Ruminations

Thursday, February 02, 2012

The Final Punishment

Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu merely voiced in a context of reasonable-enough musing on a discussion of great controversy within Canadian society, what many other Canadians muse to themselves, when they read of the arrogance and lack of humanity of psychopathic serial murderers who destroy the peace of mind of ordinary people.

If there is a good reason that those who feel no compassion for those whose lives they destroy to continue living long after the relatives of those they murdered finally find peace in accepting the violent deaths of those they cherished, it escapes most people.

Senator Boisvenu uttered his opinion that although he was not in favour of the death penalty generally, death might yet be considered as due punishment for the most unforgivingly brutal serial murderers who have never expressed one iota of regret for the lives they violently destroyed, to have their own removed in turn.

His intention was clearly not for the state to intervene by directly causing the death of these psychopaths, but to allow them the option themselves of taking their lives, should they wish to. Just a thought. The thought being that why should the state intervene should the mass murderer find no further value in living through the years of life in prison?

If such a person thought little beyond the twisted pleasure derived from destroying the lives of others, and incarceration restrained him from further murders, perhaps he might prefer to let his own life lapse, as a personal rejection of life for himself.

Senator Boisvenu speaks from the anguished experience of personal pain. His family's loss of their 27-year-old daughter who was abducted, raped and murdered is an experience that most of us have never suffered through, and would wish never to have done.

He is generous enough in spirit to reject institutionalized disciplinary killing, and rational enough to understand that there is simply no good reason to support the life of a smirking, self-satisfied murderer like a Bernardo. Although Bernardo would be an unlikely candidate for self-strangulation.

And it is worth noting that his opinion reflects that of a majority of Canadians, where a recent survey on capital punishment found 62% of Canadians giving at least verbal support to the death penalty for homicide. What holds most people back from the brink of supporting the death penalty is the very real possibility that someone innocent is occasionally wrongly convicted.

On the other hand, it is not there where the death penalty might be directed, but toward those for whom no shadow of a doubt could be expressed about the responsibility of someone found guilty beyond any reasonable doubt due to an accretion of hard evidence, let alone an admission of guilt, of a series of gruesome murders. Vancouver's Willie Pickton, for example.

Many people could find it within themselves to accept the quiet and orderly dispatch on the rarest of occasions for these monsters of human brutishness.

Labels: Canada, Human Relations, Justice, Realities

Killing Dogs For Profit - Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer

Guest writer - Karen Rosenfeld, Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer

Tuesday, 31 January, 2012

POUND SEIZURE - KILLING DOGS FOR PROFIT

Pound Seizure - Killing Dogs for Research, Testing & Teaching

In this day and age of technology there is no need to test product on dogs and other animals - many other companies are no longer doing so and they are profitable.

So why do these companies you see listed below still carry out this barbaric practice?

What possible excuse can there be to justify the ongoing suffering of non-human animals - including dogs - for the testing of product?

The only real reason is that so many humans are greedy opportunists. To these people making a dollar is everything no matter the consequences, no matter the cost to others, particularly non-human animals - the road to abuse lies wide open.

At the bottom of this article you will find an extensive list of companies that test on animals. Unfortunately the list is very long and you will see many companies listed who you are very familiar with…producing many products that people use and wear on a daily basis.

If you have never had the opportunity to stop and think about this topic, or do a little research you are probably not aware of the fundamentals of this practice. And let’s face - it the information is not loudly and proudly broadcast by the manufacturers and governmental regulatory authorities who allow and ‘oversee’ the industry. So here are a few facts that you may not be aware of and some things you can do to help ensure the safety of dogs...

What is Pound Seizure?

Animal shelters/pounds and animal control facilities are permitted to sell lost, abandoned, homeless dogs and cats for use in experimentation (research, testing, teaching). This practice is called ‘Pound Seizure’.

Where is Pound Seizure Legal in North America?

Pound Seizure is legal and occurs every day in Canada and the USA.

Ontario is the only province left in Canada where pound seizure is the law. What does this mean?

Well, in Ontario, pounds must hold dogs for three days, and then they can sell the stray pets to labs that use them for experiments. If there is an order from a laboratory, the pound is required by law, after the three-day waiting period, to provide the animals ordered to the laboratories rather than euthanize or continue to hold them. There are some municipalities in Ontario who understand that this law is wrong and refuse to surrender dogs for research, but there are many more that comply to the law.

In other provinces selling dogs to laboratories is not a law however it is also not against the law - so pound dogs are sold by shelters for research. This means that shelters can choose to do so or not as they wish. Of all the provinces where this practice is a choice, Quebec is the worst offender for selling dogs for research.

