Warning: This post will make you ill

[Sub Atomic]

Warning, the pic on this page is disgusting.

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=sharkbait

The RSPCA is shocked and appalled at the use of live dogs and cats as bait in shark fishing, reported recently on the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean.

It is understood that stray animals are rounded up by local fishermen for the purpose.

RSPCA International senior programme manager Paul Littlefair says: "This is one of the most brutal and distressing stories that we've come across. The use of a live animal in this illegal and barbaric way, involving the binding of its legs with wire and piercing of the muzzle with large hooks, is unjustifiably cruel.

.more.

Please click here and sign this petition.


www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCACampaigns/Campaign/sharkbaitpetition


on edit: clarification

[sepia_steel]

1. WTF

is that for real?

[Sub Atomic]

2. Yes.

and absolutely disgusting.

[Seedersandleechers]

5. Would love to do that to the fisherman who are engaged

in that sort of thing. See how they like it

[Sub Atomic]

31. THANK YOU ALL FOR SIGNING THE PETITION!!

Sorry for yelling.

And for those who don't want to click the top link and see the picture, the link for the petition is picture-free.

[Imagevision]

108. yeah, almost as bad as getting your legs blown off in Iraq...!

[DS1]

3. Well surprise! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

"Given Réunion's status as a French overseas département, we strongly urge the French government to take immediate steps to enforce its animal protection legislation and end this horrific practice."

Maybe they could use some strangled duck while they're at it.

[Guaranteed]

4. But this is part of the fishing culture of Reunion.

I don't hear the animals complaining. Who are we to judge these fishermen?

This is the worst kind of paternalism.

:sarcasm:

[CrispyQ]

6. The inhumanity of our species is sickening.

And we base our species name on the root word humane?


Thanks for the link.

[Jamastiene]

88. Well said. n/t

[Up2Late]

7. Very sad, but their is no way that I'm going to click to see that.

...I can imagine it just fine.

[Mutley]

9. Don't! It's horrible!

:cry:

[CrispyQ]

25. Skip the link to the photo,

BUT GO TO THE LINK to the petition!

[Up2Late]

27. Done, thankfully , it was a safe link.

Just the descriptions below are making me very sad.

Someone should check to see if the ASPCA is involved with this too.

[chalky]

65. Took your advice. I couldn't bring myself to look.

:cry:

[AuntiBush]

43. I can't bear it, either.

I'll take all of your words on it. It will break my heart too much. Sad. Sick. Inhumane!!!

[OhioChick]

8. WTF???

That poor dog. That's absolutely sickening.

[beyurslf]

10. Are they fishing for the shark as a source of food for themselves?

I would think it hypocritical of ourselves to assume that they couldn't use another animal to hunt for their own food. We eat animals here, just not those animals. Of course, if it is only for sport that is another story.

[LeftyMom]

39. There's no such thing as a sustainable shark fishery

Even if they were catching them with tofu they'd be doing the planet a great disservice. That they're using housepets downgrades the act from short-sighted to barbaric. I can't believe any DUer could defend such a practice.

[gatorboy]

90. Many of these fishermen kill the sharks just for the fins.

Shark fin soup is apparently a very popular and expensive dish overseas. I've seen a documentary where they hack the fins from the shark and dump it back into the ocean alive....Disgusting and cruel.....

[Beaverhausen]

45. So, because they are going to eat the shark, it's OK to use a dog as bait?

Is that what you are trying to say?

[beyurslf]

49. I am trying to say that simply because we don't eat dog and

we keep them as pets, does not automatically make it terrible that they use dog. We eat lots of animals here. Dogs are animals. I just don't see why we can say they shouldn't use a dog to catch food when we use animals to provide our nourishment.
If the dog's life or the cat's life is so sacred, why isn't the cow's or the chicken's?

[nonconformist]

51. "we don't eat dog" doesn't wash

They're not eating dog, they're using live dogs as shark bait. You think that is acceptable?

