www.RogerWendell.com
Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic Evolution^SM

Pets and Domestic Animals   Doing the right thing for other creatures, people, and our world!

Click Here for my page on animals and wildlife...

Click Here for my page on Biology...

Click Here for a YouTube video I took of a Pot-bellied pig that used to be somebody's pet...

Click Here for my page about backyard wildlife...

Okay, like everybody else I really do love animals despite the emails I've received suggesting otherwise! As a kid, I had the pleasure of caring for all kinds of animals as evidenced by this newspaper article, at left, talking about the rabbits, turtles, snakes, skinks (lizards), and caimans (crocodilian) I was caring for at age 13. In addition, at times, I've also had the regular cats, dogs, ducks, and goldfish pets like everyone else. Nevertheless, one day (early!) I grew up and realized that these different creatures and species weren't put here to entertain, comfort, or please me. All animals, including domestic animals and pets, have an intrinsic value unto themselves and don't need to justify their existence to us for any reason. Additionally, we have an obligation to avoid molesting, disturbing, or killing other creatures unless absolutely necessary. So, that means that some 13 year old kid (or anyone else) doesn't have the right to purchase an endangered species or remove a snake or lizard from its natural habitat just to amuse himself or his friends. There are other aspects to pet ownership that are destructive as well: Think of how many other animals that need to be killed to add that extra bit of "fish appeal" to cat food or those "beefy" chunks to dog food? And, of course, let's not forget the hundreds of millions of birds and more than a billion small mammals (rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and shrews - not to mention endagered species along with countless reptiles and insects) that domestic cats kill across America each year. In my own state, Colorado, dogs seem to do a lot more molesting than killing but the results are equally bad - marmots are constantly being chased on our 14ers, rabbits harassed in the fields, and deer scattered in our open spaces - all for the love of dogs? Anyway, with a little luck my page might discourage a few people from pet ownership and the damage it creates. I'm not going to hold my breath though - we're a lonely people who crave attention - even if it's from a captive creature that longs to run free! - Roger J. Wendell August '07, Golden, Colorado

Click Here for a YouTube video I took at the Denver Dumb Friends League...

Pets or Companion Animals?

On September 21st, 2012, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jenny Brown on my radio show. Jenny is the cofounder of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and also authored The Lucky Ones, a book about her passionate fight for farm animals. During the interview I asked Jenny to make the distinction between the label "pet" and "companion animal." She replied, "I feel like pet is a little bit derogatory and pet denotes kind of like ownership, or you know, when applied to humans like, "Oh, he's my pet," or whatever. It suggests sort of a lesser being. I don't like the word owner. When you really break it down, and I don't mean to sound radical, but, it's enslavement of other beings."

There is no Poop Fairy!

Jefferson County, Colorado News Release - June 29, 2011 In response to a growing number of dog poop piles, and a growing number of citizen complaints, the Jefferson County Animal Control office has partnered with local park districts and homeowner associations to deliver this public service announcement: There is no poop fairy. Please clean up after your dog. The Animal Control office will kick off its "poop fairy" campaign in unincorporated Jefferson County from July 9 - 17, to encourage dog owners to pick up after their dogs in parks, trails, and neighborhoods. Signs, displays, and volunteers wearing blue "poop fairy" T-shirts will greet patrons of local parks that week, to educate them on why it's important to keep area parks, trails, and sports fields free from dog poop. Animal Control, in partnership with local parks districts and homeowner associations, urges everyone to pick up (and pack out) after their dog. Here's why: Dog poop doesn't biodegrade like wild animal poop Dog poop contains bacteria that can harm adults, children and other pets Dog poop can contaminate groundwater Dog poop is unpleasant to look at, smell or scrape off of your shoe "Failure to clean up dog feces in public places" is a petty offense with a fine of at least $30 in Jefferson County. Many local park districts have similar regulations and fines.

Click Here for my radio interview with Jefferson County on their There's No Poop Fairy campaign...

