Tools
+ Enlarge this Image
Steven Weissman
T he community is raising $4,000 so your 13-year-old dog can get surgery and ACUPUNCTURE? I get it, you don't want to let go. I feel bad for your pain, I really do. But what about the elderly animal whose pain you are cruelly extending? Perhaps I'm more angry at the people putting money in the chip-in account. Imagine the amount of poor kids who could be fed, the number of sick people who could be helped. An elderly animal is more important than your fellow man? I'm ashamed of you, Seattleites.
—Anonymous
Submit your unsigned confession or accusation
here.
Please remember to change the names of the innocent and guilty. One submission will be published in the paper and online every week.
3
Psychology 101: Someone or something you know and love is always more important than the hypothetical suffering of people you've never met. Also, I love how physician assisted suicide is taboo in this county but Euthanasia is practically first aid for pets. I know animals aren't as important as people, but don't assume a dog would rather die than endure a simple surgical procedure.
5
Acupuncture has been debunked and you can't alleviate a dog's pain with the placebo effect.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/743651…
http://debunkatron.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/743651…
http://debunkatron.com/
6
so, the $4k donated is being taken directly from poor and sick children? please. these are DONATIONS, they're optional, don't believe in the cause? don't donate. i don't donate to the salvation army, but that doesn't stop me from donating to something I do believe in.....and what's wrong with acupuncture for pets? we're all mammals, with nerve endings, if it works for people why not canines.
7
Hmmm... I'm not quite sure how to work COCINE AND MALT LIQUOR into the "I, Anon".
Editors: Please chuck this one out and come try a new on.
Editors: Please chuck this one out and come try a new on.
8
#6 wrote:
"what's wrong with acupuncture for pets? we're all mammals, with nerve endings, if it works for people why not canines."
The placebo effect doesn't work on babies or animals because they don't have preconceived notions and expectations of an outcome. The adult human animal is far easier to dupe into believing that needles/potions/chakra manipulations/etc. are helpful.
Penn and Teller's widely sucessful show, BULLSHIT! explains--
preview: http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/episodes.do…)
episode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h_nWeXIV…
"what's wrong with acupuncture for pets? we're all mammals, with nerve endings, if it works for people why not canines."
The placebo effect doesn't work on babies or animals because they don't have preconceived notions and expectations of an outcome. The adult human animal is far easier to dupe into believing that needles/potions/chakra manipulations/etc. are helpful.
Penn and Teller's widely sucessful show, BULLSHIT! explains--
preview: http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/episodes.do…)
episode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h_nWeXIV…
9
@7
Think about how much cocaine and liquor you could buy with $4000 instead keeping alive some old dog.
or
The dog would enjoy $4000 worth of cocaine and liquor more than acupuncture and surgery.
Think about how much cocaine and liquor you could buy with $4000 instead keeping alive some old dog.
or
The dog would enjoy $4000 worth of cocaine and liquor more than acupuncture and surgery.
10
And since I have the floor-- Some of you need to reread what I, Anon wrote. It doesn't say that this money was being directly taken away from poor and sick children. Anon is asking you to imagine how far 4K could for those in need. No where does it say that it is a simple surgical procedure either.
11
From an outsider's perspective, I think that raising $4k to save a dog is pretty stupid, especially if its suffering and near the end of its life. It's not my dog, though, and I'm sure the dog owner is very emotional and concerned about it. People do stupid shit all day every day, and provided they know what cause their spare change is supporting, who cares?
This anon was boring.
p.s. "Pet acupuncture" sounds like a great yuppie scam.
This anon was boring.
p.s. "Pet acupuncture" sounds like a great yuppie scam.
12
@8:
Penn & Teller ARE Bullshit! They (he) substitutes bluster for fact and berates with obscenity anyone who believes otherwise. I used to be a fan, but now I call BULLSHIT on P&T, their act, their politics, and their supposed "fact" filled Bullshit rant.
Penn & Teller ARE Bullshit! They (he) substitutes bluster for fact and berates with obscenity anyone who believes otherwise. I used to be a fan, but now I call BULLSHIT on P&T, their act, their politics, and their supposed "fact" filled Bullshit rant.
13
When I first got my dog the dumb bitch went out and got hit by a car. Cost me an arm and a leg. So I told that dumb bitch if you ever get hurt again you'll be seein Dr. Bullet. Dumb bitch ain't been hurt since.