[beyurslf]

55. Well. Yes, I suppose I do. Provided that

1. They are doing this to sustain their lives and provide food for the community or families (ie not just for the hell/thrill of it).
2. It is the commonly accepted practice in their society that dogs are not considered domestic and are allowed to be used for food consumption.

The fact that they are not eating the dogs but using them them to catch other food seems moot to me. We use live fish as bait to cath other fish here. The fact is they use the dogs to catch the food that feeds them. Again, I say this with deferrence to the above points.

[EFerrari]

85. I think if someone wired you up and stuck you out as bait

your cultural relativism would become markedly less complicated.

[beyurslf]

101. I think vast majority of the society, including those here, look at the

life of a human "animal" differently than the life of other animals in the world. Only a small percentage are vegetarians.

[EFerrari]

105. Sorry, what does this have to do with vegetarians?

These practices are horrendous.

Again, if someone set YOU out as bait, would you agree with that?

[beyurslf]

106. Of course not. But I am not a dog. And I wouldn't agree if they used any

HUMAN as bait. I pointed out vegetarians because they do respect all animal life. But for the carnivores out there (and that is most of us), we kill animals for food consumption all the time. Why should we say which ones can and can't be eaten to other cultures? I exclude vegetarians from that because they make a different point all together.

[EFerrari]

107. I would say, because we have a brain and higher brain function

and we know that this practice is just plain wrong.

It has nothing to do with diet. It's about awareness. We know this is wrong. It has to be stopped.

Period.

[YapiYapo]

94. Is using a sheep to catch a wolf acceptable ?

Many now industrialized countries have done it for years.

How about our cosmetic company that practice hurtful test on cat or dog ,many of them die because of it.

Using dog or cat as shark bait is wrong but most of them do it to survive ,we (our cosmetic company) do it only for profit or if you prefer,we do it as a social artifact which only goal is to make ourself feel better.

Both are wrong of course but we are worse imo so don't be so quick to judge other culture.

[Iktomiwicasa]

58. "I am trying to say that simply because we don't eat dog and"

My people eat dog quite often. It is one of our traditional foods, and I happen to like it.

Q: What is the fastest land mammal in the world?
A: A fat puppy on Pine Ridge ;-)

[LeftyMom]

70. All thier lives are valuble

Sacred? To be honest I'm not sure anything's sacred, but cow, chicken dog and shark all are deserving of life and human protection.

[Jamastiene]

89. I'm thankful some extra features of DU exist this morning...Toodles.

[Beaverhausen]

99. I don't eat any meat - to me they are all sacred

and in fact you make a great argument for none of us to eat meat.

I think because dogs and cats were domesticated by us makes it that much worse emotionally for some people.

[flvegan]

53. Which is why

if one were to consider having any outrage at this, one might consider the abandonment of the hypocritical nature of same...

[indigo32]

61. Some of us don't

eat any kind of animal.

[EFerrari]

84. WTF?

Tell me you're not rationaling this brutality.

[LoKnLoD]

11. OMG

I had a Golden Retriever for 10 years, sweetest dog breed on the planet. I would love to shove that fish hook through that fisherman's fucking pecker and toss him out in the ocean. Sick mofos.

[Greylyn58]

63. I can't look at the picture

Are you saying the dog they used was a Golden? I currrently am "owned" by a Golden named Sheridan who will be 10yrs old in Dec.

I think I will be ill.

[Sub Atomic]

66. He's a beautiful boy.

The picture in the first link is indeed, a golden. But it's not an isolated case.

For the dog in the picture, he was rescued. But many others are not.

The link to sign the petition is here:

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCACampaigns/Campaign/sharkbaitpetition

You don't have to worry about the picture. They don't show it.


Give Sheridan an extra scratch behind the ears tonight.

.steve

[Greylyn58]

68. Thanks for the compliment on my boy

He's my baby and I did sign the petition.

God I can't even imagine doing something like that to a dog or cat.

[LoKnLoD]

67. Yes

It is a Golden, or Golden mix, your baby is beautiful. God they are the prettiest sweetest dogs.