Tacoma, Washington is tired of the poop!

(Photo permission Brandon Koch)

"You dog walkers scoop the poop unscooped poop is unsightly it creates a health hazard, and is in violation of Tacoma's Muncipal Code 8.27.120 Dog poop is full of bacteria so scoop the poop when your do go's THANK YOU YOU ARE ALSO ON CAMERA NOW"

Lakewood, Colorado has had enough!

From the July, 2017 edition of Looking@Lakewood, p. 4 (Lakewood, Colorado)

BusinessWeek August 6, 2007 pp.45-54 "Americans now spend $41 billion a year on their pets - more than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world. That's double the amount shelled out on pets a decade ago, with annual spending expected to hit $52 billion in the next two years..." "That puts the yearly cost of buying, feeding, and caring for pets in excess of what Americans spend on the movies ($10.8 billion), playing video games ($11.6 billion), and listening to recorded music ($10.6 billion) combined."

House says 'no' to pet primates
CNN.com February 24, 2009

"In the wake of a highly publicized chimpanzee attack, the U.S. House made its first official move to ban humans from owning primates as pets.

"The House overwhelmingly voted in favor of passing the Captive Primate Safety Act on Tuesday, which prohibits people from buying or transporting primates across state lines to keep as pets. This legislation amended the Lacey Act, which had only applied to wildlife and fish."

"The Humane Society of the United States applauded the bill, which passed by a vote of 323 to 95."

"'There is no reason for any private citizen to keep a primate as a pet, and this trade is driven by unscrupulous dealers who sell primates across state lines for thousands of dollars,' said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS."

Pet Food Mania

Okay, this series of photos isn't meant to pick on any one particular grocery store or pet food company - it's meant to criticize 'em all!! I've been in grocery stores, pet stores, and department stores just about everywhere and it's always the same - too much expensive, processed, over packaged food for pets while we still have people starving all around the globe! And, of course, let's not forget all the animals that are killed and the damage that's done to our oceans and wilderness in that never ending search to make sure our cats taste a bit of fish or our dogs get some meat flavour in their food!

Look at all these shelves filled with dog, cat and pet food! Stretching nearly the entire length of the store it's clear our pets are over indulged at the expense of so much else in the world! And, this scene is rather typical - like I mentioned before, I've seen shelf after shelf of pet food in stores all over the north American continent, Europe, Australia and dozens of other places in between! It's no wonder so many of our pets are fat and out-of-shape - they're eating too much!!

Pet Prison:

Okay, please remember it's not my intent to pick on any one particular store or business - I'm aiming at 'em all!! I know they believe their intentions to be honorable but look at it this way - some defenseless fish, bird, or small reptile or mammal is yanked from its natural environment and put on display (behind bars!) in hopes of making a sale. Then, if the poor creature is lucky enough not to die in the pet store's cage or aquarium, it'll probably end up being neglected by the aforementioned 13 year old! The animal, the environment, and the 13 years old would all be better off if wild creatures were left in the wild - makes sense, doesn't it!!??

Birds

Fish

Toys

Leashes

Small mammals

Doctors: Pets can be source of staph superbug
(AP) March 12, 2008

"People struggling to get rid of recurrent staph infections might want to consider an often-overlooked source: the family pet."

"Doctors have reported the first transmission of MRSA between a cat a German woman."

A German woman repeatedly battled the same strain of drug-resistant superbug MRSA until her cat was tested and treated. "It's one of the few documented cases of transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus between a person and a cat.

"The otherwise healthy woman had deep abscesses, or boils, all over her back, said Dr. Andreas Sing, a microbiologist at the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority in Oberschleissheim near Munich.

"Nasal and other swabs from her husband and two children showed they carried the MRSA germ on skin but had no signs of infection.

"Antiseptic washes and antibiotic nasal ointment killed the germ in the other family members, but the woman was still infected.