19
I agree with Anonymous. It's an animal. It's lived a long and (presumably) happy life. What are you going to do if the surgery and the acupuncture don't work? Are you going to come back to us for more money for a live-in aide or a bed at the doggy nursing home? There's too much human need in the word to be devoting resources on that kind of scale to household pets. Give the poor beast one more gift: a merciful end. Then try living without any pets for a while as I'm not sure you can handle it.
20
I agree with Anonymous. It's an animal. It's lived a long and (presumably) happy life. What are you going to do if the surgery and the acupuncture don't work? Are you going to come back to us for more money for a live-in aide or a bed at the doggy nursing home? There's too much human need in the world to be devoting resources on this kind of scale to household pets. You've done everything you could for the poor beast. Give it one more gift: a merciful end. Then try living without any pets for a while as I'm not sure you're up to the responsibility.
21
There is a book on Amazon - just - called "I Hate Your Pet". It appears to address many of these issues and reactions. It is a pity that living things suffer. It is a joy and a wonder that humans are in control and have the means to stop it or extend it. There is no way to know what goes on in people's heads, let alone ancient animals. Peace be upon ya'll.
22
@12
Even if you dislike P&T's politics or entertainment style, the facts remains the same: acupuncture is bullshit. Check out all the science-based and scholarly sources and, for dog's sake, stay away from the acecdotal nonsense.
Carry on.
Even if you dislike P&T's politics or entertainment style, the facts remains the same: acupuncture is bullshit. Check out all the science-based and scholarly sources and, for dog's sake, stay away from the acecdotal nonsense.
Carry on.
23
I love my kitties. They are 20 year old siblings who I have owned since the day they were born.
If money weren't an issue for me I honestly can't say what would be 'too much' to pay to keep them alive and (even ostensibly) alleviate their pain.
I don't think I could ask other people to help me with that, though; that would feel wrong to me.
If money weren't an issue for me I honestly can't say what would be 'too much' to pay to keep them alive and (even ostensibly) alleviate their pain.
I don't think I could ask other people to help me with that, though; that would feel wrong to me.
24
The answer obviously is not less medical care for beloved pets, but euthanasia availability for poor and sick humans. Level the playing field, if you will...
25
with $4000 you could buy at least 2 brand new pure bred dogs of any type, or rescue 10 from a local shelter.
26
Acupuncture does help dogs deal with pain. I know a 18 year old dog who started doing acupuncture when he was about 13 and he's still alive with the mobility of a 10 year old dog. it works.
27
I'll be honest. I lost both my dogs within the last couple of years, if there were a surgery or treatment that would have healed them, I'd have gone for it no matter the cost. I care about my fellow man...but not as much as I do for a member of my family and my pets are a part of my family. Every human in my family feels this way and would do the same.
29
Whenever I hear people going off about how irresponsible it is to raise money for a dying animal, I always have to wonder what would happen if their own pet suddenly required surgery, and then let's see how many starving children they save then.
No, an elderly animal is not *more* important than people. But if showing an animal some care is stealing that care from starving orphan children, then why do we even keep pets in the first place? All that money could be spent on some homeless dude, right?
No, an elderly animal is not *more* important than people. But if showing an animal some care is stealing that care from starving orphan children, then why do we even keep pets in the first place? All that money could be spent on some homeless dude, right?
30
I get and appreciate the good intentions of the letter writer, but this person fundamentally misunderstands both capitalism and human nature.
31
I think the issue isn't so much the accupuncture itself or love of a dying, elderly dog (to me anyway) its the gall to go around hat-in-hand (or in this case FACEBOOK) guilting friends into giving money.
32
This post really frustrates me. I work in the veterinary field. We accept donations and allocate the money to pets in need. The charity doesn't bother me. What does bother me is, the family that can't afford a pet in the first place. These people usually have (X) amount of children that my taxes are paying for. So don't whine about charity and good deeds when there are bigger things to worry about.
33
Lets be honest here. This is not about the pain of the animal. It's about the pain of the pet owner and their inability to come to terms with the loss of a cherished family member. I propose a compromise: Heal the dog, buy it 1 or 2 more years of a tortured existence then, when it passes, BBQ it and feed it to those hungry children. Some cultures believe dog meat has warming properties so if it's winter time, double win!