[Greylyn58]

69. Yes they are the sweetest dogs

Of course I'm prejudiced on that point. He's my baby boy and I can't imagine someone doing something like that to one of them.

[mirandapriestly]

72. me too. nt

[MessiahRp]

12. Signed the petition...

One of the saddest pictures I have ever seen. :(

Rp

[PatrioticLeftie]

13. Ill after reading 'as bait' n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Can I sign the petition without seeing the pic?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

21. Sure you can

Here's the direct link to the petition.

I don't blame you for not wanting to see it, poor little guy. :cry:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCACampaigns/Campaign/sharkbaitpetition

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. I will go nuts if I see it. Imagining it is bad enough, but that might

make me go postal. :hug:

Thanks for the safe link.

[Pithlet]

26. Thank you. I can't look at the picture either.

Done.

[bonito]

30. I can't either but i'm going to sign.n/t

[ncrainbowgrrl]

60. thanks for the direct link.

I need to go hug my kitty cats now.
:cry:

[newswolf56]

15. Petition signed and OP recommended. Let's keep this alive...

to get as many signatures as possible. (At least the dog in this grotesque picture appears to have been rescued and to be in the care of a veterinarian.)

[smartvoter]

16. ill, but recommended. nt

[charlie]

17. Aw, fuck me

There's video of the hooked dog right here:

http://www.30millionsdamis.fr/FR/Dossiers/NosPetitions/Contrelutilisationdechiensvivantscommeappatspourlapecheauxrequins/Contrelutilisationdechienserrantscommeappatspourlapecheauxrequins.asp

(S/he's safe with vets, there's no sharkfishing in the video)

S/he's a genial happy pooch, even with that big honking fishhook in his/her face.

[dogday]

18. Who in the hell came

up with this idea? That is so inhuman, it makes me sick...

[Triana]

19. Signed.. Ugh (n/t)

[Sugar Smack]

20. That.Is.Just.Sick.

And thank you, I signed it.

[hiley]

23. signed

who thinks to do something so vile?
makes you feel ill..
anyhow, I am glad you brought this to our attention.

[dave502d]

24. If i could get my hands on one of these fucking prick.n/t

[deebo550]

28. This is why you should NEVER give away kittens or puppies for free

It is well known that some people (or perhaps even many people) who deep sea fish use free kittens and puppies as bait.

Please, everyone remember to spay and neuter all your pets as early as possible and do not ever give away any animal for free.

[smartvoter]

29. People also feed them to snakes. nt

[deebo550]

33. That is true, another horrible fate of many "free" pets nt

[Jamastiene]

91. They have been caught using them for pit bull training where I live, but

slowly some are being caught. They feed the pit bulls gunpowder and then dangle little kittens in front of them and then wonder why I don't like them. They honestly don't see it as cruel. The vile bastards.

[SammyWinstonJack]

36. What? How disgusting! My fur babies aren't fixed but I control where

they are at all times. I take great care of them.

[deebo550]

64. Why aren't they fixed?

There is no reason not to fix your pets unless you have purebred animals you show and are breeding selectively, carefully, and responsibly. No one can "control" their pets 24/7. Animals get lost, run away, are lost during an emergency, etc all the time. Those animals get out and reproduce with another and there you go. Plus, there are innumerable health benefits to your pets to have them fixed.

Not fixing all your pets is irresponsible and morally reprehensible when 6 million pets are euthanized every year just because there aren't enough homes for them all. You can never know where your pets are all the time and even if you could, that is no guarantee that they won't get lost or run away sometime in the future. Why take the risk by not fixing your pets? It is just irrresponsible not to spay and neuter your pets.

[madmax]

32. signed and kick n/t

[Mend]

34. I emailed PETA's Newkirk

I know this organization is controversial, but anything is worth a try.

[KFC]

35. Not as ill as all of the hoo-hah about Bill Bennet's breasts

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4925260&mesg_id=4927526

But I guess Bennet's breast reduction surgery has spared us of dealing with his rack.