"Four weeks after the apparently healthy cat was treated with antibiotics, the woman was free of MRSA and her abscesses had all healed, Sing wrote in a brief report in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

"'I think the woman infected the cat and the cat had it and might have reinfected the woman,' Sing said in an interview. Health Library

"Several previous cases of MRSA infections in dogs and their owners have been reported, as well as a cluster in pigs and farmers in the Netherlands, said Dr. Neil Fishman of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

"He said the problem is more common in people with weak immune systems and urged people to regularly wash up after handling pets."

Dogs are Dangerous!

"Man and woman's best friend bites more than 4.7 million people a year..."

"Each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites; half of these are children. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about a dozen die. The rate of dog bite-related injuries is highest for children ages 5 to 9 years, and the rate decreases as children age. Almost two thirds of injuries among children ages four years and younger are to the head or neck region. Injury rates in children are significantly higher for boys than for girls."

"My dog is my family member, my dog sleeps in bed with me, my dog is my therapy. And when   people tell me my dog is dangerous because it has a fat head and a big body, that's unfair."          - Adrianne Lefkowitz, opponent of a pit bull ban in Baltimore. NY Times (03-25-2001) "Any dog bites me, I'll kill it."          - Phil Hendri, on his national radio show 02/19/2002

Is your pet a public nuisance?
Most people, including me and everyone I know, love dogs, cats, and all kinds of other animals. However, not all of us love everything
your pet does to us - Think about it, is it really appropriate for your dog, or any other pet, to impose itself on visitors, passersby, or anyone
else? No! Here's a list of common complaints from regular folks who have to put up with the obnoxious antics of other people's pets:

Barking "Screeching" in the back alley all night Urinating and defecating on other peoples' lawns Jumping on other people Rubbing their dog/cat genitals on people and children Licking our children (especially after the pet has just tongued its own anus) Chasing/killing wildlife Urinating and defecating in parks and on open space Digging holes on other peoples' property Slobbering on people Chewing and destroying furniture, fencing, and all kinds of belongings Killing humans

Pets Killing Humans:

Dog bite-related fatalities, 1991-98, by breed:

Rottweiler, purebred
----------------------------------------------------------------33
Pit bull-type, purebred
------------------------------------------21
Husky-type, purebred
------------6
Chow chow, purebred
----------5
Wolf-dog hybrid
----------5
German shepherd, purebred
--------4
Malamute, purebred
--------4
Rottweiler, crossbred
--------4

Two young Tennessee children died after they were attacked by the family dogs:

Shelby County, Tennessee
October 06, 2022

The Sheriff's Office said their mother was also injured in the attack at the family home north of Memphis.   The children who were attacked, a 2-year-old girl and a 5-month-old boy, were pronounced dead at the scene. Their mother's condition was upgraded from critical to stable at the time of this writing.

Woman found dead in home was killed by Great Danes according to coroner

In late October, 2019, Mary Matthews (age 49) was found dead in her home in Clearcreek Township, Ohio. According to the police report, officer Wendi Blaha responded to the Matthews' home where she found the walls covered in blood with Matthews lying on the floor of her bathroom. Matthews' body was covered in puncture wounds and appeared to be missing a piece of flesh from her ankle, the report said. In the officer's report it was noted that Mary wasn't breathing and her body was rigid. Blaha found two large, Great Danes on an enclosed deck that was so littered in feces that the "actual deck could not be seen." Mary Matthews' husband, Dale Matthews, told officer Blaha that one of the dogs was "vicious" and had bitten serverl people, including him. Dale Matthews had asked his wife, previously, to get rid of the dog but she refused.

Boy Killed by Dogs He Was Caring For

May 9, 2019: 14-year-old Ryan P. Hazel, of Rehoboth, Massachusetts was mauled to death by a number of dogs he watched over. District Attorney Tom Quinn said Ryan's grandmother took the boy to the property where he regularly cared for several animals. Ryan's grandmother waited in the car, but became concerned when Ryan didn't return within 45 minutes so called for help. Quinn said a neighbor was called who then discovered Ryan in the backyard suffering from traumatic injuries. The neighbor attempted CPR, but efforts to revive the boy were unsuccessful. Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene.

