Posted on 12/17/2009 9:37:36 AM PST by Ebenezer
Currently, the only sane law must treat dogs as property. This is because dogs have no sense of personal responsibility, nor can they be held to account for irrational or violent actions. When a strange dog approaches a person, they cannot tell its intentions. It could be deadly.
That being said, this could radically change. Most mammals share a gene sequence called “FOXP2”, but only humans have a unique mutation to that gene. It is associated with several aspects of speech.
Experimentally, it has been put into mice, who were then observed to be “chatty”, and have an enhanced vocal range.
If put into dogs, it is unlikely that they would be able to converse, but they *might* be able to say some words in context. This is very different from the endless videos of dogs supposedly speaking on YouTube. This would be a dog truly communicating an idea.
But if a dog was able to signal hostile intentions, or friendly intentions, only then can the law consider any special value to the life of a dog.
Are you being sarcastic? Sorry it is hard to tell online. :)
Yes, I have but not since I was little. I did cry when our next door neighbor had to put her lab to sleep. I also cried when my inlaws lost their dog. I love animals and it is very sad to lose one. That being said, anyone who thinks and prays for their DOG everyday and anyone who misses their DOG more everyday than they did the last needs emotional help.
I have also lost a baby. While the loss of my child still hurts, the pain doesn’t increase everyday. If it did I would be a mental case. The pain was nearly unbearable when it happened. Healthy people cry, mourn, and heal a little everyday.
Apparently I misconstrued your comment.
Nevertheless, the grieving process is complicated, non-linear, and not the same for everyone.
Well, the article says that they were visiting relatives, which could lead to the assumption that this dog had never been there before, so it seems strange that this guy would shoot a dog the first time he ever saw it. Does he shoot all dogs that are in his yard? Maybe there was some friction between him and the relatives that were visited prior to this? Either way, it just doesn’t seem right that someone would just shoot a dog first and not even yell at it to leave, or yell over to the neighbors to get their dog out of his yard. I can also believe that some people can become as emotionally attached to their dog, as they would their child.
Perhaps they aren’t healthy?
He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty and was given a year probation. He also was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and pay $4,000 in restitution to the Scheeles.
Sarah Scheele gave up her work as a meeting planner and has devoted her time since the dog's death to advocating for animal welfare and caring for the six special-needs dogs
The Scheeles don't need a lawyer; they need a nurse.
At least in Indiana the law was anyone killing a dog wothout cause,i.e. it wasn’t threatening him or his livestock,but simply wandered onto his property could be fined $50 and I tink,charged with a misdemeanor.Since the law was passed inflation should have pushed the penalty to $100 but I don’t know if it has been revised.
Yes that was my original point. :)
Most dogs signal friendly or hostile intentions through vocalizations, and their body language.
Very few dogs attack without giving warning.
Perhaps that is why they seem unable to cry, mourn, and heal a little everyday, like you did. I’m sure you’ll agree that their problems don’t lesson their pain any though.
That’s not good enough, because by then, the dog may be so close that it can close the gap in a second, lighting may not be optimal, and it may have a physical or mental problem, or training, that makes it hyperaggressive.
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