[Updated, 10:55 p.m.] You can't help noticing the double-standards when it comes to putting dogs in harm's way in Wisconsin.
* This Milwaukee man just got five years in prison for dog-fighting. Money changed hands. That's animal cruelty. For profit. It's disgusting. Because dogs are man's best friend and need protection, right?
* But it all gets a little situational. For example, these law-breakers and others with cleaner records all let their hunting dogs get attacked and be killed by wolves during bear-hunting, training or other sanctioned activities, and Wisconsin - - through a unique, official state-approved program - - pays the hunting dog owners up to $2,500 in state funds per dog killed.
There was certainly cruelty to animals in those incidents, and money changes hands, too. But no one's going to jail for putting those dogs in harm's way - - or for the terror inflicted on wildlife pursued by the dogs. That's all legal. Just part of the 'sport.'
in fact, hunters can now let their hunting dogs loose to chase wolves during 'training' year-round.
Loose even in known wolf-activity areas. Even in areas where bear hunters put out bait that attracts wolves, too.
And Wisconsin lets dogs participate in the actual hunt, towards the season's end.
Again, all legal and part of the 'sport.'
And a further contradiction to ponder: hunting dogs in Wisconsin are allowed by state regulations to 'train,' that is lunge, snarl and otherwise terrorize caged animals as large as bears for hours and hours and hours on end; some of the training target animals can be wild, others only bred for such purposes (consider that!) - - so how do we feel when it is the dog dishing out the punishment?
Like I said, this love for dogs, and penalties for cruelty to animals, is all situational in Wisconsin, depending on who you are and where you live.
So you tell me: Which person or group in Wisconsin with dogs at their disposal - - pun intended - - does the state value more, and whom do you think has the better lobby?
* This Milwaukee man just got five years in prison for dog-fighting. Money changed hands. That's animal cruelty. For profit. It's disgusting. Because dogs are man's best friend and need protection, right?
* But it all gets a little situational. For example, these law-breakers and others with cleaner records all let their hunting dogs get attacked and be killed by wolves during bear-hunting, training or other sanctioned activities, and Wisconsin - - through a unique, official state-approved program - - pays the hunting dog owners up to $2,500 in state funds per dog killed.
There was certainly cruelty to animals in those incidents, and money changes hands, too. But no one's going to jail for putting those dogs in harm's way - - or for the terror inflicted on wildlife pursued by the dogs. That's all legal. Just part of the 'sport.'
in fact, hunters can now let their hunting dogs loose to chase wolves during 'training' year-round.
Loose even in known wolf-activity areas. Even in areas where bear hunters put out bait that attracts wolves, too.
And Wisconsin lets dogs participate in the actual hunt, towards the season's end.
Again, all legal and part of the 'sport.'
And a further contradiction to ponder: hunting dogs in Wisconsin are allowed by state regulations to 'train,' that is lunge, snarl and otherwise terrorize caged animals as large as bears for hours and hours and hours on end; some of the training target animals can be wild, others only bred for such purposes (consider that!) - - so how do we feel when it is the dog dishing out the punishment?
Like I said, this love for dogs, and penalties for cruelty to animals, is all situational in Wisconsin, depending on who you are and where you live.
So you tell me: Which person or group in Wisconsin with dogs at their disposal - - pun intended - - does the state value more, and whom do you think has the better lobby?
It makes no sense but little of what this governor and his lap dog legislators have done is very sensible.
ReplyDeleteTime to sic the ASPCA on our legislators and DNR.
ReplyDeleteI found this interesting and it appeared in both of my favorite Scott Walker cheerleading(owned by the same person) newspapers up north, the Lakeland Times (Minocqua) and Rhinelander River News. http://www.rivernewsonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubsectionID=42&ArticleID=63044
ReplyDeleteAlthough I couldn't find it, another picture and story of a young girl with her "trophy" appeared in the Lakeland Times last year. NEVER a man or boy killing a wolf...like having a young girl trap and kill one, somehow makes it acceptable. The Lakeland Times of course supports killing the wolves if Scott Walker says it's a good thing. They'd cheer him on strangling kittens and puppies in front of small children.
What upsets me most about people that can trap anything is how they can do something so cruel and come home and love their pets. They could never imagine their cats or dogs suffering in a trap all night and having someone shoot them and then pose "proudly" with the corpse, yet they have no qualms when it comes to wildlife. All of our dogs come from the wolf. Do they think the wolf doesn't feel pain like our pet dogs do?
Thank you for keeping this story out there. I know you'll enjoy some of the comments that people left under this article.