Girl Mauled to Death by Doberman mix

October 23, 2016: 4-year-old Kiyana McNeal was mauled to death in Sherman Township, Michigan by the family's new Doberman mix.   At the time, Kiyana was excited to have a new dog so she tried offering it a treat when it mauled her.   Jacey McNeal Wolkins, the girl's mom, tried to protect her daughter from the dog but ended up in the hospital after suffering head and hand injuries in the attack.

Florida Toddler Mauled to Death by Rottweiler
FoxNews.com (AP) Sunday, December 13, 2009

"NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - A rottweiler attacked and killed a Florida toddler when the boy reached to pick up a cookie he had dropped, authorities said." "Kevin Doll of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office said 20-month-old Dallas Walters was at his aunt's home during a party Saturday night. Doll said the dog attacked Dallas when the boy dropped a cookie and went to grab it. "Family members at the party managed to pry the dog off the child and then took him to a hospital. The boy later died."

ELDERLY COUPLE MAULED TO DEATH BY FERAL DOG PACK IN GEORGIA
by EddieBuddha3, www.allvoices.com, August 2009

"A 65-year-old librarian killed by a pack of domestic dogs gone wild had been out for a walk when she was attacked, and her husband died trying to fight off the mauling animals when he came upon the bloody scene. And this waking nightmare played out not far from their rural Georgia home, local authorities said Tuesday, Aug 18th."

"Early autopsy results indicate Lothar Karl Schweder, 77, and his wife, Sherry, died from numerous dog bites to their limbs and torsos."

"Authorities said it appeared Mrs. Schweder was attacked by the pack of dogs during a Friday evening walk near her home located on the border between Madison and Oglethorpe counties; their scenario then posits that her husband went looking for her in the family car sometime around nightfall."

"Mr. Schweder was then attacked and apparently struggled with the dogs..." "His body was found on the other side of the dirt road, about four to six meters from his wife's body."

"Evidence indicates, Mathews added, that Lothar Schweder put up a fight and may have attempted to pull out a cell phone before he was overcome."

"Members of the Jehovah's Witnesses proselyting group were walking in the same area the following Saturday morning, discovered the bodies, and called police straightaway."

"Four days later, a faint unpleasant smell still hung in the air."

January 2002
Los Angeles Times
Owners of Killer Dogs in Court
[Diane Whipple was killed by two large Presa Canario dogs
as she stood in her apartment hallway]

"The attack occurred Jan. 26 [2001] when Whipple, a 33-year-old college lacrosse coach, was carrying groceries into her sixth-floor Pacific Heights apartment." "Both dogs suddenly bounded toward Whipple, who was 5-foot-3 and weighed 110 pounds. Bane, 123 pounds, bit Whipple's throat. Hera, 112 pounds, tore at her clothing in a lengthy attack that left Whipple bleeding profusely from a neck wound, authorities said." "... the animal attacked again, eventually dragging Whipple 20 to 50 feet down the hallway." NOTE: On March 21, 2002 a California jury found one of the owners of the above dogs guilty of murder!

Ten-year-old Alicia Clark was playing at a friend's house when she was mauled to death by six Rottweilers on a February night in 2002. The six dogs, in Elroy, Wisconsin, were euthanized with the owner's permission.

Pets Injuring People:

Dog viciously attacks Sheriff's Deputy, biting into his face and arm (July 2018)   A deputy with the Jefferson County (Missouri) Sheriff's Department was rushed to a hospital and underwent surgery after he was attacked by a dog while serving a civil summons. The dog emerged from the rear of the house and attacked the deputy, latching onto his face, and then biting into his left arm. The deputy was able to reach his weapon, and shot the dog once, allowing him to free himself.

