I am a fan of reading magazines as opposed to books as I have explained in my Blog questioning the value system of 4-H clubs for children.

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So now when I read something that gets me thinking and/or aggravated, my therapy is to write a blog. How lucky am I to have that avenue to vent. So now my quandary is an article I read in People Magazine’s August 2020 edition, page 57, titled, “The Horses Saved Me”. Well, you can see where this is going if you have read previous blogs and know that unfortunately I mostly see the glass half empty. The story goes like this: It’s about a woman who has gone through a traumatizing event in her younger years and now has PTSD. She now believes her survival throughout the years is due to the solace she found within horses. She even claims, that while she was riding her horses in the Hamptons on weekends and taking formal horseback riding lessons in Central Park, that “without my knowing it, they (horses) had been saving me my whole life”. She mentions the many horses that thankfully her parents could buy her by name, such as Guernsey when she was just 2 years old. Then there was her steed, Bravo, who “assisted” her in becoming a champion show jumper. With this horse she earned many ribbons and trophies and no doubt the admiration of her peers (other little rich girls). I am sure the self-esteem that developed from such accomplishments also helped her rebound from her past challenges. She explains how her skin bears bruises and scars of falls and bucks (hhmmm..why would a horse buck her off? Perhaps when it’s being made to do something it naturally wouldn’t do?) as a visual timeline of her relationship with horses throughout the years. She claims these wounds didn’t break her and led her to believe she is a resilient person and that she somehow through these injuries learned compassion. She also tries to explain that “a good horseman recognizes that it’s not a mount underneath them-it’s a soul”. Needless to say, this woman thinks she loves horses, so much so that she now serves on the board of directors of Gallop NYC, a charity that provides equines therapy (to people, not the horse). Which brings me to the question that I’d love to ask all people that claim, “they love horses”, and that is “what do you do for horses”?

I have had many friends throughout the years that have spent tons of money on their horses between their board, vet bills, tack, entrance fees to shows, etc., the cost is endless. It’s definitely a rich man’s hobby. Do these people know what happens to these horses when they sell them? Sure, they will think they have sold them to “a great home”, but what about when they don’t serve any more purpose? Too old and/or crippled to ride? Remember, they can live up to 30 years. Then what? I don’t think there are too many retirement homes for horses. So, did they really love horses, or the joy and enrichment that they got from them? I think in most cases it’s the latter, as in the person who had that heartwarming story in People Magazine. I guess because I see the glass half empty most of the time, I question what loving something really means. When I think of a person who really loves horses, I think of Kathy Bartley founder of Bear Valley Rescue in Alberta. Her mission is to save “useable” and healthy horses from slaughter. Tens of thousands of horses are routinely slaughtered in Canada for human consumption. Most of this meat is shipped overseas, some to the US (who has banned the slaughter, but not consumption), and of course some is eaten right here in Canada. But wait, what is even worse is that Canada allows the transportation of live horses in crammed conditions to Japan & Korea. Fact is the Cdn Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) lost their lawsuit against the Cdn Food Inspection Agency in 2019, regarding them routinely certifying shipments of live draft horses even though it was not abiding by their own guidelines and contrary to the law. This means those poor horses were crammed into small crates, instead of being separated to avoid harming each other and not providing enough head room. Can you imagine the terror and misery these once noble animals went through, to then meet their fate in some slaughterhouse in these countries?

One can only imagine the challenge of bringing to justice an agency of the government to do their job correctly. Talk about a David vs Goliath scenario. So, if you truly “love” all equines and not just the ones you bet on or ride, think about supporting the CHDC by

clicking here >>

Don Cherry’s Pet Rescue Foundation has donated to several groups that rescue the public’s used up equines that serve no more purpose to their owners. Read their stories at:  

https://www.doncherryspetrescue.org/our-successes/monetary-donations/last-chance-horse-and-pony/

https://www.doncherryspetrescue.org/our-successes/monetary-donations/bear-valley-rescue/

https://www.doncherryspetrescue.org/our-successes/monetary-donations/donkey-sanctuary/