34
This post really gets to me. I work in the veterinary field. We always accept donations and allocate the money to animals in need. The charity doesn't bother me. What bothers me is most of the time, this money goes to a family with (X) amount of children who can't afford or shouldn't have a pet in the first place. Don't whine about voluntary charity when there are bigger issues at hand. As an added note, I spent 7 years in a well established hospital that practiced accupuncture successfully.
35
#3 and #6, FTW. Perhaps Anon is able to get through life oh-so-breezily able to let go, but it's none of his/her damn business to judge others' emotional investments.
36
Oh spare me. People go out and spend money on frivolous things every day. That $4,000 was given to someone who will pay a mortgage, a lease, pay employees, taxes, buy groceries, clothing ect within the community. Got that! Within the community. If you don't like people giving money to a vet then spend your money on poor children instead of drinks, Ipod's, new computer equipment, crap made in China by children, a nice car........or whatever crap you don't need. Put your money where your mouth is and move on.
37
The important thing to remember about this is that it's Seattle, where dogs outnumber children, where a man can beat his gf and no one will come stop it but one sharp cry from a puppy and you have 8 condo people there in a heartbeat calling the cops. People's problems are too personal, too difficult to fix long term - helping dogs on the other hand = totally manageable, it's a low emotion/time investment and, hey dogs are SUPPOSED to be dependent. Much lower than giving 4k to help a person, a person that isn't supposed to need help...because they are a person...that is supposed to be completely independent.
38
A newspaper! Oh, I can be Anonymous! I can criticize things that are NOT my business, and I don't understand (or even care) about the background of, or what in fact actually happened! I can be superior! Go ME! Give me a break.
I donated to this particular cause, not because the owner asked, but because we as a community saw our friend having a difficult time, and wanted to encourage him and show him love. What I donated to the dog, was a minor portion of what I donate to shelters and other charities per year. It was my money.
Dear Anon. If you spend money on anything other than pure charity and eat nothing but beans and sleep in a tent, then you can start criticizing how the rest of us GIVE money.
I donated to this particular cause, not because the owner asked, but because we as a community saw our friend having a difficult time, and wanted to encourage him and show him love. What I donated to the dog, was a minor portion of what I donate to shelters and other charities per year. It was my money.
Dear Anon. If you spend money on anything other than pure charity and eat nothing but beans and sleep in a tent, then you can start criticizing how the rest of us GIVE money.
39
My partner and I just went through this same thing with our dog. He busted his ACL, so we put him through surgery and rehabilitation. During this time he also came down with a disease that the vet thought was curable. So we went through all the treatments. Over this time he got weaker and weaker and eventually died in his sleep one night. For those of you who say, oh its just a dog, kill him if he gets too inconvenient in time or money - I'll never understand that. We too, spent thousands. If we had a large network of friends who banded together to help us out financially, we would have been very appreciative and awed by the goodness in people's hearts.
40
FACTS
1.Animals are peoples kids. Love knows no limits.
2. I personally know the people involved in the situation, they donate to other things as well and most donations were small amounts. The largest donation was from a personal friend.
3. It was a surgery only. NO ACUPUNCTURE! It was a tumor removal only.
4. By the time the money was raised the tumor had grown and was too close to vital nerves and it was no longer able to be removed.
5. The dog is currently ALIVE. The money was used for radiation and quality of life treatments. The dog still acts happy and loves life.
My thoughts; Why would someone kill a love with such joy in its eyes still. If the dog was sick and peeing on its self I would understand. But that is not the case. This animal has fight, why would someone that loved him deny him of help if it was possible. The owner never even knew the money was being raised. His friends and loved ones got the donations starting. This is also a man that is a big deal here in Seattle. He supports large public events here.
Facts are important to be a competence reporter. Please people do your research before publicly stating something.
1.Animals are peoples kids. Love knows no limits.
2. I personally know the people involved in the situation, they donate to other things as well and most donations were small amounts. The largest donation was from a personal friend.
3. It was a surgery only. NO ACUPUNCTURE! It was a tumor removal only.
4. By the time the money was raised the tumor had grown and was too close to vital nerves and it was no longer able to be removed.
5. The dog is currently ALIVE. The money was used for radiation and quality of life treatments. The dog still acts happy and loves life.