Man's legs and hands were amputated because of a dog's saliva (July 2018)   Greg Manteufel's symptoms began with a fever and vomiting. By the folloiwng morning his temperature soared and he became delirious. Within a week at the hospital, the 48-year-old lost his legs and then his hands. Greg Manteufel suffered a rare blood infection after harmful bacteria from a dog's saliva seeped into his bloodstream, causing blood poisoning (sepsis). The bacteria, called Capnocytophaga canimorsus, is commonly found in dogs and cats is usually not harmful to humans. However, in rare cases, the bacteria can poison the blood and even cause death.

September 2000
The Associated Press
Rottweilers ranked as deadliest dogs

"ATLANTA - Rottweilers have passed pit bulls as America's deadliest dog breed..." "The[se] large dogs were involved in 33 fatal attacks on humans between 1991 and 1998, the American Veterinary Medical Association said." "Pit bulls, which had been responsible for more deaths than any other breed, were involved in 21 fatal attacks over the same period." "...overall attacks are on the rise, probably because families are busier, leaving them less time to train their dogs and watch their children." Click Here and Here for two gross close-ups of the chin bite (WARNING; these are very unpleasant, graphic photos!)

Boys hailed as 'heroes' in pitbull attack that injured two, including 3 year old
By Laura Angus - Flint Journal, October 25, 2009

"FLINT, Michigan - Little Brooklyn's head was in the pitbull's mouth when Keith Sampson, 13, grabbed the dog by the neck, forcing it to gasp for air and let the 3-year-old go. Then, after Keith lost his hold on the dog it went on to attack next-door neighbor Kristine Keaton, 37, who came to help, biting her arm to the bone."

"'It was a nightmare, and we feel like we're just waking up from it,' said Keith's mom, Jennifer Burcar, 33, of Flint about last Sunday's events."

"The day was supposed to be spent celebrating Brooklyn's birthday that afternoon at the duplex where Keith and Brooklyn live near Fenton and Atherton roads."

"The day started with the families getting ready for the party. Jennifer Burcar helped make the birthday cake and had hopped into the shower before the guests arrived. Brooklyn's mom left the girl and her 2-year-old brother in the back yard as she called to order pizza and wrap up last-minute details."

"Keith and his brother Thomas Corbett, 11, also were with the little ones in the fenced backyard, where Brooklyn was playing in a pile of leaves wearing a party hat just as the loose pitbull entered the yard, said Burcar."

"The dog trotted past the other children and attacked the girl without warning - biting her on the top of her head several times and 'shaking her like a doll,' according to a police report."

"Without a worry about his own safety, Keith ran to Brooklyn's aid. He stood over the dog's stocky body, grabbing its neck in a chokehold until it let go of the girl, he said."

"'If I was (thinking) I can't remember,' he said."

"Keaton heard the children's 'screams of terror' and ran to help."

"'I could tell that he was struggling and I thought 'my God, he's going to get killed' because his head was next to the dog's head,' she said."

"Thomas, Matthew Burcar and Keaton helped the injured girl and her brother get into the house as Keith's grip on the dog loosened."

"When the boy released the pitbull it went on to attack Keaton, who said, 'I really thought I was going to die.'"

"She managed to get her body into the house while the dog ripped fist-sized holes and severed muscles in her arm, while Thomas and other neighbors beat the dog to get it to let go, she said."

"Brooklyn has been released from Hurley Medical Center after suffering wounds to the head and a fracture in her skull. Brooklyn's mother could not be reached for comment."

"The dog, who came from a neighbor's house, will be euthanized after an observation period, said Jennifer Burcar."

