Animal rights

[alaskaguy]

The swiss are legislating animal rights:

From guinea-pigs to budgerigars, any animal classified as a “social species” will be a victim of abuse if it does not cohabit, or at least have contact, with others of its own kind.

The new regulation stipulates that aquariums for pet fish should not be transparent on all sides and that owners must make sure that the natural cycle of day and night is maintained in terms of light.

Anglers will also be required to complete a course on catching fish humanely, with the Government citing studies indicating that fish can suffer too.

Link:
New Swiss law protects rights of 'social' animals - Times Online

[Phaedrus]

German fishing hooks cannot have barbs on them, because barbs are "inhumane"....

Some people are just a "little" too far separated from "reality" if you ask me....

[Flag Guy]

Speaking of being seperated from reality... protestors are not allowed near the President because it ruins his isolation from outside thoughts that disagrees with him...


More on topic I forget where it is (I'm wanting to say France... maybe the Netherlands) if you own a dog you are required to exercise it so many hours a day...

[jdoggivjc]

What can I say? I DO believe in animal rights...






...I believe every animal has the right to be thoroughly cooked in a delicious gravy...

[ekim121]

It's rather amusing to me that the google ad that came up to the left when I opened the thread has the title of "Meat=Animal Cruelty."

In relation to the topic, things like this just further demonstrate that lots of people have no idea what 'rights' are and what sort of beings have/should have them.

[Phaedrus]

Another law in Germany: It is against the law and a hefty fine to leave a dog in your yard, as having dogs outdoors for prolonged periods of time is "cruel". As a former farmkid, I gotta say WTF? to that. Our dogs LOVED being outdoors all the time, and would curl up and sleep during snowstorms, so the next morning, you had to dig them out of their snowdrift. You could always tell by the wisp of steam coming out of the drift which one they were under. (Norwegian Elkhounds).

The Australian Shepherds we had would jump up into the haymow and sleep in the hay, on the other hand.

And the country here is just teeming with people to catch you doing something wrong with your pets.

[Cyclonesrule91]

Originally Posted by jdoggivjc

What can I say? I DO believe in animal rights...

...I believe every animal has the right to be thoroughly cooked in a delicious gravy...

I hear you, but I am a member of PETA......

You know, the People for the Eating of Tasty Animals....

All varmits are fair game

[CloneAggie]

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

Another law in Germany: It is against the law and a hefty fine to leave a dog in your yard, as having dogs outdoors for prolonged periods of time is "cruel". As a former farmkid, I gotta say WTF? to that. Our dogs LOVED being outdoors all the time, and would curl up and sleep during snowstorms, so the next morning, you had to dig them out of their snowdrift. You could always tell by the wisp of steam coming out of the drift which one they were under. (Norwegian Elkhounds).

The Australian Shepherds we had would jump up into the haymow and sleep in the hay, on the other hand.

And the country here is just teeming with people to catch you doing something wrong with your pets.

My German office mate says this isn't true. His initial response:

If that's a law, I am not aware of it and about half the population of Fladungen can be sued (we all have our dogs in the yard. Very often dogs are not allowed in the house).

Then he looked it up.

Here is what the law says: „Wer ein Tier hält, betreut oder zu betreuen hat, muss das Tier seiner Art und seinen Bedürfnissen entsprechend angemessen ernähren, pflegen und verhaltensgerecht unterbringen". (basically saying: "Those who own or take care of an animal (not only dogs) are required to feed, foster and accomodate it appropriately to the species.") So obviously, you can't keep a dog in your yard if the yard is not dog-safe but otherwise it's okay.

Interestingly, all dog websites (e.g. OpenDNS (Hunde = dogs)) suggest accomodating it in the yard and if you look on Amazon, there are even books on how to design the yard more dog-friendly. (search for "Der hundegerechte Garten"). Why would somebody write a book about something that's against the law or why would it get published?

[Phaedrus]

Originally Posted by CloneAggie

My German office mate says this isn't true. His initial response:
Then he looked it up.

Well, it is evidently illegal for American Soldiers to keep their dogs in the back yard, as the local German population makes a hobby of calling the Polizei on them, every time they leave their dogs out.

But that's not surprising, as the amount of hypocrisy in how laws are applied here is monumental. Enforcement is often "special" vis-a-vis Americans. For instance, my German neighbors routinely throw out recycleables in their trash, but whose trash do they go through to make sure there are no recycleables??? Well, me the American, of course.... After all, all Germans know that it's the Americans who don't recycle correctly, after all....

Perhaps there is some other fine point in the enforcement, as I do know of German dogs that run free in the yard, right nearby where Americans are forced to keep their dogs in, because their German neighbors call the polizei every time they let them out. And apparently, the word of a German is superior to the word of an American, in the eyes of the polizei.

[Phaedrus]

Just got back from talking with the Provost Marshall - evidently the deal is that Germans are calling on the dogs on the basis that they are being "abused". In other words, it's just Germans doing the "passive-aggressive" thing using the German justice system.

As a dog fan, I know and play with some of these dogs, and can tell you they aren't being abused in any way.

[alaskaguy]

Geez, my lifestyle wouldn't go over to well in Germany. I have two dogs that live outside (they have their own dog houses). This area hasn't discovered fences yet and my dogs are not chained so they roam as they please.

[cybsball20]

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

German fishing hooks cannot have barbs on them, because barbs are "inhumane"....

Some people are just a "little" too far separated from "reality" if you ask me....

You can't have barbed fishing hooks in the Florida Keys eiether...

[cycloneryan]

I understand making laws to punish people who treat pets in badly. But the fishing hook thing is a little rediculous.

[keepngoal]

at some point in my lifetime... a gov't, somewhere, will legalize marrying an animal.... we are on the path for that reality.

-keep

[alaskaguy]

After you catch a fish what can you legally do with it?

In this area kids bring cardboard boxes along when they go fishing. As they catch fish they thow them inside the card board boxes.