[LeftyMom]

37. That's so f'n immature

Please take that shit back to the lounge, nobody wants to hear silly jokes about that asshole's sweater meat in a serious thread about housepets being killed to catch an apex predator the ocean can't spare.

[KFC]

52. As far as I know, it is true that Bennet had a breast reduction

Surgery is always serious business, so I think this topic fits rather well in a serious thread.

As far as using dogs for bait, I certainly would vote no on that. It just does not seem right as far as I am concerned.

[flvegan]

56. What? That dude's breast issues take precedent over this?

Say it again...I want to be sure I'm reading that right.

[LeftyMom]

59. It's a stupid joke

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=4075931

Today's salvo in the Lounge v. GD war. :eyes:

[JVS]

83. LOL

[cry baby]

38. I don't want to see the pic, can I link to the petition and not see it?

I was in such a hurry to sign that I didn't read the whole thread!

[Beaverhausen]

40. see post #21

[meisje]

41. Where is the blood in that pic? Photoshopped?

I'm not saying it's not happening, just that the photo is not real.

[political_invader]

44. Do you have your ears pierced or know someone who has

they don't bleed after a few hours. IMO This has been done for days,that is a real pic.

[smartvoter]

48. Yes it is. I watched the video of that dog running around with the hook

in its mouth. nt

[Qanisqineq]

80. .

OMG, there was a video? I just saw the picture, there's no way I could have watched the video.

I don't know which is worse -- people in China skinning dogs and cats alive or this.

[flvegan]

50. No? Well, I tell you what...

Sea Shepherd has a reward out.

That particular photo's "realness" aside, as I personally can't prove it, but it is happening.

Photoshop indeed...

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_050818_1.html

[Sub Atomic]

54. Thank you for posting that link.

[shockingelk]

100. Photo is real; I question the story

Think about it: If you tie a dogs legs and throw it in the water, it's going to drown. It would be inefficient to keep the animals alive until they're thrown in the water.

We euthanize stray pets here. Maybe the actual story is that the corpses are used as bait in India.

+ someone said the dog is with a veterinarian. How did that situation come about?

[political_invader]

42. Signed. Kicked and nominated nt

[tnlefty]

46. Done.

:kick:

[tnlefty]

47. Done.

:kick:

[AbbeyRoad]

57. Signed

Reading the brief description in the original post was enough for me to sign. If I looked at the picture, I'd most likely lose it. Man's barbarity can seem boundless sometimes.

[undergroundpanther]

62. FUUUCK

Signed the petition and I didn't click on this pic..It would have thrown me into rage.

Frankly I'd like to get the fucking fisherman who do this shit and run wires through his ass and let him bleed and struggle as shark bait see how he likes it!

I HATE humans, and I am ashamed to be part of this " in humane race"
The sonner we all DIE off the better,because humans are sick monkeys because we as a species are sadistic assholes we let humans around us abuse other creatures way too much.Some humansd should be wiped off the planet,start with the sociopaths.

[mirandapriestly]

73. that's how I feel after this. nt

[Spike from MN]

81. I'm with you. There is absolutely no way to justify this

barbaric behavior. I'm thinking you're actually going too easy on the fisherman.

[Pooka Fey]

71. WTF. Signed and kicked. Hell no I don't need to see that picture.

What is wrong with people these days? Is it TV? Violent games? What the fuck is wrong with these souless flesh-eating ghouls?

[NMMNG]

74. I signed the petition, but I can't bear to look at the photo

:cry:

[Twist_U_Up]

75. WTF gets into people, man I swear!!

These ruthless fucks.
so sad

[Spirochete]

76. Signed the petition, saw the pic,

and hope that island sinks into the Indian ocean. How the hell can people DO that?

[Binka]

77. Kick

Sign The Petition!