Pets Killing Wildlife:

Did you know? Domestic cats kill, across the United States, hundreds of millions of birds and more than a billion small mammals (rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and shrews - not to mention endagered species along with countless reptiles and insects) each year. Cats are not natural to North America and continue to kill wildlife even if well fed or wearing bells. Dogs too, of course, harass and kill a lot of wildlife as well. Here in my own state, Colorado, it's not uncommon to witness somebody's loose dog chasing marmots above timberline on one of our 14ers or trying to attack deer and other creatures in our parks and open spaces. At left is a photograph from the 2013 pitbull attack on a sea lion pup along Goff Cove Beach in Laguna Beach, California. This particular incident gained a lot of media attention because the dog belonged to a relative of former Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords and her astronaut husband, Mark Kelly. Apparently the pitbull (who other sources have described as an "American Bulldog Mix") broke free from Kelly's 18-year-old daughter and pounced on the beached sea lion pup. The 18-year-old and her 15-year-old sister were not able to pull the dog away so Mark Kelly intervened and was able to pull the dog away. However, the sea lion pup then died. Nobody was charged or cited since leashed dogs were allowed on the beach at that time of year...

Take Your Dog Hiking
Backpacker Magazine, October 2014

• NEVER let your dog chase wildlife or distrub other hikers. (p. 32)
• You think Fido is cute, but no one else does when he goes into prey hyperdrive, unleased, and scares all the wildlife away. And if you're unwilling to pick up after him when he craps on the trail, leave him at home. (p. 63)

Do NOT set up permanent "emergency aid stations" for your pets in a public park!

Red Rocks Park is a mountain park in Jefferson County, Colorado, and is owned and maintained by the city of Denver as part of the Denver Mountain Parks system. The park is known for its very large red sandstone outcrops, outdoor amphitheatre, and hiking trails. Alongside one of the trails somebody permanently (and illegally) mounted this "emergency dog water" station to a pole by screwing into it with the yellow bike hook you see in the photo. Please carry water for your pets anytime you go hiking. And, equally important, please keep your pets out of streams and other waterways that wildlife depend on. Finally, it's very common to see dogs unleashed and chasing wildlife or even challenging humans in Colorado parks and open space. Please keep your pet under control at all times!

A Backcountry Story
[Note: Darn! I can't remember where I found these exerpts but I'll keep looking until I can
better identify them - probably one of those internet "urban stories" that keeps floating
around but I'll keep looking for the source! Anyway, another good example of how hard dogs
can be on the backcountry and wilderness!]

January 12 was adopt a dog day. I didn't adopt any dogs, but regularly go to the pound and pick up about 10 or so dogs for a trip to the mountains. We hiked in about a mile or so and then I let all the dogs run free. They just love it. They looked just like a pack of wolves when they saw a deer. They must have chased it for 5 miles or so before giving up and coming back to me.

The weather was great and I was on snowshoes. Suddenly some skiers who thought they owned the backcountry started coming down the trail. The dogs didn't like the intrusion into their territory, and started growling. The first skier went to ram them and the dogs went to town. They tore most of his pants off and took one of his poles. It gave me a warm feeling in my heart just watching the look on that guy's face as he skied for his life. Hilarious!! I guess that will teach him a lesson!

Anyway, the rest of the day was fairly uneventful. We hiked up to a high alpine lake and the dogs were actually able to catch a few fish that were near the shore. As the day became later, we had to head down. I couldn't find three of the dogs, so I left them up there. They were made for the wilderness anyway. I took the other seven dogs back to the pound and waved good bye to my new friends.

Dogs and Wilderness
Here's what Doggie Piles (an internet dog site at the time) had to say to the K-9 Backpackers Association about the growing craze to have dogs carry backpacks (May 26, 2001):

The wilderness is no place to take your dog or other pet. There isn't much wildness left in our country and dogs will only ruin things further by making too much noise, defecating all over everything and chasing wildlife. Also, it's unfair for other hikers to have to endure licks from your dog after it just "tongued" its own anus. Further, people do not appreciate being bit or sexually rubbed by your pet either. Wilderness is the true church - there's no need to be so afraid or alone that you have to drag along a noisy, smelly domestic dog that recieves more than most people do in other parts of the world. Please, do the right thing and leave your pet at home!

Sincerely,

Doggie Piles

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