We've found snakes before, and I assume that snake was the same big one I saw in 2012 (it waggled its tongue at me, and I got it to move by throwing water on it). What if Lady encounters that snake in the backyard? Will she stay away from it? Will it stay away from her?

Is there anything I can do to protect her (other than keeping her in the house)? And how can I protect the carport, and, by extension, my family?

And I have a more sobering thought: Does that snake have a whole family out in the woods beside our house (I'd say yes)?


Contact: I can be reached at tgilli52@gmail.com or nc3022@yahoo.com. Also, my Twitter handle is EDITORatWORK.

More entries from the Dog Blog

Blog entries from The Auto Racing Journal
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)

More blog entries by Tom Gillispie

Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie