I went to Fresh Choice for lunch today. Figured it would get me out of the house and get me some greens I needed. Anyway, I park and start walking towards the restaurant when right beside me a dog starts barking inside of an SUV. A locked SUV. With the windows rolled up to about 2 millimeters of air space. On a relatively hot day. So I'm thinking, this doesn't seem good, though the dog doesn't seem to be in real distress.
So I walk over to the mini police station, which is located right near the restaurant. Nobody home. I go back to the car, get the license plate number and figure that if the dog is still there after lunch I'll call the police.
Then I get to the restaurant and I'm greeted by a greeter.
Greeter: Welcome to Fresh Choice. Have you been here before.Jack: Yes.
With that she turns away and starts cleaning the tray line. You see Fresh Choice is a salad place. You first get a tray and a plate. Then you go and fill up your plate on this long line of salad bits.
Anyway, I get to thinking about the dog, and about my cellphone. Plus I'm stuck in line right next to the greeter.
Jack: Do you know the number to the little police shack thing in this building?Greeter: No. Why do you ask?
Jack: There was a dog stuck in a locked car with the windows rolled up. I tried the station but nobody was there. So I figured I would give them a call and have them come out.
Greeter: Yeah, the dog could, what's that word again?
Jack: Asphixiate.
Greeter: You could call 911.
Jack: Seems a little severe. I'll just drop by the station on the way out.
Greeter: It's California. They take animal life more seriously than human life.
Wo! What a second. What the hell was that? My mind is reeling. I don't even know what to say. What the hell have I walked into. So I delay, a little too long and...
Greeter: You don't think so?Jack: I don't think there is any case law to prove that.
With that she walks away. Granted, my come back was totally lame. But come on, you just don't expect that. And I'm horrible on the fast comeback. But seriously, what the hell was that?
First off, let me make this perfectly clear. If there had been a baby in the car seat in the car I would have never left the area. I would have called 911, and if I had seen the baby in distress in the car with the windows rolled up I would have gotten my tire iron and smashed through the windows.
Second, um, hell no. In California you will go to jail for killing your baby in a car with the windows rolled up. You might go to jail if you do the same to a dog.
Seriously now, I know that California has more protections for animals than some crack-head state that allows cock fighting, but is that a bad thing?
This craziness has to stop. I heard some crap on right wing radio a couple of days ago where the commentator was ripping apart some P.E.T.A. site by claiming what they would do to save an animal, and then talking about what we aren't doing to save Schiavo. Huh? No connection given. Just this is what P.E.T.A. would do, and this is what other people wouldn't. And then he would go on to slam on P.E.T.A. for a bit. Can't we have both at the same time? So in order to love animals I have to hate humans? And in order to love humans I have to abuse humans? Makes no sense.
Anyway, as I say, the silliness is at an all time high.
Posted by jherr at March 27, 2005 06:02 PMI recall a dog getting electrocuted in Miami on the Metrorail. The Miami Herald later reported that they recieved hundreds of letters from enraged citizens.
In the previous year, they had also reported the electrocution of a transit employee (2 letters to the editor) and a homeless man (none).
Posted by: Donna at March 28, 2005 01:18 PMTwo things. First, I'm sure the police investigation in the case of the dog and the two humans was decidedly different. I'm sure the police spent a hell of a lot of time on the people, and very little on the dog.
Second, the dog has no idea about train tracks, and thus there should be precautions taken in regard to animals. And if the animal got past those it is a big deal because other dogs could do that as well.
Again, is it one or the other? Why does caring about animals imply that someone cares less about humans?
Posted by: jherr at March 28, 2005 02:08 PMI think there are individuals who feel that way, and they are very memorable. That probably skews perception about the prevalence of the behavior.
There's a woman who hangs around Manhattan behind a table soliciting donations for some kind of cat sanctuary. When anyone walks by with a child she yells, "Quit breeding. You're killing all the cats!"
Now, obviously, she's got some issues with her medication regimen that need to be addressed. But after years of walking by this woman, I think I may have acquired a skewed view of the opinions of the type of people who run cat shelters.
Also, our bunny died recently and we considered adoption from a rescue organization. We were turned down immediately because we have children. This isn't uncommon at all among animal shelters. Apparently the desirable pet owner doesn't have any distractions in his or her life. Tragicallly, some cruel people are callous enough to have 2 children...
I have seen dogs in Manhattan eating steak off of a plate in the outdoor restaurant seating areas--once with a homeless person in view. I guess that could just be conspicuous consumption rather than indifference to human hunger.
Oh, and as a childbirth educator and doula I met many couples who let the cat or dog sleep on their bed or in their bedroom so it wouldn't be lonely, but crib-trained their baby from birth.
Posted by: Donna at March 31, 2005 04:32 PMMegan slept with us for the first five months or so. But Ripley slept in bed at the same time, and now Oso sleeps there. But Megan sleeps in her own crib. What's wrong with that?
Posted by: jherr at March 31, 2005 09:54 PMWell, when people let their pets sleep in their bed it's because they exhibit behavior that indicates that they don't like to sleep alone.
When they start whining or scratching, you can either let them in or train them to stay quietly in another room by basically ignoring the noise. Eventually the pet will realize there's not going to be a response and give up.
I would say that someone who crib-trains (do they still call it Ferberize?) an infant and puts the dog in the garage is behaving consistently. Someone who has them both in the bedroom is behaving consistently. But someone who responds to the cries of his pet but not the cries of his newborn seems a little odd to me.
Of course, the difference with children is that they grow up and don't want to sleep in mommy's bed anymore. Cats and dogs remain like toddlers for their entire life. Just once, I'd like to tell a dog or cat or bird not to do something and have it--not do it!
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