Posted on 10/16/2001 12:43:00 PM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
(CNSNews.com) - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is researching the likelihood of providing gas masks for pets, but the group acknowledges it would be impossible to do so right now because no gas masks are currently available to fit animals.
Daphna Nachminovitch, manager of the domestic animal issues department for PETA, said the group has researched this information as a result of phone calls that they have received from across the country from those who are "concerned about their animals in the event of biological warfare."
"From what I can tell at this point in time there actually aren't any gas masks for animals being manufactured or available on the market," Nachminovitch said.
She said there have been concerns recently for pets after the September 11 attacks. She also said that many people had to evacuate in New York in a moment's notice and "animals were left behind in evacuated apartments. It was a surprise to everybody."
Nachminovitch said that PETA has called several companies that produce gas masks and they have reported several phone calls requesting gas masks for pets. "The [gas mask] companies that I have talked to said they have received many calls and some of them are considering making gas masks for animals," she said.
While gas masks for pets could possibly save the lives of many animals, Nachminovitch said it is not probable that it will come to that. She said it would be incredibly difficult to get animals to wear such a contraption. She said that gas masks used on dogs during World War II needed to be harnessed on to prevent the animals from removing them.
"As you can imagine, some animals would get tremendously stressed by having something like that over their face, especially if it constricts their breathing in some way," Nachminovitch said.
David Almasi, executive director for the National Center for Public Policy Research, said that the concept of gas masks for pets is ridiculous. "I think the basic thing is that they're (PETA) just looking for attention," he said.
"They're the ones that are always coming out with the rude billboards or doing the naked people on the streets, it's just another publicity stunt on their part, because when it gets right down to the basic facts, PETA doesn't even like the concept of pets," Almasi said.
"They are against what they call companion animals, and in their mindset we should not be responsible for domesticated animals in any way, shape or form," he said, "so the idea of having a gas mask for a cat is kind of against their bedrock principles."
Almasi also said the idea of gas masks for pets was ill timed and inappropriate. "It's distasteful. They're taking a national tragedy and turning it into a little publicity scheme for them," he said.
The whole topic, Almasi said, just complicates the issue of bio-terrorism and is a "foolhardy" concept.
"It would trivialize the whole idea of being prepared for an emergency situation," he said.
Nachminovitch said that nothing could be further from the truth.
"We were asked if we would support gas masks for animals, this is not something we have done a news release on; this is not in a statement that we have released," she said.
"This is a response to the public's request and this is simply research that we have done to satisfy the public's requests for information," Nachminovitch said. "It's really not as if we are out there trying to draw attention to this. We are just responding to what the public has asked."
She added: "We have been out there helping both animals and humans, both on the scene at 'ground zero'... and from our office here."
PETA has strongly suggested that in the event of an emergency, pets should not be left at home. However, if pets must be left behind, peta.org advises, "If your toilet bowl is free of chemical disinfectants, leave the toilet seat up to provide animals with one more source of water..."
Does this guy have a big head, or what?
The little monster likes to get right up next to you and let one go.
If you want to stand around with a
gas mask on watching the family dog die,
I suppose that's your business. The
kids will never forgive, you though.
I disagree.
Inmates are still in the asylum & the asylum is still called, PETA.
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HA! My animals are ready.
PETA folks should be ashamed of themselves for doing naked people in the street and frightening the horses.
Good Luck, Happy Hunting!
You can see how the equipment has been improved by the the time your photos were taken .
Little known factoid is that an Airedale dog used as a messenger dog in WWI was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star by the US Military for what the dog went through to get a vital message through. This was the last and only if I remember correctly a dog winning a medal for heroism.
Hardly. I don't want my food contaminated. I'm all for protecting livestock this way before they're slaughtered for my consumption...
Recorded the Art Bell show the over the weekend. A guy from a volunteer group that uses dogs to find/rescue people was on. Caller wanted to know about the asbestos effects on the dog, why weren't masks used, etc. The guest pointed out that the dogs sort of rely on their sense of smell to find people, so the masks might have an adverse effect on that ability...
I just got a vision of a gas mask on a canary in a coal mine.
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