I am one of those people that when asked, “what was the last book you read?” I come back and ask, “do magazines count?” I have friends that have belonged to book clubs. I found these people thought they were “well read”, but in fact most book clubs read fictional books. Try to get them to engage in current events, or topics of interest, and they really didn’t have much to say. I find magazines much more, shall I use the word “enlightening”. I use this word because I don’t want you to think I believe everything I read especially the magazines I get. Lets face it, most media, whether it’s books, TV, whatever are left-wing. One of the many magazines I subscribe to is MacLean’s and no doubt about it is very left wing, especially their columnists. I often wonder if they really believe in what they write, or it’s what their publisher believes is safe to put in print.

Its hard not to read print, (yes I actually have the hard copy, and don’t read on a tablet, computer, or worse my phone) about the plague. However, MacLean’s August 2020 edition was exceptionally interesting. First there was the article on B.C’s Salmon Cannon on page 15. Basically it explained how Fisheries & Oceans Canada are assisting salmon to get to their spawning grounds after a landslide along the Fraser River created a waterfall that they couldn’t cross. Then on page 11 it told how foxes were making a comeback in certain areas in Toronto, and groups of volunteers had to protect them from the intrusive public. It was noted that they had to endure verbal abuse and threats of violence while they tried to explain to people not to feed them, give them wide berths, ask them to leash their dogs, and basically leave them alone so they didn’t get accustom to people. They actually had to shut down this protection program two weeks earlier then planned because of the threat of violence to the volunteers. What is our society coming to?

Which brings me to Page 18 on what I am really venting about in this blog. It’s a picture of this 10 year old Alberta girl (not pictured here) with her eyes closed hugging  her 4-H project, a steer named Turbo.  Seems she is upset that her pet project would not be able to be shown off and compete in a 4-H fair due to the Pandemic. It explains, that even though she realized all along this animal would be eventually sold and slaughtered, it “never took away her ability to connect with him.” In fact, she was quoted as saying, “Turbo, was (note:past tense) funny, silly, and sometimes a brat.” Hmm.. are these human traits that this child is putting on an animal?  It makes me cringe to think children could be so brainwashed and encouraged to keep such good care of an animal, and then have no qualms about selling it to the highest bidder and its life ends.  I don’t know about you, but I would want to encourage my child to have compassion, sensitivity and respect for a living creature, not about how much money it will make me in the end. Why would you want to desensitize your kid like this, perhaps to toughen them up to the cruel world out there? Why not have your kid not become a part of such an injust world?

So what became of this doe-eyed steer on page 18? This little girl got a disappointing $3.60 per pound for Turbo, (hey Maclean’s… your metric police missed this conversion in your magazine!). That’s a whopping $5184.00, not bad for a 10-year-old.  However, it was pointed out that she gave $250.00 to a local family in need of groceries (steaks, I take it), a fund for college, and $$ to build her own herd and clippers for next year’s project.

But I have a better use for her time, why not go to Camp Kindness offered at Ralphy’s Retreat Animal Sanctuary.  Were 7-12 year olds learn compassion, responsibility, respect and care for animals. To learn more about this Sanctuary for outcasted farm animals, click on the link below:

https://www.doncherryspetrescue.org/our-successes/monetary-donations/ralphys-retreat-animal-sanctuary/

There are a lot of things we humans do to animals to make our life easier with them. Some good, some bad. Lets see…some good things are spay & neutering them, keeping them healthy with vaccinations, worming, and preventive medications like heartworm in dogs, or proper hoof care in horses. No question, there is a lot we do to make or keep our pets happy and healthy.

Listing the bad things, well…this blog will get too long. What came to mind was the cropping of dogs’ ears. But that doesn’t even have to do with making life easier with them, that is just plain old vanity and cosmetic surgery, which is even worse of an excuse to mutilate an animal.