[Swamp Rat]

78. ARRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!! GROSS!!! DISGUSTING!!! CRUEL!!! INHUMANE!!!

And so are some of the posts on this thread! :grr:

[Qanisqineq]

79. UGH!

It sounds so horrible it doesn't seem like it could be true! Oh my god. Why couldn't they at least kill them first? Let them bleed into the ocean and the sharks will be attracted to the blood? Not that I would like that scenario either but it is so much better than what they are doing.

:puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry:

I have trouble recommending this for the "GREATEST" page. I think it should be read by more people but somehow that name just doesn't sound right for posts like this and posts about the war, etc.

[EFerrari]

82. kick

Just when you think you've seen every evil thing.

:nuke:

[BreweryYardRat]

86. Signed.

All in favor of flaying these fishermen and then using them as shark bait, say aye.

[centristo]

87. holy shit!!!

:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[CardInAustin]

92. This is NOT helping my lack of faith in humanity....

I simply cannot imagine doing that to such a beautiful creature.

How hard must someone's heart be to do such a thing??

[Jamastiene]

93. They have no heart. If they did, they would not do that. And we seem to

share a lack of faith in humanity. I have long since defected from the human species. I will rejoin when it starts acting humane.

[CardInAustin]

96. sigh....

Animals are just so innocent. I just don't understand hurting one unless it is in self defense.

[Jamastiene]

97. I agree with you on that one for sure.

It takes a pretty heartless person to do those things to animals like that.

[MamaBear]

95. I signed the petition.

I'm just speechless.

[Flavin]

98. torn between two viewpoints. (rant warning) ...

I've watched the video, seen the pics, and read these posts, but am torn by the vitriol (SP?) being spewed toward the fisher folk.

Remember folks, these are fishermen in a third world country.

These are fisher folk forced through world economics to practice an environmentally unsound practice to meet their current survival needs even as (some of the them are even aware of it) they cut there own throats in the future by destroying their ecosystem.

Starve now, or starve later. Kill an EXCESS animal to feed your child, or let your child starve and DIE.

I'd pick the puppies to die, how about you?

Under the pressures of first world consumerism (feed me, Seymour!)
they are stripping their countries bare of trees, their seas of life, and actually in some cases, importing OUR trash, medical wastes, and toxics, just to meet their WTO and World Bank imposed requirements. Requirements THEY HAD NO SAY IN, as their ruling classes (often put in place by our politicos who in turn are placed by the companies doing the pillaging) made these arrangements.

Here we are grossing and bitching about weather their treatment of an animal which in their culture is viewed differently, is viewed as one would a hammer, a minnow, or a car in ours.

We should be bitching about how we are squeezing their culture into pulp, which we WILL cast aside once we get all the juice (products, labor, shark fin soup) out of it.

I am finding the whining about puppies and kitties while we sit in our soft chairs at computer desks built in these countries for pennies a day to be hypocritical. Our comfort has been purchase by the eco and cultural raping of the third world.

Some in this world would view the possession, coddling, anthropomorphizing of YOUR dogs and cats, the volume of the world resources you spend to make them fat and as human-like as possible as vile, evil and unethical as you view the fisher folk using them as bait.

Step back from your emotions and view the big picture.

And vegans and people who have taken the high road inpurchasing products; please don't pontificate your higher moral standards 'cause you don't eat critters or buy green, fair products. Do you wear make-up? Take medications? All(most) all been tested on animals.
It's not a question of YOUR level of morality, but WHERE you have chosen to drawn that line.

Over and out.
Flavin

[Bigleaf]

102. I signed the petition and am sending off an e-mail to the French embassy.

Too bad the f***ing tsunami didn't take out this island! I'd like to stick that hook up one of those fishermans ass and feed him to the sharks.

[lady lib]

103. Signed the petition.

Thanks for letting us know about this.

[dusty64]

104. I signed but

can't look at the pictures. Just when I think I've seen the worst of the cruelty humans can inflict on innocents I've got to hear about something like this. My mind can't get around the horror of something like this or imagine the heartlessness required to commit such an act. I am ashamed of my species.