*Disturbing pictures* Sign the shark bait petition!

[Tim S]

This is disgusting, cruel and sick. There are many other words that I can think of too.



Paraphrased from here.

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.

"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.

Members of the public should address their concerns to the French embassy to help put pressure on those in charge in order to bring this ghastly activity to an immediate halt."

Please sign the petition and stop this cruelty to harmless young animals!

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Sate...rkbaitpetition

[Adnuo]

All that comes to mind is that this is absolutely appaling. I can't believe anyone would do this...

Why on earth would a shark be more interested in a cat/dog than a large fish, though? Seems much easier to use a fish. Anything it can eat, I guess

[Da Dego]

How awful... Poor thing...they hooked it through the nose!!!!

[Leeum]

I hope there isn't a barb on the end of that hook

[Shadowed_fury]

This is sick. I'm appauled at how some people treat dogs and cats. Its terrible.
(yes our dog is spoilt rotten )

[Tim S]

Originally Posted by Leeum

I hope there isn't a barb on the end of that hook

I don't think there is - not from the larger picture in the news paper where I saw it earlier.

[kiwik]

These kind of things make me want to pour a tear... (no sarcasm), I like animals, even when they are annoying, but god dammit...

[yodasarmpit]

"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.

This is so horrific even the French, who seem unable to see beyond thier own border, have got to step in at some point.

[DivineSin]

Actually as paintfull as it looks i dont think it would be that painfull for the dog (atleast the piercing). I dont understand how you keep a boyant thing like a dog or cat underwater though without using weights (unless thats what they do?). The flailing of the dogs feet/head/tail would probly be more attractive than a fish.

I'm not saying that this isnt cruel or it shouldnt be stopped, but having been pierced with several needles, one close to that size, i wouldnt say it would hurt the animal THAT much. I do wonder how the hook would stay in the dogs lips without ripping right through. All in all, it probly isnt that much of a painfull procedure for the animal as it would be dead as soon as the shark chomped down on it and it wouldnt have any idea what the hell is going on.

Personally a fish is no different than a cat or dog other than you can hear the cat and dog whine when there pierced (And they have more of a face, which makes it easier to relate too). Do you think it hurts any less for a fish to be stabbed through its mouth with a hook the same size?

[Krikkit]

This is rather sick, and totally unnecessary tbh.

If (and this is a big if), you wanted to use a dog as shark bait, surely the best thing to do would be to simply let it swim behind the boat (as dogs tend to love doing) as the doggy paddling would be incredibly attractive to a shark. So why the hook and binding etc?

Anyway, let's hope someone gets in their and gets medievil on those nasty gentlemen.

[Nexxo]

Originally Posted by DivineSin

I dont understand how you keep a boyant thing like a dog or cat underwater though without using weights (unless thats what they do?). The flailing of the dogs feet/head/tail would probly be more attractive than a fish.

The whole idea is to keep them afloat. If you don't, they drown, which stops their thrashing pretty quickly and that won't attract the sharks.

Originally Posted by DivineSin

I'm not saying that this isnt cruel or it shouldnt be stopped, but having been pierced with several needles, one close to that size, i wouldnt say it would hurt the animal THAT much.

Yeah, but I doubt that you have been dragged through the water at a fair clip by those piercings... That has got to hurt at least a bit.

Originally Posted by DivineSin

I do wonder how the hook would stay in the dogs lips without ripping right through. All in all, it probly isnt that much of a painfull procedure for the animal as it would be dead as soon as the shark chomped down on it and it wouldnt have any idea what the hell is going on.

Still can't be a pleasant experience though. Pretty scary as well, I'd recon. Sometimes the shark doesn't finish you off in one bite. And trust me, being eaten by something with big teeth is something animals are wired to understand very well.

Originally Posted by DivineSin

Personally a fish is no different than a cat or dog other than you can hear the cat and dog whine when there pierced (And they have more of a face, which makes it easier to relate too). Do you think it hurts any less for a fish to be stabbed through its mouth with a hook the same size?

Although I agree with you on the fish argument (and yes, recent research suggests that fish experience pain at the same intensity as any other animal --well DUH!), I think the argument is one of sentience. People may argue that a fish with a brain the size of a peanut may not experience suffering as consciously as a dog or cat, which are altoghether more sentient animals. This, of course, does not bode well for the bacon butty lovers out there as pigs are altogether smarter than dogs...

Question: although the above is undeniably cruel, do we treat livestock here any better?

[specofdust]

I've got no problem with it. I mean, actually, yes I find it repulsive. But who am I to judge, I pay people to keep animals within four fences so I can eat them, and I dont have problems with snake owners feeding their snakes mice, I dont have a problem with people squishing bugs. So it'd be hypocritical to say this is more wrong then any of that stuff just because dogs are cute and sheep aren't.

