It's a damn pet

Finally a sports related topic...well sort of.  I'm sitting here looking at my computer and reading how a Stallworth will serve 30 days in jail and a long probation period from mowing a man down while driving under the influence.  The irony here is that while this was being talked about, Michael Vick is being released from prison and serving home confinement.  The Stallworth story has received minimal coverage while Vick has been and will continue to be all over the television.

PETA took Mike Vick  and ran with it.  They made him the poster child for anything that has happened to an animal.  However let's discuss the fact that these animals have been taken out of their natural habitat. domesticated and forced to serve as our pets.  There is no animal that was created for the purpose of being a cuddle partner.  The damn dog doesn't really want to run and chase after a Frisbee no matter how fast he may wag his tail.  This is unnatural.  

This man was crossing the street after working an overnight shift on his way home.  Stallworth got in his car intoxicated, sped home and ran him over.  People have tried to use intent as defense but guess what?  If you get into your car drunk and drive home you have eliminated intent as a defense.  We are inundated with information about drunk driving.  We have MADD, SADD and whatever else ADD things there may be.  So many of us know someone who has been killed by a drunk driver.  Yes, I've driven drunk as have many of you reading this.  Thank goodness I have never injured anybody but I had the misfortune of a personal experience with one of my best friends.  After that event I can honestly say I am a significantly more responsible drinker.  

Does MADD need to start throwing car parts and shot glasses at us while we walk down the street for people to know this is serious.  Go the PETA route of being an extremist group, and vilify anybody who doesn't share their beliefs.  That won't work, because for some reason people love animals more than we love ourselves.  We love them so much that we take them out of their natural habitat for our entertainment.  

I've known people who have been willing to subject other people to crippling allergies because of a pet.  I've known people to subject themselves to allergies because of pets.  I've known people who would keep their animal inside because it was cold outside.  The damn thing has fur.  Then they would send someone else out in the same weather to walk to the store for a kit kat.  I had a manager who was in a meeting with one of my clients.  The client mentioned how he would have to leave work early due to his sick child.  My manager then mentioned how his kid was sick at home as well and had to go to the vet.  How the hell do you compare a sick cat to a sick child?  People have actually attempted to empathize with the passing of my mother with the passing of their dog.  After thoughts of slapping the shit out of them were suppressed I just walked away.  Let's go through this.  A dog dies, you're sad, and you can eventually buy a new dog; same breed, color, if you so choose even the same name.  A person dies, you can't just go to the store and pick up a new one.

Yeah I think I want a new mom today, so I'm going to head over to Target and get a new one.  Target has everything doesn't it.  

I've loved every pet I've ever had and was somewhat sad when it was time to say good bye to the animal for some reason or another.  I also understand that it's a pet.  In fact in my wording alone you understand..."it".  How would you feel if someone referred to you as an "it"?  Exactly.  

I am by no means for the cruel treatment of animals, but I also respect and appreciate the value of human life.  If you want to do something nice for animals, teach them how to function in their natural habitat, stop putting pink scarfs and ribbons on them and stop putting them in little bags like they're a damn accessory.