Look at These Statistics

In 2007 Companies and Universities in Canada used 15,726 dogs and cats in experimentation. How does this number break down by province?

4% Atlantic Canada, (585 dogs and cats);

11% Western Canada - Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC, (1,662 dogs and cats;

33% Ontario (5,130 dogs and cats);

52% Quebec (8,159 dogs and cats).

How Much Do These Companies/Universities pay for a Pound Seizure Dog?

For companies like those listed below - pound or shelter dogs (also termed ‘random source dogs’) provide a cheap source of supply at about $6.00/per dog. And the available supply is endless.

Can this Research, Testing, Teaching Be Done Without Harming Dogs?

Many researchers, prestigious research facilities, medical schools, etc. in North America, the UK and other parts of the world choose not to experiment on dogs and other animals for moral as well as economic and scientific reasons or simply to obey law. These companies and institutions are proof that products can be developed safely and profitably; students in medical and veterinary colleges can efficiently and fully acquire all required knowledge and skills without causing the pain, suffering and death of innocent living beings.

Supposed human entitlement is a very weak reason to sentence even one dog's life (let alone many) to suffering and death.

What Research, Testing & Teaching Means Pertaining to Dogs

Every year, tens of thousands of dogs are used in drug-toxicity studies in Europe and North America. The researchers start their testing program by giving the dogs a dosage that will kill. Then they take another group of dogs and scale the dosage back so it causes severe suffering but not immediate death. And so on, reducing the dosage on other dogs until they achieve the result desired. All of the dogs suffer terribly and then die.

Cosmetic companies, companies producing household cleaners and so on do the same kind of testing. Dogs are left to suffer with major parts of their bodies chemically burned, internal and external wounds, induced failure of organs and so on. Again, the dogs suffer and die - most often their death is slow and painful.

Many Universities use dogs for veterinary learning - operating on the dogs so the students can learn procedure and then they euthanize the dogs when they are still under anaesthetic. Some of the dogs are operated on more than once - depends on the university. Some universities put the dogs on treadmills forcing them to exercise until the dog's heart bursts. The Universities carry out many such atrocities on dogs - and to think that they were all someones 'pet' at one time. What a betrayal of a sacred trust!

So, If You Have to Give Your Dog up for any Reason…

Make sure you DO NOT surrender your dog to a shelter unless you are 100% certain that they do not participate in Pound Seizure.

Instead surrender your dog to a reputable, certified rescue group. Many people have given their dogs up to Shelters because they felt another person would be able to give the dog a better life - more attention, exercise and so on. When they check back to see the adoption status of their former dog, some of these people have found out that the dog was either subject to Pound Seizure or the shelter chose to sell the dog to a research lab. Although the people surrendered the dog with the best intention - for the dog’s welfare - the dog ended up dead.

At least if the dog had been simply euthanized by the shelter, the dog would have passed away in some sort of peace rather than alone in confusion and agony.

Dogs Should be Cherished by Humanity

How can we have laws to prevent cruelty to dogs and then turn around and allow dogs to be used for 'research'?

How many times does a dog have to suffer?

Dogs who end up in 'shelters' have already been let down by humanity. Dogs don't get to choose who they live with and what is done to them. Their welfare and their lives are at the mercy of human beings - will they end up with someone who truly respects and loves them or with someone who uses and abuses them - then discards their life as if it is trash; abandons them, leaves them stray. What a dog wants most is to have the opportunity to live the life it deserves to live - to be loved and to give love like only a dog can.

Although I see all of the terrible things that mankind does to dogs, I will never understand how ‘civilized’ people and a ‘civilized’ nation can:

A - Sanction Pound Seizure;

B - Not make it illegal to sell stray, abandoned, homeless dogs for research, testing, teaching;

C - Not make it illegal to breed dogs specifically for research, testing, teaching - this is just as wrong.

To endorse or silently allow any of these things is no different than using dogs as bait and fight dogs in dog fighting - another brutal painful and deadly connivance of mankind. It is no different than killing dogs for meat (as do the Chinese, Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, etc.).

Are There any Organizations Striving to See Pound Seizure Reform?

Groups such as the Animal Alliance continue to work tirelessly to create awareness and push reform. As a result of their ongoing efforts Guelph University and the Ontario Veterinary College have voluntarily made reforms to their policies to ensure that no more pound dogs will be used for teaching or experimentation, that dogs who are used for skills training will be ‘recovered’ and adopted out, and that no more dogs will be killed for practice surgeries. While this is a great step forward, there are many other institutions and companies in the province of Ontario who have not made any such reforms.