My thoughts; Why would someone kill a love with such joy in its eyes still. If the dog was sick and peeing on its self I would understand. But that is not the case. This animal has fight, why would someone that loved him deny him of help if it was possible. The owner never even knew the money was being raised. His friends and loved ones got the donations starting. This is also a man that is a big deal here in Seattle. He supports large public events here.
Facts are important to be a competence reporter. Please people do your research before publicly stating something.
41
FACTS
1.Animals are peoples kids. Love knows no limits.
2. I personally know the people involved in the situation, they donate to other things as well and most donations were small amounts. The largest donation was from a personal friend.
3. It was a surgery only. NO ACUPUNCTURE! It was a tumor removal only.
4. By the time the money was raised the tumor had grown and was too close to vital nerves and it was no longer able to be removed.
5. The dog is currently ALIVE. The money was used for radiation and quality of life treatments. The dog still acts happy and loves life.
My thoughts; Why would someone kill a love with such joy in its eyes still. If the dog was sick and peeing on its self I would understand. But that is not the case. This animal has fight, why would someone that loved him deny him of help if it was possible. The owner never even knew the money was being raised. His friends and loved ones got the donations starting. This is also a man that is a big deal here in Seattle. He supports large public events here.
Facts are important to be a competence reporter. Please people do your research before publicly stating something.
1.Animals are peoples kids. Love knows no limits.
2. I personally know the people involved in the situation, they donate to other things as well and most donations were small amounts. The largest donation was from a personal friend.
3. It was a surgery only. NO ACUPUNCTURE! It was a tumor removal only.
4. By the time the money was raised the tumor had grown and was too close to vital nerves and it was no longer able to be removed.
5. The dog is currently ALIVE. The money was used for radiation and quality of life treatments. The dog still acts happy and loves life.
My thoughts; Why would someone kill a love with such joy in its eyes still. If the dog was sick and peeing on its self I would understand. But that is not the case. This animal has fight, why would someone that loved him deny him of help if it was possible. The owner never even knew the money was being raised. His friends and loved ones got the donations starting. This is also a man that is a big deal here in Seattle. He supports large public events here.
Facts are important to be a competence reporter. Please people do your research before publicly stating something.
42
You know something, I Anonymous just sucks. It's gives passive-aggressive, bitter people with little lives a way to lash out and try to hurt others with their ignorance.
The money raised was DONATED. I personally gave up a couple of lattes to throw in a few bucks, so what? I also donate a couple of bucks to the Ronald McDonald house because I love their mission, I donate my time and energy to raise money for the YMCA, I give money to the homeless and I donate my time to help empower young children.
So what's your point? Because I'm doing my part, are you?
The money raised was DONATED. I personally gave up a couple of lattes to throw in a few bucks, so what? I also donate a couple of bucks to the Ronald McDonald house because I love their mission, I donate my time and energy to raise money for the YMCA, I give money to the homeless and I donate my time to help empower young children.
So what's your point? Because I'm doing my part, are you?
43
You know something, I Anonymous just sucks. It's gives passive-aggressive, bitter people with little lives a way to lash out and try to hurt others with their ignorance.
The money raised was DONATED. I personally gave up a couple of lattes to throw in a few bucks, so what? I also donate a couple of bucks to the Ronald McDonald house because I love their mission, I donate my time and energy to raise money for the YMCA, I give money to the homeless and I donate my time to help empower young children.
So what's your point? Because I'm doing my part, are you?
The money raised was DONATED. I personally gave up a couple of lattes to throw in a few bucks, so what? I also donate a couple of bucks to the Ronald McDonald house because I love their mission, I donate my time and energy to raise money for the YMCA, I give money to the homeless and I donate my time to help empower young children.
So what's your point? Because I'm doing my part, are you?
44
The person you are talking about in your article is a friend of mine, a friend of many people in this community. I'm sure you didn't intend for your article to be cruel, but instead were trying to make a point about something you found silly and wasteful. Since you referred to this person’s FB wall (where the solicitation supposedly happened) maybe you could go view it now. There you will see that as of this evening this dog is no longer with us and its owner and those that care about both of them are heartbroken. This article served no real purpose but to make the past week even more painful for the dog’s owner. I hope you take that into consideration in the future. We should all treat each other with more respect and kindness. PS - I decided to not hide behind a fake screen name.
More I, Anonymous
RSS
Twitter
Comments (44) RSS