interesting debate topic

**Aaron_S** · 09-10-03, 02:54 PM

I was surfing some articles on another site and came across one that was talking about a teacher who was going to be feeding some unwanted puppies that were going to be euthenized to a boa during one of his science classes. Needless to say it was stopped after compliants from parents and it has been said some students even cried about the idea.
In the comments that followed the article an interesting debate started up. One side obviously says it's wrong. The other side came from one person saying that he or she didn't condone the act of feeding the puppies to the snake but to show another side to the one track minded people. This person went on to say that majority of people are just being too emotional and hypocritcal about it. That noone does anything for the untrivial number of puppies and kittens being killed by a humane society then their bodies going to waste but flip out when someone is putting their body to use and continuing the circle of life. This person went by the saying "I eat what I kill and I kill what I eat." They were saying we should be putting those bodies to use instead of just wasting. We should be responsible for the lives we take.

I see this persons views and agree with them. I do not condone the pracitce of feeding puppies or kittens to snakes or other reptiles. One reason stated by this person was that herbivores supply better nutrition then carnivores do and that if this type of thing is in the public eye it really puts a negative look on the reptiles and the keepers.

Note: I took this persons arguements and placed them into my words. So if you see the article and the comments and ideas aren't the same that is because I changed them or added or took away from them.

LurkerAccount · 09-10-03, 03:00 PM

There shouldn't even be a question about it, if your going to kill it because some a**hole doesn't want the reasponsibility of takeing after it, then atleast put it to use. But don't make it suffer....

BAZ · 09-10-03, 03:04 PM

I think that in the West we have a very different way of looking at cats and dogs than people who live in the East. For example, in India there are dogs all over the place roaming the streets... they are quite a nuicance actually and you will see dog road kill like you see groundhogs on the road here in Canada. A dog was hit by a car while I was staying at the Croc Bank and it stumbled into the Croc Bank. Its leg was broken in 2 places. Now no one is going to take it to the vet coz a vet costs money and the average person there does not have the money to pay for these kind of medical bills. Secondly I don't think they want all these dogs around. So the dog was recycled.... it was fed to the crocs that night.

Now I know when I first found out what will happen to the dog I was a bit shocked but when i thought about it I was just being ethnocentric. If I put myself in the shoes of the people there and lived there I would probably have done the same thing.

Siretsap · 09-10-03, 03:07 PM

This debate has been around for ages. And did you know, that most of those animals taht are put down by humane societies, do serve as dried food for other pets? So in the end, they still end up as food, so why not feed some reptiles with it?

**Aaron_S** · 09-10-03, 03:12 PM

Well now there is no debate:P somebody go against everyone here.

Darlene · 09-10-03, 03:24 PM

This was a huge debate here not too long ago. It turned into such a flame war that the thread was completely deleted. Due to that you may not get too many people who are eagerly to debate this topic again.
BTW...I, too, agree that those animals that are being destroyed should not be wasted.

**Aaron_S** · 09-10-03, 03:39 PM

I think it's possible to have a civil debate if you are careful to not let anything become personal.

Darlene · 09-10-03, 03:44 PM

LOL We also had a debate about that at the same time & due to that thread. It most certainly is possible. I had very much been enjoying the other debate on this topic. I was able to really join in for once as the kids were away. I love a good debate !! It was going quite well & strong when I left to go to work. When I came home it was gone. We shall see how it goes this time.

09-10-03, 03:48 PM

a dead animal whether mouse or man becomes no more than meat.

TheRedDragon · 09-10-03, 03:50 PM

I can see how it may be disturbing to some people, but, the puppy was going to die anyway, may as well provide nutrition for an animal that's staying alive. *shrug*

Dozer · 09-10-03, 03:53 PM

Okay fine, for all the dog owners who post "its only meat", when your dog dies, give it to me so i can feed my snakes

red bootz · 09-10-03, 03:53 PM

mmmmmmmmmm, puppies...

MouseKilla · 09-10-03, 03:57 PM

I guess it's a question of whether you believe that certain forms of life are more valuable than others. Is a cat or dog any different than a rat or mouse? Some may not see the difference. Is a mealworm any less alive than any of those? What about an ant or a germ or bacteria for that matter? It's all life right? Well yeah, it is but I think that most of us would have a harder time hitting a cat or dog with a hammer than we would have bonking a mouse and it would be easier still to step on an ant. We don't have the least bit of sympathy for the bacteria we kill with cleansers in our homes. It's all life but we instinctively place different values on different forms of life. It's not a difficult question for most of us whether we should kill a cancer to save a person. Some people would have a hard time killing mice so that their snake can live, others won't. Some of us can whack bunnies all day and may even be able to switch to kittens if we have to. I think most of us would rather kill a "lower" form of life where possible meaning we would rather kill the rat than the kitten. I think that's where people get upset, when they see a more valuable animal being used as feed it seems cruel. Of course if the things are dead in the first place...?

Invictus · 09-10-03, 03:58 PM

I think feeding the puppy to a boa is one thing - the puppy is going to die anyway, so sure, put it to good use. But does a class full of young students REALLY need to see this? Hell no! Yes, we think of dogs and cats differently in the West as Baz said. As such, we should not make kids, who may have puppies themselves, watch the slaughter of a puppy. Just because herpers don't find things like that overly disturbing doesn't mean school kids need to be subjected to it.

Siretsap · 09-10-03, 04:04 PM

I agree with Jesus. :-p
Amen