In the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit that I have never had a dog, let alone any pet for that matter. I have mild allergies, mainly to cats, but my mother has a noticeable allergic reaction to both them and dogs, so our house has been pet free. That isn’t to say I don’t envy those with pets, quite the contrary. There is also something to say about those who adopt abandoned animals, shelter pets who have been abused previously. It is one of the reason I respect Mark Levin, a man who’s done a lot to support animal shelters, even adopting abandoned pets himself. I recommend animal lovers give his Pet Corner a look as it contains moving tales about pet adoptions, along with stories from people who have lost their furry family members. With that said, I am not here to write a post to support the protesters in Newmarket, Ontario. This from CTV Toronto.
Police have issued tickets to two activists protesting the killing of hundreds of ringworm-infected animals at the York Region SPCA.
The protestors, who were detained and released after each received a $ 55 ticket for trespassing on Wednesday afternoon, returned to a crowd of dozens picketing outside the Newmarket, Ont. facility where officials have not been able to contain a ringworm outbreak among more than 300 cats and dogs.
Ringworm is a highly contagious fungal infection that is easily spread to humans. Six shelter workers have contracted ringworm and, in one instance, the infection has been passed on to a family.
CTV Toronto’s Andria Case reported that 48 cats and two dogs have been put down so far.
OSPCA officials say that only the animals with the most severe cases are being put down, and it could take months before the outbreak is contained, Case reported.
In fact, officials aren’t even sure if ringworm is the only illness afflicting the animals.
Still, protesters said that the OSPCA isn’t doing enough…
If you want to read the rest of the story, click the link above. Despite the claims of protesters, ringworm isn’t athlete’s foot. While both are a fungus, the former is fairly painful and can be very difficult to treat. Aside from the fact that the pets that have been euthanized are also suffering from other diseases, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) doesn’t have the funds or facilities to handle the treatment of more than three hundred pets that are infected. Let’s not forget that ringworm is passed easily from pet to pet, as well as from pet to human, so euthanizing these infected animals seems the best course of action in dealing with this problem. Am I wrong? Maybe it is because I don’t have my own dog or cat, but I find myself supporting the OSPCA in this matter.
Instead of listening to the misguided pleas of protesters who have their hearts, but not their heads, in the right place, why not examine the facts.
UPDATE: Television host and conservative commentator Michael Coren weighs in on this issue. While I will disagree with Coren on a few things, I can’t disagree with what he points out in this post, that activists seem to care more about animals than humans. While pets are treated as full members of the family, the fact that they are animals and not humans seems to be ignored, especially by animal rights activists like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Give the post a read, it is very good. I also recommend reading the exchange between Coren and an animal rights activist who quotes Mahatma Gandhi, stating that societies are judged by how they treat animals. Michael responds by pointing out that Gandhi wasn’t the moral figure many people portray him as, and not only did his action cause significant civil unrest, but that Gandhi himself was known for taking women other than his wife to bed. Is it any surprise that Gandhi’s view of women was so twisted knowing how he treated them as sexual objects? Couldn’t have said it better myself Coren. Perfect…
