How could this happen?

[Sheriff Fatman]

I can understand why animal rights activists go to extreme measures to get their point across to be honest. In cases like the one you mention, it is fairly obvious that the people guilty will get called a bad boy and slapped on the wrist if the authorities can be bothered doing anything about it. At least animal rights activists dish out a real punishment whether that be an emotional/financial punishment caused by destroying property or another punishment deemed too severe by some people.  My point is, if you are capable of doing that to a dog, then you have no human rights and should be dealt with like the majority of people feel animals should be treated, without respect.

Yes, the one's who dug up the old lady's remains and stole them were real pillars of society!

[Sark79]

I am not sure if I agree with their methods or not, but it did get their message into the media. I can see why they feel they have to take such measures to be heard. Holding a banner outside a building does little to bring their beliefs into the homes of the public, but this act certainly did. I am sure they would have preferred to voice their beliefs in a  more respectful way, but nobody pays any attention, unless it is shocking. In some respects this can be seen as being the same as terrorism. Shocking acts make headlines and as a result gain public attention. 

[Colchester Kev]

By the way, the dog wasnt forgotten for a few hours, it was 10 DAYS !!

I think that fact has been forgotten.

[JungleCat03]

I am not sure if I agree with their methods or not, but it did get their message into the media. I can see why they feel they have to take such measures to be heard. Holding a banner outside a building does little to bring their beliefs into the homes of the public, but this act certainly did. I am sure they would have preferred to voice their beliefs in a  more respectful way, but nobody pays any attention, unless it is shocking. In some respects this can be seen as being the same as terrorism. Shocking acts make headlines and as a result gain public attention. 

It publicises their message but do you think it gives their beliefs any more credibility in the public eye? If anything they undermine their own message by taking these actions.

I agree that this and other acts committed in the name of anti-vivisectionism (car bombs etc) are terrorism, and principally no different in methodology to other forms of terrorism.

[AndrewT]

I am not sure if I agree with their methods or not, but it did get their message into the media. I can see why they feel they have to take such measures to be heard. Holding a banner outside a building does little to bring their beliefs into the homes of the public, but this act certainly did. I am sure they would have preferred to voice their beliefs in a  more respectful way, but nobody pays any attention, unless it is shocking. In some respects this can be seen as being the same as terrorism. Shocking acts make headlines and as a result gain public attention. 

Not quite sure what your point is here, Sark. I was about to make the terrorism analogy until I read you'd already done it. Is getting their message into the media valid justification for what they do?

There are better ways to get people's attention - http://www.peta.org/feat/stateoftheunion/ - Warning, not safe for work (as it includes rude lady bits).

[Sark79]

It may not give them credibility, but most people think of these people as weirdos anyway and they are ignored. These extremists just have a more physical method of putting their beliefs across that gain far more attention. I have thought about this before and I am divided over whether or not I support these actions.  It may be terrorism, but it is not terrorism in the conventional sense. It is hard for any of us to feel any sympathy with terrorists such as the 9/11 idiots, but I bet a lot of people will have a bit of sympathy for animal rights activists.

[Sark79]

Peta is a great organisation and I donate to them and I also think this is the way to show support for animal rights, however there is a large body of people who feel that actions that are within the law move along too slowly. Their method of gaining attention is by more physical methods. It does gain public attention, but it is illegal. As a result it is wrong.

[Colchester Kev]

It may not give them credibility, but most people think of these people as weirdos anyway and they are ignored. These extremists just have a more physical method of putting their beliefs across that gain far more attention. I have thought about this before and I am divided over whether or not I support these actions.  It may be terrorism, but it is not terrorism in the conventional sense. It is hard for any of us to feel any sympathy with terrorists such as the 9/11 idiots, but I bet a lot of people will have a bit of sympathy for animal rights activists.

Wow .... Interesting beliefs.

So in your opinion taking of lives and destruction of property is acceptable on animal rights issues, but not on religeous ones ??

I would have thought that they were equally abhorrent.

[Royal Flush]

I say ship the dog to Korea and make someone's day!

Not a single bloody laugh!

[Sark79]

Not taking lives. I am strongly against this in any way, even the death penalty for the most extreme criminals is wrong.

I am not in favour of any form of terrorism, but I can understand the viewpoints of the animal right activist when destroying Labs, etc. However, as I have no religious beliefs, I find it hard to understand the motivations behind those responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

I don't share the beliefs of animal rights activists, but I do respect that they should be allowed to have an opinion. It is like Booders thread the other day that touched on the BNP. I don't like the BNP, but people should not be condemned for supporting it.

Freedom of speech is what is all about 

[JungleCat03]

I say ship the dog to Korea and make someone's day!

Not a single bloody laugh!

Comedy's about timing flushie and you made a right dog dinner out of that one

[AndrewT]

I don't share the beliefs of animal rights activists, but I do respect that they showed be allowed to have an opinion. It is like Booders thread the other day that touched on the BNP. I don't like the BNP, but people should not be condemned for supporting it.

Freedom of speech is what is all about 

But surely vivisectionists are allowed to have an opinion? Aren't they allowed to go about their business without having their offices firebombed, or death threats against their family?

[Nem]

I say ship the dog to Korea and make someone's day!

Not a single bloody laugh!

Comedy's about timing flushie and you made a right dog dinner out of that one

LOL @ JungleCat

[Zebediah]

By the way, the dog wasnt forgotten for a few hours, it was 10 DAYS !!

I think that fact has been forgotten.

Really...I assumed he had died and started to stink in about an hour....

[BrumBilly]

The fact that it was 10 days and not a matter of hours points to it being a flaw in procedure rather than malicious intent. Like I said way back in the thread, if it was routine to check kennels, as it is to check cells, then the oversight of any single officer wouldn't lead to a similar outcome.

I don't believe the officer should lose his/her job over this unless we're going to start applying the same standards across the board. May work on a theoretical level but not in the real world.

btw. I didn't think AndrewT's analogy with the mass slaughter of animals was silly at all. Far from it, smells of double standards and hypocrisy to say that an honest mistake should lead to someone losing their job/facing criminal charges and social stigma while munching on a mouthful of carcas.