What You Do to Help Affect Change

One - Well, you can become an advocate of change by spreading the word about Pound Seizure - most people do not even know that this occurs!

Two - You can sign petitions. Although you may not think this worth the time and bother - I can tell you that it is. When enough people sign, governments are forced to pay attention. I have and will continue to sign many petitions against Pound Seizure in Canada, the US and around the world. Here are some sites that you can visit which host a lot of animal welfare petitions.

The Animal Rescue Site

Three - You can reduce the number of products that you purchase from companies that test on animals;

Four - If you live in the Province of Ontario Canada, Animal Alliance has laid out some steps that you can follow to take action. The following is an excerpt from their site:

Animal Alliance prepared a document entitled The Political, Animal Services, and Scientific Case Against Pound Seizure regarding the arguments against pound seizure and how such practices stop the implementation of progressive animal services programmes. To find out about animals in your area, you can mail your municipality a Freedom of Information request - a sample letter is available by clicking here. Also available for download is a document regarding teaching alternatives for veterinary students.’

We need to keep the pressure on the Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, and the Honourable Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec, to bring in legislation banning the use of lost pets in research. So please, mail and call them. Hand-written letters are best but you can also print our sign-on letter by clicking here.

The Honourable Dalton McGuinty
Premier of Ontario
Legislative Building
Queen's Park
Toronto, ON M7A 1A1
Tel: 416-325-1941
Fax: 416-325-3745

Email: www.premier.gov.on.ca/feedback/feedback.asp

The Honourable Jean Charest

Premier of Quebec
Édifice Honoré-Mercier, 3e étage
835, boulevard René-Lévesque Est
Québec (Québec) G1A 1B4

Tel: 418-643-5321 / 514-873-3411
Fax: 418-643-3924 / 514-873-6769

A List of Companies that Test on Dogs and Other Animals

The following is an extensive list of companies that test on animals including dogs. While I understand that it may be difficult to avoid all products, any effort you make to cut back on purchasing from these companies will save dogs and other innocent animal lives.

Alcon Labs

Allergan, Inc.

Answer

Arm & Hammer

ArmorAll

Arrid

Axe

Aziza

Bain de Soleil

Ban Roll-on

Banana Boat

Bausch & Lomb

Benckiser

BenGay

Biotherm

Block Drug Co. Inc.

(The) Body Shop

Bounty

Boyle-Midway

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Cacherel

Cargill

Carpet Fresh

Carter-Wallace

Chesebrough-Ponds

Church & Dwight

Clarion

Clairol

Clear Choice

Clorox

Commerce Drug Co.

Consumer Value Stores

Coppertone

Coty

Cover Girl

Crest

Dana Perfumes

Dawn

Del Laboratories

Desitin

Dial Corporation

Diversey

Dove

Dow Brands

Drackett Products Co.

Drano

EcoLab

Eli Lilly & Co.

El Sanofi Inc.

Elizabeth Arden

Erno Laszlo

Faberge

Fantastik

Fendi

Final Net

Finesse

First Response

Flame Glow

Garnier

Giorgio Armani

Givaudan-Roure

Glade

Glass Plus

Helena Rubinstein

Helene Curtis Industries

Herbal Essences

Huggies

ISO

Ivory

Jhirmack

Johnson & Johnson

Johnson Products Co.

Jovan

Kaboom

Keri

Kimberly-Clark Corp

Kiwi Brands

Kleenex

Lady's Choice

Lancaster

Lancome

Lava

Lever Brothers

Lipton

Listerine

L'Oreal USA

Lubriderm

Lux

Lysol

Mars (candy company)

Matrix Essentials

Max Factor

Maybelline

Mead

Mop & Glo

Nair

Naturelle

Neutrogena

Neutron Industries, Inc.

Olean

Orange Glo

Oscar de la Renta

OxiClean

Pantene

Parfums International

Pearl Drops

Pennex

Pfizer, Inc.

Pine-Sol

Plax

Playtex Corporation

Pledge

Polident

Ponds

Post-It

Prestige Brands

Prince Matchabelli

Proctor & Gamble Co.

Quintessence

Raid

Ralph Lauren Fragrances

Reckitt Benckiser

Redken

Resolve

Richardson-Vicks

Sally Beauty Supply

Sally Hansen

Sanofi

SC Johnson & Son

Schering-Plough

Scotch

Scott Paper Co.