Read my blog on that topic here: https://www.doncherryspetrescue.org/crop-n-dock/

Lets face it, one thing that we humans value is our homes, particularly our furniture and/or home décor.  Oh…the damage a cat can do to our curtains or chairs when they use them for a scratching post. Seeing that our society is getting more into instant gratification, the quick fix in this dilemma is just to cut off the cat’s toes, AKA de-toeing or onychectomy. You can well imagine this is wrong in so many ways. The mere principle of the concept is revolting. But alas, for those of you that like a quick fix, just beware this can lead to other problems that you may not have known about.  And if you can find a vet that still does this, do you think they are going to tell you potential problems? Not if they want your money they won’t. Besides being a painful procedure, it can lead to your cat reverting to its primary means of defense and that is biting.  It’s also a known fact that many cats stop using a litter box. So instead of having a few scratches on your furniture, you have a urine-soaked carpet, bed/mattress and any other nice spot were they may like to pee as pay back. (that payback thing I made up). They can also develop arthritis due to them now shifting their weight to their back pads to eliminate the pain on there now throbbing half toes. And of course, there is the obvious for all “you people” that think the great outdoors is one big litter box for your cat, well you can’t have that anymore.  Though I am sure some dopes still let them go out, for as I have been told by some of my friends, “they just go out to sun themselves and get some fresh air.” Yeah, sure.

Nearly two dozen countries have banned non-therapeutic PDA (declawing), such as Japan, Italy, Slovenia, Brazil, Australia and of course England (in 2006). Notice Canada is not on this list. Though the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association views de-toeing, as “ethically unacceptable, as the surgery has the potential to cause unnecessary and avoidable pain”, we don’t see them having a national-wide ban on their members from capitalizing on this source of income. However, in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia it is illegal, while several provincial vet associations have banned their members from doing so. These include MB,N.B.,B.C. & AB. So where does the province that I live in stand on this issue. As of now, it’s a legal procedure in Ontario to cut off a cat’s toes. But there is hope for Ontario felines, with Davenport’s MPP Marit Stiles introducing “Teddy’s Law”, named after the cat owned by Dr. Gitte Fenger, Veterinarian and Co-Founder of The Paw Project.This bill, if passed, will update provincial animal welfare legislation to ban such practices.

So, be a part of making progress when it comes to righting wrongs in what we do to animals. Click here and tell the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to pass Teddy’s Law and ban declawing of cats in Ontario.

https://www.maritstiles.ca/teddys-law

No point in reading this blog and then not do anything about it.

Post Script: After writing this blog, I was telling a close friend of mine what I was doing over the Christmas Holidays.  I explained that I love writing blogs and proceeded to tell her my more recent topics. I knew she had fostered several cats and bottled fed motherless kittens in the past. She now has just one cat the she adores. So when I told her about this blog, I knew I hit a nerve. Sure enough her cat was declawed. OK, I thought its been adopted so many declawed cats end up in shelters due to their bad behavior after having their toes cut off. Nope, she had it done, and was quite indignent that I saw it as a problem. She rationalized it as best she could, but her main motive was to save her furniture. She believes that the operation was no more invasive as its spaying. Plus, she made the point that the declawing process might save people from dumping their scratching cats at a shelter. (I can see that, people love quick fixes).  She also said that when she asked her vet if she could still let her cat outside, he said it shouldn’t be an issue, for cats fight with their back claws and bite their adversaries. So how did I react? Contrary to popular belief, I really don’t argue with people that much.  As Dr. Phil says, “don’t be a right fighter”, which I have taken to heart.  There was no way I was going to change this woman’s mind in her beliefs. She knows I am against it and had no qualms in justifying it to me. Have you ever been in an argument, and changed the person’s mind? I doubt it. So lets say I have matured. I write my cynical blogs, and if people don’t like them, don’t read them. It’s sort of like people not liking what my Dad was always saying on Coach’s Corner. If you didn’t like him or his comments, then just change the channel.  

PSS: BTW, we are still friends even though she probably realizes that I feel what she did to her cat disgusting. Well I think we are, and I doubt she will read this blog.