The Fate of 100
In late 2010, Bob Fawcett, an “award-winning” dog sledder was compensated for an earlier tragedy involving the deaths of 100 sled dogs.
Fawcett was so traumatized by this tragedy that he is whining about post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Sorry, should I be more sympathetic?
In April of 2010, Bob Fawcett was told to get rid of 100 dogs used to rake in the dough during the winter Olympics in Vancouver. Because hey, what the heck is a company to do with its product when its biggest sale – the Olympics – ain’t in town anymore? No duh, winnow that product down.
So Fawcett did just that. He claims a veterinarian refused to kill the dogs. I guess killing 100 perfectly healthy dogs just didn’t sit well with that veterinarian…who COULD BE getting compensated for PTSD and stuff, I bet s/he regrets that decision, amirite! Then Fawcett claims the SPCA refused to help him. So exhausting ALL of his two options, he did what any logic-minded individual would do. He shot them, cut their throats, and buried them in a mass grave, whether they were still alive or not. That’s perfectly rational. And he didn’t just do it in one fell-swoop. Oh no, he did it over a two day period, in full view of the other dogs (one who was killed when an injured dog sought refuge with her pack-mates and was shot through and through) with a single-minded brutality that makes any normal human cringe in horror.
This is awful, of course. The dude should be charged up the wazoo for animal cruelty. The entire sledding industry should be banned forthright – I mean is sledding a serious mode of transportation for a large quantity of people? REALLY? Most Inuit use ATVs, for crying outloud, do wealthy tourists really need to be toted around via dog sled? I say no.
But every time I read these stories, I become that vegan. You know the one. The seemingly self-righteous indignant one who is ALWAYS bringing up the poor farmed animals whenever a story about dog/cat cruelty emerges. I AM DOING IT AGAIN!
I want you to count to five. FIVE. 1..2..3..4..5. Done? If you counted correctly, then 1,605 animals have just died in the United States. One-thousand-six-hundred-five no/100. Snap of the fingers and you’ve just witnessed the dimming of 321 lives. Every second in this country, 321 chickens, pigs, cows, sheep, turkeys, rabbits, and goats are killed. Most of them are chickens, and they are exempted from the federal methods of humane slaughter act, meaning they do can be killed while fully conscious. Nice.
In two days, fifty-four million equally intelligent, equally feeling, equally wanting not-to-have-their-throats-slit beings have been snuffed out.
Most people don’t raise dogs for the purpose of tourist sledding (I like it, tourists pulling sleds!). Most people can feel at ease condemning the deaths of these 100 dogs as callous and cruel. A lot of people can even be fine saying dog sledding should be eliminated.
But geez, if I mention chickens, ALL HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE. It might be fun, but probably not. Most people eat chickens. Asking them to think about the 10 billion land animals killed in this country is asking a lot, I suppose.
Since you people are probably already thinking about the farmed animals, give them a little extra thought. Throw them in when you think of these dogs, their fear and utter confusion at their supposed caregiver gunning them down. Those whose suffering goes unrecognized, even when their flesh is neatly packaged for purchase…they deserve those few extra seconds of consideration.
And if you are not vegan (YET), I hope you recognize that the suffering and fear those dogs felt is no different than what animals in large slaughterhouses feel. You are already doing something by not sledding dogs, but you can go even further by just not eating animals or their by-products.
The fate of 100 animals a year is in your hands. Go vegan, and there are fewer animals to kill.
IT IS SERIOUSLY THAT SIMPLE.
Also, sleds are for serious Husky puppies to look serious sitting on.
Stephanie Ernst
Marji
Kelly G.
Deb
Mary Martin
Marji, I guess this is what you call tragi-comedy, because I was chuckling despite the pain when you wrote: “Most people can feel at ease condemning the deaths of these 100 dogs as callous and cruel. A lot of people can even be fine saying dog sledding should be eliminated.
But geez, if I mention chickens, ALL HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE. It might be fun, but probably not. Most people eat chickens. Asking them to think about the 10 billion land animals killed in this country is asking a lot, I suppose.”
What a priceless pic of that pup; that’s the ONLY place Huskies belong, seated atop a sled, as you say.
Interesting thoughts on the 100 sled dogs on OpEdNews.com today:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Following-Orders-Never-a-by-Walter-Brasch-110203-995.html
I read and commented on Brasch’s piece before I saw this by you, Marji, so maybe someone else here will weigh in over there and make reference to “The Fate of 100″ at http://challengeoppression.com?! Just maybe! :-)
P.S. My comment over at OpEdNews.com led another person to comment, so I posted again over there — my emerging thoughts about what I identified as classism within speciesism.
For instance, it’s speciesism when humans degrade anyand all nonhumans, and I suppose it’s also speciesism when humans distinguish dogs from pigs.
But it might be called classism within speciesism when humans (or at least their laws) decide that one class of dogs (pets) are worthy of more protection than other classes of dogs (working-class dogs like Huskies, or “untouchables such as strays in some countries, or “lab dogs” once Class B dealers steal them or industries breed them).
Veganism — that is, being an ethical vegan, or a veganist, as Kathy Freston calls herself — is the one “ism” which I hope the whole world embraces, for good! :-)
I got a comment banned for being THAT vegan once. it was a story about how wonderful it is that dogs have empathy. I mentioned that cows, pigs, and goats, and even chickens have the same quality. and if we love that quality and appreciate we should go vegan as a culture. and posted a link to a start up kit. comment not approved.
it never occurred to him that he could put them up for adoption? WTF?
Thank you for writing this. I couldn’t articulate it myself–too sad. I’ve been feeling like “that vegan” very often lately.
“But geez, if I mention chickens, ALL HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE.”
That sums everything up entirely! Marji, I’m moved by your passion (and rage) in this essay. I very much admire you as “that vegan” who is a stickler for logic and consistent thinking. In short, you can’t go wrong by being fair to everyone!
Olivia – That’s an interesting observation of classism within speciesism. It’s like splitting hairs with compassion… This “working” dog only gets so much care; But this one who is a “pet” receives more. It’s so arbitrary… And so very stingy with the kindness that they all deserve equally, regardless of the status we elevate or devalue them to. It’s this lack of justice that is totally “off the mark.”
I hear ya Marji! Which is why every time a story of dog or cat cruelty appears, it’s the perfect time to tap into the anger that most people will hopefully feel and use that as an opportunity to point out the connection to large-scale institutionalized cruelty. Get ‘em while they’re stirred up already I say! :)