Tennis champion supports PETA campaign (Martina Navratilova comes out against mulesing)

ABC News Radio. ^ | Friday, 28/01/2005

[presidio9]

Tennis star Martina Navratilova has used her appearance at the Australian Open to support the campaign against mulesing by animal rights group, PETA.

Ms Navratilova has written to the Prime Minister John Howard, asking him to act immediately to stop the 'cruel and horrific' practice of mulesing.

Ms Navratilova was unavailable to comment this morning, due to tennis commitments.

[Protagoras]

You a homo?

LOL

[expatpat]

When you say "put down" do you mean death or anaesthesia?

[Nataku X]

oops... anesthesia... but then again, it wouldn't make much sense to kill a cat just to clean its teeth, wouldn't it?

[dmz]

I'm a tad concerned about why you're asking.

Sorry, I don't date other men, even gay freepers (my wife would object), so you'll have to find someone else.

[CORedneck]

I would consider her opinion accordingly, lickity, split !

[Protagoras]

I'm a tad concerned about why you're asking.

You shouldn't be, I was thinking you were a lesbian type homo. LOL

Sorry, I don't date other men, even gay freepers (my wife would object),

So your wife doesn't object if you date other women? Cool marriage,,lol.

[Protagoras]

it wouldn't make much sense to kill a cat just to clean its teeth, wouldn't it?

You have to clean the whole cat before you cook it. Tastes gamey otherwise.

[dmz]

Also LOL.

If by not objecting, you mean that I would be paralyzed only from the waist down, absolutely, my wife doesn't object.

My point, as if anybody gives a sh&t, is only that freepers are a bit too predictable when it comes to certain issues. But I guess it's too much to expect when she is admittedly lesbian AND supporting peta for there not to be references made.

[bigfootbob]

Pigs are highly susceptible to drugs, I've experimented with different drugs my vet provided, too dangerous and hard to administer.

Steers we put into a squeeze box so they can't thrash around cause excessive tissue damage. Steers are too big and the amount of drugs required for this minor operation causes more trouble than it's worth.

Stop thinking about this as if it was a human, it's not the same.

[dmz]

LOL.

Your interest in my orientation concerns me. Are you still in the closet? Sorry, I'm straight. You'll have to go back to the bathhouse for your date tonight.

[Protagoras]

My point, as if anybody gives a sh&t, is only that freepers are a bit too predictable when it comes to certain issues.

And a point well taken. I was just joshing ya.

Yesterday I got flamed by a ton of people for suggesting it was over the top to cheer when an innocent teenage boy who was afraid of dogs, panicked and ran away on rocky terrain, slipped and fell over a cliff and was killed in a tragic accident. Seems the boy probably was a of the Islamic faith although he was a resident (and probably citizen) of Great Britain. Therefore, they rejoiced at his death and the very few of us who challenged them on it were called "self righteous".

It was a perfect example of what you just pointed out.

[Nataku X]

true...

[cyborg]

LOL

[expatpat]

Not unless it was using its teeth rather viciously on the vet.

[John O]

2) to see how many posts it would take before some idiot referenced her sexuality (I say idiot, as her sexuality is clearly a non-issue in this context)

Actually her mental illness is an issue in every opinion she has. If she's so confused as to not know the proper use of her body then how can we trust her opinion in anything else?

[John O]

Is she still sponsored by Snap-on tools?

[vetvetdoug]

The castration of bulls and boars is done without anesthetics. Bulls are made steers by immobilizing the animal by pushing the tail directly over the back and doing the procedure. The cost to the producer to do this procedure using lidocaine (local anesthetic) or a general anesthetic would affect the cost of the unit greatly in both by medicine used and the time involved to accomplish castration. A local anesthetic would also increase the danger to the administrator greatly. A general anesthetic would increase the death rate which would transform into monetary loss and greater financial liability to the veterinarian. I will offer to the producer either procedure and cost is the primary reason for 99.9% of the producers electing for no anesthetic. Many producers do the procedure themselves taking the liability upon themselves but accomplish a successful outcome most of the time. When they screw up is when I make my money to correct their mistakes.

Pigs are different. The procedure, albeit painful, is quick. I have tried to use anesthesia and more times than I care to admit, the anesthesia killed the pig. The damage to my eardrums was permanent and I avoid pig castration at all costs. Most producers do this procedure themselves and when they find a inguinal hernia, I do the procedure and make money.

In Merino sheep, mulesing and tail docking is necessary. Having lived in Del Rio, Texas, home of the Merino sheep capital of the US, I have seen what myiasis (fly strike) due to flies and screwworm larvae has done to sheep. Tail docking and mulesing done at an early age is no different than circumcision accomplished upon a male child. I believe that these surgeries done on sheep early make for healthier sheep and done without anesthetic make it safer. Lidocaine blocks sounds nice and neat but try doing that on a young animal. Also using too much lidocaine on a young animal many times results in the death of that animal. The time taken to do the procedure in a sterile and anesthetic environment would make wool, lamb and mutton cost prohibitive.

Martina needs to have some maggots implanted in her butt so that she could see what the non-mulesing animals go through in the large ranches where the sheep are seen only a couple of times a year. She also needs to eat some mutton from those non tail docked and mulesing animals so that she can taste the feces in the tainted meat from those sheep.

[vetvetdoug]

the vet pulled it right out...

One could splash some lidocaine on the site (since the site was infected I would question the use since circulation is obviously impaired in an infected site) but think about how traumatic and painful it would be for the vet to inject the digit with lidocaine so that the toenail would not hurt when it was pulled out? Or, if you chose general anesthesia the cost would be around $75 and how would you feel if your kitty had a anesthetic reaction and died just to have a toenail removed? You have to make the choices and live with the consequences. Pulling the broken toenail out makes a lot of sense to me considering the alternatives. Also, a podiatrist makes the same decisions daily with humans and no one questions them.