[specofdust]

Well obviously never, but I still don't really feel it would be fair of me to criticise, I mean, people aren't complaining here because a sharks natural diet doesn't include dog, people are complaining because dogs are cute and people dislike the idea of them suffering. Yet millions of other creatures suffer, and people care much less. It's all done on cuteness and how easy it is to anthropormorphise them I reckon.

[Mattt]

horrible thing to do to a dog.

but at the same time its so clear that there are double standards being used.

what about the poor shark? hes gonna have a great big hook in his mouth then be chopped up and eaten.

but i suppose this is the same with most animal rights things, they only go after the stuff thats in public veiw, just like with the fox hunting.

they got that banned, but we dont see complaints about the hundreds of foxes that are killed in major towns or citys, and we dont see protests about the foxes now being shot in the country instead of there population being kept under control in the traditional way.

people should try and stop crulety to all animals, rather then only going after the more publicesd cases. either that or just not bother, because if your not going to go the full distance theres no point trying.

[Tim S]

I think the point that I find disturbing here is that a dog is not natural 'food' for a shark, where as a fish is. Also, generally speaking, dogs are not considered to be food for humans with the exception of a few places in the Far East.

I am a meat eater, but there are places where I draw the line. I couldn't force myself eat a Rabbit (even though I've heard they're pretty tasty) in much the same way that I couldn't force myself to eat Duck or Dog for that matter. Being a dog owner myself, I find this utterly disturbing and looking in to that dog's eyes makes me think about seeing that look on my own dog's face.

[Nexxo]

Actually, pretty much any animal that finds itself floating in the ocean is "natural food" for a shark. Such are sharks: lifeforms that swim, eat, and make baby sharks (to quote a line from Jaws), and not much else.

But the reason we do not get sentimental over sharks, Mattt, is that they do not have much sentience about them, and, as specofdust points out, they are hard to anthromorphise. Moreover we are more likely to relate to them as a threat than as something benign, and therefore the viewpoint generally is that the only good shark is a dead shark.

What is or is not considered food for humans depends much on local culture and circumstances. In China, where the land can be harsh, deprivation and hunger have been familiar companions for many centuries, and as such a culture has evolved that can and will pretty much convert anything organic into a tasty meal. They could not afford to be picky (why do you think these guys are so obsessed with food?). In Africa, Australia and the Rain Forests of South America there are tribes who consider grubs and insects a nice little snack.

In other cultures however, people would not remotely consider eating animals that are part of our staple diet such as cows (Hindus) or pigs (Judaism or Islam), in the former case because cows are considered holy animals, and in the latter because the idea is considered gross and offensive.

And although a dog does look really cute when it soulfully stares into your eyes, so do cuddly little lambs or rabbits. Ducks and little chicks look kinda cute too. But we eat them nonetheless. And when it comes to sentience or intellect, pigs, as I pointed out, deserve to live more than dogs, because cognitive testing has conclusively proved them to be smarter.

[JADS]

Originally Posted by bigz

I am a meat eater, but there are places where I draw the line. I couldn't force myself eat a Rabbit (even though I've heard they're pretty tasty) in much the same way that I couldn't force myself to eat Duck or Dog for that matter.

Why? I'm very keen to try dog, cat, crocodile, rabbit, zebra, kangeroo and various other exotic meats That is of course provided they have been humanely killed, unlike in South Korea where they beat the dogs to death to improve the flavour.

Still this is a cruel practice, but then again that is from our very moderate point of view as a nation of pet owners. There are very few countries that hold animals in as higher regard as we do.

[MrWillyWonka]

It isn't the issue cuteness, its the issue of cruelty, we don't put a hook on a sheeps nose and hang them up before killing them, we kill them with the least pain and distress to the animal. A dog, although we don't eat them in the western societies, dogs should not have to endure pain. If people want to eat dogs or cats (some countries do, such as China and Mexico), fine, but as long as they have a quick death.

I say again, its to do with cruelty and discomfort to the animal, not an issue of whether its cute or whether we eat the animal.

EDIT: JADS seem to have beat me to pretty much what I was trying to explain.

[Nexxo]

That is so, but the counterargument was: although what is being done to these dogs is undeniably cruel, do we treat our intensive farming livestock any better? Sign the petition, for sure, but consider where your egg and bacon or chicken drumstick came from. Glass houses, dude...

[P2D]

Thats ****ing evil, I`d like to meet one of those ****ers in a dark ally somewhere, and just happen to have a baseball bat and a very large hook of my own.

Poor things, I love animals! My dogs are spoilt rotten, i`d rather be uncomfy on the sofa or laid in bed than move the dog,s when their sleeping!