Comments on: Killing Street Dogs in Sochi: Why is this a concern now?

By: Taylor

Taylor — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 01:46:23 +0000

I believe the third comment I read sums up a majority of my feelings towards this media-frenzed topic. Obviously, as a dog lover, I am heart broken about this being done. I was, of course, even more heartbroken the first time I heard of these events happening in Athens. I was absolutely not shocked to be seeing it all over the news this year along with outcries of protests. The second a problem is publicized, especially at the Olympic events, we are almost innately programmed to object to the abuse. That of course is if we are oblivious to these reoccurring events. The main thing I take away from this is not the lack of humanity in Sochi or Athens, but the complete disregard of society for all of the issues right in front of them. A person is suddenly concerned of mass euthanization in Sochi when it happens everyday in their local animal shelters. This is, although, in our nature to be concerned and even the smartest of individuals are not knowledgable of all unfortunate events occurring in our world. I believe the only good that can come of the crazy protests is finally shining light on an issue and hopefully opening other’s hearts to do what they can in their own community.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 00:43:28 +0000

My daughter lived in a village not far from Sochi, as the Russian artillery flies, and there were “street dogs” that were basically pets without portfolio, friendly, non aggressive, fed off the kindness of strangers, probably had fleas.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 00:19:52 +0000

I think that many people in the outcry against the murdering of these canines don’t realize that these dogs are not tamed or controllable. I live in West Virginia, and it is not uncommon to see a random dog in your yard or as a matter of fact many other forms of wild animals including deer,racoons, or even a bear. I my self as well as other neighbors let our dogs and let them run around, my dog has even chased after a deer and was gone for an hour or two, I wasn’t worried because he is a dog, its in his nature. Dogs in nature are relatives off the wolf, wolves are predators that hunt in packs and hunt other animals, they are vicious animals that if left alone they do what they have to do survive. Although I do not agree with killing these wild dogs in Sochi and Athens, honestly I do not know of any other solution to this problem. It is easy to sit outside these places and point out their flaws but does anyone have a better solution? I know I don’t. I mean there is no way that you could capture all these mean animals and hold them, that uses way to much time, money and resources for these places that have bigger worries. You cant try to give these animals away for adoption either because they can be retrained at an old age and it would be dangerous. Sadly and unfortunately killing these dogs is the fastest way to get the best results at this time. Hopefully organization in these places will look towards the future at try to nib these problems in the bud so they don’t have more of these problems in the future.

By: Smarter Than Your Average Bear

Smarter Than Your Average Bear — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 07:36:55 +0000

Greg – it appears a Russian billionaire has stepped in to help the dogs by funding a shelter http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26114678

By: G

Sun, 09 Feb 2014 03:11:16 +0000

Population/resource dynamics are so much easier to see when they occur with species other than one’s own.

Dogs don’t cause mass CO2 emissions. If we should spay/neuter dogs as a more humane alternative to shooting them in the streets, what shall we do about a human population that is roughly twice Earth’s sustainable carrying capacity?

Inconvenient truth: The birth rate goes down to sustainable levels when female humans have full legal and cultural equality with male humans. That means human rights guaranteed under law, educational equality, and access to family planning.

If we should pressure various national governments to spay/neuter all those aesthetically-objectionable but ecologically-harmless stray dogs, then shouldn’t we also pressure various other national governments to enact full equality for women and girls?

Lastly a bit of history: In the Middle Ages there was a Pope who decided that cats were “the Devil’s familiars,” and ordered the faithful to kill every cat they could find, the more painfully the better so as to torment Satan.

Minus cats, plus rats, and thus plus fleas, and further spread of the plague.

From which history one can also hypothesise that the reason modern cats are so independent-minded about humans, is that this is a natural selection outcome. Cats who trusted humans too much were more likely to be taken out of the gene pool; those who were skittish about humans were more likely to live and reproduce.

So: what do those street dogs and street cats eat?

By: daedalus2u

daedalus2u — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 13:43:40 +0000

I hope they don’t apply the dog solution to the sad-eyed children problem.

By: Smarter Than Your Average Bear

Smarter Than Your Average Bear — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 07:17:57 +0000

rsm @2 – there was just so much wrong with the 2010 Olympics it’s hard to know where to begin. I live in the Kootenays but Vancouver is my home town. The number of lies that were told to the citizens of BC to get their approval was staggering. There was zero benefit to any community outside of the Lower Mainland and the route to Whistler. But all of us will be paying for that “privilege” for decades to come.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 03:28:07 +0000

San Antonio, Texas has an estimated stray population between 150,00 to 200,000 and it’s growing exponentially.

Approximately 30,000 more dead cats and dogs are picked up by waste disposal each year. Such pick-ups are referred to as “euthanasia by proxy.”

Truth be told, we kill more animals each year than Sochi ever could. Our animal control also engages in “sweeps” before such events as the marathon, etc.

The key, of course, to reduce dog and cat “exterminations” are massive spay and neuter programs. Our own “first world” city has yet to grasp that fact. Yet there is no international outcry over the killing of San Antonio.

Sochi actually had a small stray population easily controlled by spay/neuter. But as you pointed out, it should have been implemented years ago.

Despite proclaiming they want the authentic flavor of a particular Olympic city, tourists really want the Disney experience. The big spending Olympic tourists don’t want to be subjected to (gasp!) the authentic flavors of duo public toilets, poverty, hungry dogs, or starving children. This is the dirty truth.

I really do not hold out hope for Rio.

By: rsm

rsm — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 00:40:12 +0000

The similar issue in Vancouver in 2010 was poor people. Not bussing them to the local dog catcher or anything quite that brutal, but deliberate gentrification and shoveling the poor out of the city core to less visible parts of the city. AFter that I’ve become somewhat immune to rounding up animals, similarly mustering up any outrage over what is done to animals in Sochi, when what is done to people in Sochi, Quatar (22 WC) and Rio is if not worse (they aren’t killed and poisoned outright for the most part) is dehumanizing at best.

By: Smarter Than Your Average Bear

Smarter Than Your Average Bear — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 21:20:45 +0000

I doubt anything can be done with Rio, Korea perhaps but I don’t think it’s as big a problem there (at least I saw very few dogs when I was there in 78 but then it was winter and damned cold. I think with Rio pressure should be placed to take advantage of the cull to move forward with spay/neutering programs , which will be cheaper to implement with fewer street dogs. In the end it still comes down to the local culture and how they view dogs, as in China or Indonesia they are likely be looked on as livestock