Here we go again. The Advertiser ran a news brief yesterday reporting another “brawl” on the north shore in which at least one person was injured and several shots may have been fired. Doesn’t this sound familiar? The last time around, back at the end of May, a man was killed in a similar sounding brawl.
And in overnight “breaking news” the Advertiser reports a brawl in town possibly involving “50 to 100” people.
What in the world is going on? Just how common are these large fights? Will there be more serious reporting this time around?
The Newspaper Guild has started a new web site, SaveTheStrib.com, backing its members at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Speaking of the Newspaper Guild, the St. Louis Guild has a nice looking web site with good information on the labor scene in that city.
A dog-oriented reader noted a brief in Friday’s Star-Bulletin in which the Hawaiian Humane Society and the so-called Hawaii Dog Foundation say they have nothing to do with a recent letter distributed in Kaneohe that decries the chaining of dogs. The Advertiser also carried a similar story.
“We would never issue a letter like that,” said Melissa Thompson, the foundation’s adoption coordinator. It appears that both of the organizations are terrified that this letter will cause scores of negligent pet owners to give up their once-chained dogs.
Assuming the brief is accurate, I think the name of this Hawaii Dog Foundation needs to be changed to the Hawaii It’s Really OK to Chain a Helpless Animal Out in the Tropical Sun All Day Foundation. If there is any fraud in Hawaii, it is an organization that calls itself the Hawaii Dog Foundation and says it is OK to treat a dog like a lifeless piece of meat. I am certainly no PETA member, but chaining up intelligent, energetic creatures up for the rest of their lives is vile and barbaric. This foundation and the Humane Society are being gutless. I do understand that these organizations are continually strapped for funding to take care of animals. But as a nonprofit, you either have a mission or you don’t. If you can’t figure that out, your donors will.
If the Humane Society disavowed the message, shame on them. You may recall a post here last month reporting that city ordinances prohibiting owners from leaving their dogs chained in the yard have now passed in a number of mainland cities. Bravo to the authors of the reported Kaneohe letter for stepping up to start the dialog in Hawaii. The Humane Society should be behind this effort 100% rather than running for cover. As the writer says, figure that out or your donors will.
Meda’s been on her good behavior since we pared back the collection of old plates last year, giving away whole sets to friends, to some of her students, with a bunch to our friends Pake and Julie at Antique Alley. But sometimes the thrift shop temptation is just too much. Last week she found this Red Wing bowl at the Kaimuki Goodwill Store. It’s in the same shape as our favorite Tampico plates, so she couldn’t resist. And the match was close enough–same shape, slightly different pattern–that I couldn’t squawk about it.
And so it goes on this quiet Sunday morning.
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Whenever I have friends visiting here and I show them around my neighborhood in Kalihi, some of them do make comments about all the dogs who are chained up and look like they haven’t been bathed for years. Some owners don’t even provide a dog house for them, with the only shelter they have being the side of a house. It is truly shameful. But because it is such a common sight in Hawaii, too many locals have it ingrained into their minds that this is acceptable,… but it doesn’t have to be. I think if some of these neglectful dog owners traveled to Japan, for instance, their eyes would be opened up. In residential areas, they would see that virtually no one has dogs that are tied up or changed outside. Whatever families have dogs, they live indoors, receive regular baths, and receive care that goes far beyond daily feedings.
But if some of our dog owners can’t/won’t expand their horizons and continue to treat their pets in an inhumane way, then the next step would be an educational campaign to raise awareness, followed by legislation to enforce higher standards of treatments for dogs.
This is where the Hawaiian Humane Society should step in. If they saw fit to spend $50,000 in efforts to save one dog that was stranded aboard an abandoned tanker, surely they can come up with the funds to create PSAs for TV and radio that would help all dogs living in this state.
Hawaii Dog Foundation does not condone animals being chained in any manner. Nor do they even allow there dogs to be outside of the home other than walking and of course the potty. I myself have adopted from them and they have a very strict adoption policy and they require a signed contract which you agree to many rules and regulations regarding the dog you are adopting. If at any time they feel you are not taking care of the dog they have the right to remove that dog from your home. That’s part of there contract. They do a home visit prior to approval for adoption and as well, they follow up on the dog for a year after adoption. This organizations truly find forever loving homes with people who want a family member, not a lawn ornament. Read on the oranization and understand what they are about before bashing them. Also what kind of orgainization or individual would send such letters and not want people to know who they are instead they throw other’s in there mix to get all the back lash from it. It would make me wonder do they truly believe in what they are doing, and if so then put there own name on the letters. Not use other organizations to take the fall and consequences of there actions from the pet owners recieving the letters.
As an unpaid rescue volunteer my mantra has consistently been, “if my ‘job’ was to make people happy, I am failing miserably.”
All these people complaining about word omissions and arguing semantics ….. it’s actually kind of silly really.
Of COURSE Hawaii Dog Foundation does not condone chained dogs ! All rescuers’ hearts go out to those precious beings who live a life of a 6 foot radius.
Another mantra: if someone thinks they can do a better job than that which is being done … go for it. Get involved. Rescues (especially those run solely by volunteers) need all the help they can get.
Let all those who complain, who have the time to write blogs, the time to complain to newspaper editors. the time to xerox and mail flyers with another entity’s contact information …. let each and every one of them come over and try to help the dogs of Hawaii.