Scrub Free

Sensodyne

Signal

SmithKline Beecham

Snobal

SoftSheen

S.O.S.

Stanhome Inc.

Sterling Drug

Suave

Sun Star

Sunsilk

TCB Naturals

Tegrin

Tide

Tilex

Trojan

Truvia

Unilever

Vaseline

Vichy

Vidal Sassoon

Visine

Vivid

Warner-Lambert

Westwood Pharmaceuticals

White Shoulders

Whitehall Laboratories

Windex

Woolite

Labels: Animal Stories, Education

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

When Victims Become The Prosecuted

Ian Thomson's isolated farmhouse located at Port Colborne, appears not to be considered his castle, by Crown prosecutors. We certainly do give lip service to the accepted need and the right under the law for people to defend themselves and their homes and those whom they are responsible for, from intruders to the home whose intention is to do harm. But when it comes to actually having the law and the justice system recognize that need and that right, we've been treated to another reality altogether.

Ian Thomson knows how to safely and responsibly use firearms. He is, after all, a former firearms instructor, expert at what he knows well. And it's also obvious that he's no shrinking violet. His response was immediate and to the point when he awoke one wee-hours-of-the-morning day to the realization that his property was hosting unwanted intruders who did, in fact, mean to do him and his harm.

Masked, and none too stealthy, three men were approaching his house and hurling fire bombs. It was, in fact, the sound of explosions that had awakened him from a sound sleep at 6:37 a.m., on August 22, 2010. He heard one of his unwanted guests greet him warmly with the question: "Are you ready to die?", and he responded in the negative, swiftly gathering a firearm out of its locked cabinet, and loading it.

Adrian Humphreys/National Post Ian Thomson leaves the Welland, Ont., courthouse Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, after testifying in his own defence as he fights criminal charges for shooting at masked men who were firebombing his rural home.

Then he returned the compliment, shouting a warning, as, in his underwear, he presented himself outside his home to fire one shot into the ground and two in the direction of the trees where he knew the men who had invited him to die had decided to do what cowards do best; emulate rats by scurrying away into the underbrush. In the meanwhile, his porch was on fire, as well as his companion dogs' house.

He dialled 911, and while awaiting the eventual arrival of police made use of his garden hose to put out the flames left in the wake of the Molotov cocktail attack. When police did arrive, some ten minutes later (which must have seemed like an eternity), they busied themselves surveying the scene, and decided that Mr. Thomson was deserving of arrest, and laid charges of four gun offenses.

The episode that he had dutifully recounted to them, believing that he was a victim, seemed to matter little; that he was merely defending himself and his property from a violent assault mounted by unknown intruders with murder and mayhem on their minds. As it happened, the charges of dangerous use of a firearm and pointing a firearm were dropped by prosecutors who realized the absurdity of their case.

But they forged on nonetheless with the lesser two charges, determined to apply the letter of the law, to prove that he had not properly stored his firearms under lock and key, with the ammunition stored separately, and secured. A closed circuit video had validated his claims of violent intruders, and another video, presented at court in Welland, Ontario, demonstrated Mr. Thomson's facility with firearms loading, pretty well destroying the prosecutors' theory.

But the trial has been adjourned as Justice Tory Colvin has instructed that a search of case law be embarked upon to assist in the precise and appropriate and relevant understanding of of the gun law in question. It seems that Mr. Thomson is far better served by his lawyer, Ed Burlew, one of Ontario's principal gun-law lawyers, than is the Crown with their stumbling attorneys who have little idea of the fine details of the case they're prosecuting.

In the end, it can only be hoped that reason and rationality will prevail, and the judge, finding for the accused, will suggest to the Crown that an apology is in order directed toward Mr. Thomson, and that the proper authorities (the federal government) begin to take steps to amend a law whose purpose and true legitimacy leaves much to be desired.

Labels: Justice, Ontario, Social-Cultural Deviations

Laboratory Product Testing on Dogs - Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer

Guest writer - Karen Rosenfeld, Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer

Does the Manufacturer of Your Dog’s Food Test on Animals?

Even some Pet Food Companies test on animals, and I do not mean pleasant testing! I mean the same type of abusive and lethal research that I talked about in myPOUND SEIZURE - KILLING DOGS FOR PROFIT article. If you would like to make sure that the pet food products that you are buying are not tested on animals…

A - If you live in North America, you can click here to see a list of pet food companies that DO NOT test on animals;

B - If you live in the UK, you can click here to see a list of pet food companies that DO NOT test on animals.