Now they're expanding the manufacture dates being recalled AND adding some brands of Dog Biscuits to the list!
This is getting ridiculous.
Amazon.com is reporting huge sales of cook books for Dog & Cat food though, so atleast someone's making out in all of this. And a lot of cats & dogs will probably enjoy their meals A LOT more now with their owners making them gourmet meals!
I know. And legal experts keeps saying that owners really have NO grounds to sue these companies for anything other than medical bills.
I know a lot of people who don't have kids or whose kids have moved on, that have pets as their children now.
It sounds crazy, but when that pet is there for them day in and day out, the loss of it is more than just a property loss (which is what the law looks at it as).
I think this is going to force the government to put some regulations in place on food manufacturers, which is good. I also have to think this could bankrupt Menu Foods at this point. The losses have to be tremendous.
I totally agree JR!! I have 2 children, their names are Sami and Jack. I still don't understand how the law sees pets as things. I put as much money into my pets as most people do for their children. I think pets should be able to be claimed on tax returns (maybe as .5 or something), I think pets should be covered under a family medical plan. Dogs and cats at the very least. Heck, I just dropped $1000 on Sami in one week, that would've been an individual deductible!
But so many people out there just can't see it that way.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting pets on the level of a human being OF COURSE, but they are definately more than property.
The surgery for Ellie two years ago was almost three thousand dollars. People I knew were split between "well you had to do it" and "ARE YOU INSANE! IT'S A DOG!"
I think with me it boiled down to the fact that sure it's a dog, a pet, but what is more important than her life? Is a new TV more important than a pets life? I don't think so. If I can afford to help her I feel like I have to do so. I can sleep better at night knowing I value life over money.
EXACTLY! For example, we recently got a turtle from a friend for free (Floyd). Floyd's eyes started to swell shut, so I took him to the vet. It cost $60 all total, including the medication. Our friend remarked yesterday, "Man, I only paid $25 for that turtle. You could've got 2 new ones for that money." I pointed to Sami and said, "Yeah, and I could've got 10 cats for what I spent on her. But I don't want 10 cats, I want one cat. THAT cat." (Though I will admit, I see Floyd as a pet, and Jack and Sami as family.)
IMO I beleive that we tend to become more attached to the pets that can roam around the home or yard- dogs, cats, ferrets..
and that is not to say that we don't love our other pets (I love my fish!) but we try to do more for these types.
ok let me rephrase-- We are willing to spend the extra money on them. I know that when my fish got sick I looked all over the web to try to find something to help. But wasn't much I could do and he died anyway.
-- Edited by Woo Hoo at 14:53, 2007-04-05
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"Am I speaking in a language you're not getting here?"
I think those pets that have free roam tend to get closer to you as well.
My dog get's excited anytime I go in the living room and sit down. The first thing she does is look around the house for a chew-eeze or some other item she can gnaw on, then she's up on my lap or sitting next to me on the couch happily chewing away while I watch TV.
That's the kind of thing you really miss when they're gone.
When Ellie was in for surgery she was gone for four days. I couldn't beleive how many things made me miss her. Like everytime I open a bag of something, the crinkling sound of the bag usually has her running to me to see what I'm eating and if she can have some.
When she wasn't here I'd open that bag and feel so sad when I didn't hear her collar with the tags come jingling into the room.
Woo Hoo wrote: IMO I beleive that we tend to become more attached to the pets that can roam around the home or yard- dogs, cats, ferrets..
and that is not to say that we don't love our other pets (I love my fish!) but we try to do more for these types.
ok let me rephrase-- We are willing to spend the extra money on them. I know that when my fish got sick I looked all over the web to try to find something to help. But wasn't much I could do and he died anyway.
-- Edited by Woo Hoo at 14:53, 2007-04-05
Good point, but I think it's more of an emotional thing. You're much more likely to feel loved by something that can show emotion, such as a dog or cat, than something that's less evident in its emotions, such as turtles and fish. You pet a cat, it purrs. But, how do you show affection to a fish? I'm not saying their life isn't valued, but the level of companionship felt is lower, so there is less of an emotional comittment.
I always feel bad when I think about how we tend to put more value on cute animals than ugly ones, particularly in the wild.
I mean, a rabbitt goes by and everyone thinks it's so cute and wants to throw carrots at it and watch it eat. A rat goes by and everyone screams and wants to hit it with a broom!
Like it's the animals choice to look like a rat or a rabbit.
some of my fish pet themselves. If you stick your hand in the water (and they are comfortable with you) they will swim against your hand. We have one that will sit in the palm of your hand. I never knew that you could pet a fish!! I also never knew that I would love them so much. I guess you would have to how we are with them.
This is not a disagreement, just a statement.
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"Am I speaking in a language you're not getting here?"
See, I've never had a fish that would do that. But that goes back to what I was saying. You have an emotional interaction with them, so you put more value on their lives.
no wonder you feel like my fish is giving you the evileye!!
