February 5 on the 5th

It's Post Time

Things that make me go, "HMMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

This month's 5 on the 5th was a general Reflection of things that are important to us.  I thought I would share with you some news stories that made me happy and sad, and talk a little bit about the relationships between animals and humans.  I have a great life and a happy home, but not all dogs do.  There are a lot of bad people who don't think of us as being living creatures with feelings or intelligence.  It makes me sad to think that there are people in the world who don't respect or appreciate all that dogs can do.  My Papa says that those people are stupid and selfish and I should feel sorry for them because they don't know any better.  They have to torture something else to make themselves feel better.  But I don't want to feel sorry for them.  If you ask me, I think that these people should not be allowed to interact or be in contact with animals.  Papa says they don't allow people who abuse children to be near children, and it makes sense to me that if people abuse animals, they should not be allowed to be near animals.

But anyway, it is not all bad.  So here are 5 stories that Papa read to me this week from the news that made me stop and think about how humans and animals are connected.  I will select my pictures from the web because they will show how I feel about the articles.

ONE

Unilever Ends Animal Testing On Lipton Tea Products After PETA Threatens Major Campaign

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/03/unilever-ends-animal-test_n_818225.html

This was a good thing.  For many years this company that makes Tea was looking for some reason to promote the healthiness of drinking tea.  So they made pigs and rabbits sick , made them drink tea to see if they got better.

What a terrible thing to do.  With all the problems in the world and people and animals suffering for no reason, to do it on purpose is horrible.

I chose this picture because it really shows how I feel about all this animal testing stuff.  You should test on yourself and leave innocent animals alone.   It would be a better world if the CEOs of companies had to do the testing on themselves.  They might actually earn all the money they make, instead of making decisions that affect the lives of animals they don't even know anything about.

I am glad they stopped.  I only hope they realize what terrible people they are.


TWO

100 Sled Dogs Killed In British Columbia Due To Slump In Tourism

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/31/100-sled-dogs-slaughtered_n_816462.html

 I wanted to use a picture of beautiful dogs, but this one really got my attention.  Sled dogs are hard working dogs and many suffer and die to protect their humans.  But a corporation, like the last one, felt that they didn't want to keep the dogs alive with no one to buy sledding trips.  All of a sudden the lives of those hard working dogs were worthless in their eyes.  And what is worse, is they told the employees to shoot them.  They wouldn't even spend the money on a humane way to try to get the dogs adopted or even put them to sleep humanely.  They were shot, in cold blood.
More terrible corporations.

THREE

Pet Owners: Can Sleeping With Your Pet Make You Sick?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sophia-yin/pet-owners-sleeping-with-your-pet-can-make-_b_816138.html

 For a long time people thought that sleeping with your companion animals can make you sick.  But this new research study shows it isn't true!

My brother sleeps with my humans all the time..  I get to sometimes.  Papa says it is because I am so big and take up so much room.  I chose this picture because I think that we can work out an arrangement that would make everyone happy.  The dog in this picture is obviously a bigger dog, like myself.  Oh, I am not fat, I am just big boned.  But still, even though I have long legs, I think that we all can fit in the bed safely and maintain our health.  As long as no one has a cold.  I mean, if you are sick or have fleas, it isn't good to sleep with humans or dogs, because some things just can transmit.

FOUR

Michael Vick's Dogs: Pit Bulls Make Slow And Painful Recovery

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/31/michael-vick-dogs-pit-bulls_n_816246.html#s232910

Using dogs for sports is never a good idea.  You all know that I was a racer and didn't really like it.  And racing dogs are not treated badly, when they are racing.  But afterward, it really depends on how bad the owner is.  Once again, it is easy for some corporation to just dispose of the dogs.  Dog fighting is very different.  It takes a really bad person to train dogs to be violent and make them fight other dogs.  No dog ever wins in that situation.

I didn't want to bring in a bad picture, but I chose this one because even though it's horrible, you can see how loving the dog is, just by looking into his eyes.  He didn't want to hurt another dog, and really doesn't want to be hurt himself.  It's just that bad people make slaves of animals for their own pleasure.  It's disgusting.

FIVE

Cancer-Sniffing Dog Trained By Scientists

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/01/cancer-sniffing-dog_n_816961.html
  

I wanted to end on a happy note.  We can be useful to humans in more ways than just unwillingly helping them make money.  We do have talents that can be used to help improve the human condition. 
Dogs have really great senses of smell.  We can smell many things.  It's how we communicate with each other and understand our surroundings.  We can smell all kinds of things, including the presence of cancer cells in your breath or urine!  You see, it is not that we don't want to be working dogs, or that we don't want to help you.  We do.  Many dogs are not happy unless they have something to do. Personally, I am not one of those dogs.  I want a nice place to lay down and I want to be able to see my humans and know what's going on.  But I don't want to work.  But there are dogs that do.  And we can be helpful to humans, if you let us.  It's just that you shouldn't have to torture, hurt, or kill us to make us useful.  I chose this picture because this is a proud dog who should get the recognition he or she deserves.


And that's what I have been thinking about this month for 5 of the 5th!

Keep your tail up and wagging!

-Katie