Saving the world

[Starwrecker]

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Does anyone ever read/see/hear something that really strikes a chord with them and then just want to 'save the world' so to say? I just watched a video regarding some fur trade practices in China that I would call absolute torture. Part of me wants to find out what I can do to stop it and put my time into that and the other part of me is hopeless and says, 'no matter what you do it will keep happening and besides, you need to study anyways'. Regardless, I'm going to have nightmares for weeks.

And please don't take my post wrong, I'm not anti-animal products at all...but I do feel strongly that their products should be harvested in as humane a way as possible.

Similar situations anyone? Or do I just need to pretend I never saw it and go back to studying?

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I just watched a video regarding some fur trade practices in China that I would call absolute torture.

We've probably seen the same one...and it almost made me physically sick. I cried like a two year old. I'm not anti-animal products either, but when you completely throw away the animal welfare (not rights, welfare) aspect of industry like that ...it's terrible.

Actually I believe that it is a good thing that we are "shocked" now and then...be it from the China fur trade, or a picture I saw during a trauma discussion lab about a critical-grade cat with an arrow completely through its body, shot by a guy who was "practicing with his bow and the cat just walked infront of him" 😡 Or watching a cow staggar to the ground in acute acidosis....it's a terrible thing to see, but I think it strengthens your resolve.

If no one was ever shocked, or felt anything....wow, what robots we would become.

 

[Serendipity4]

I'm almost certain I've seen the same video, and I completely agree. That video haunted me for quite some time, and still does now whenever I'm reminded of it. After I saw it, I absolutely wanted to do whatever I could to stop it. The best I COULD do, though, was to help get signatures with my school's Animal Welfare Association on a petition to stop it.

It's weird that I saw this post tonight, though, because I was literally just thinking about how I tend to want to save the world about 30 minutes ago. There was an advertisement on TV that showed a dog in a kennel in a Humane Society, and showed people walking up to the cage, the dog getting all excited, and then the people walking away. At the same time they said how for every animal that gets adopted at a humane society, one doesn't. Just as I agree that we need to make sure we treat all our animals humanely in whatever we do with them, it also bothers me to an immense degree that we breed dogs and cats so much, get them to love us, and then they end up at a humane society without a home. Needless to say, for the past half an hour I've been trying to figure out how I can go spay/neuter the vast majority of dogs and cats in this country, and how I can get the rest of them homes! 😉

 

[shocker682]

it also bothers me to an immense degree that we breed dogs and cats so much, get them to love us, and then they end up at a humane society without a home. Needless to say, for the past half an hour I've been trying to figure out how I can go spay/neuter the vast majority of dogs and cats in this country, and how I can get the rest of them homes! 😉

Maybe I've become quite jaded in this subject -- it seems like the whole pet industry has mirrored society in general -- We are a throw-away society. Getting sick of your new runners, trash 'em and get a new pair. Need a coffee, just go to starbucks and get a paper cup full. Dog peeing on your bed, drop her off at the humane society and wash her away from your conscience. Really is unconscionable isn't it? I wish there was an easy "fix". I suspect that if us vets stay diligent enough, yell really loud, and spay/neuter like there's no tomorrow, we might make a small dint. All we can do is be the best animal advocates we can be!

 

[Starwrecker]

Needless to say, for the past half an hour I've been trying to figure out how I can go spay/neuter the vast majority of dogs and cats in this country, and how I can get the rest of them homes! 😉

Let's start a traveling spay/neuter clinic and get a big plot of land for all the critters! Saving the world one animal at a time...😉

I wish....*sigh*...back to anatomy...ugh.👎

 

[Serendipity4]

I'm all for the travelling spay/neuter clinic and the big plot of land! 🙂 And I absolutely agree about the throw away society. I realize that children and dogs are not the same thing (no matter how much I treat my dogs like children 😉), but it amazes me that we can have such strong opinions about how we should treat children (and rightfully so!), and yet so many people can look at their pets as if the whole point of having one is solely for the enjoyment of the owner. Therefore, if the owner's tired of the pet, of course they can get rid of him/her.

Frustrating as it is that we can't save all the animals, you guys are right. Whether we're making a small difference by spaying/neutering like there's no tomorrow, or doing our best to save the world one animal at a time, the good news is we can make a difference. And hey, maybe if we can put all our small differences together we really will end up saving the world some day. 😉

Okay, okay, I'll stop being corny and go back to my genetics take home exam now...