IntenseDebate - muskrateer

14 years ago @ KATU - Portland, OR - Parasite found again. ... · 0 replies · +7 points

Elks. Too funny. It's elk; plural and singular.

What would be the point of searching the stream for wildlife? 1. If the parasite always and only comes from animal fecal material, then you don't need to spot a wild critter to confirm its source, and 2. Wildlife is a GOOD sign of the health of the watershed from an ecological standpoint. Just figure out how to best treat the water to make it safe for people!

14 years ago @ KATU - Portland, OR - Yellow Lab puppy recov... · 0 replies · -1 points

It should be noted that dogs who are aggressive toward other dogs are not necessarily aggressive toward people. Dog aggression and human aggression are two very different issues. A pitbull that is properly socialized should NEVER be human aggressive.

14 years ago @ KATU - Portland, OR - \'I\'ve never had anyb... · 0 replies · +4 points

Thumbs up because even though this makes for a great story, there is no reason to be bringing more puppies onto this earth when millions of healthy dogs (and puppies) are put to sleep annually simply because there are not enough homes. People realize they can make some money from breeding their animals and many do. The responsible ones know about breed genetics and have spay/neuter contracts on all pups sold as pets.

14 years ago @ KATU - Portland, OR - Too cute! Calif. dogs ... · 0 replies · +8 points

It's as simple as this: SPAY AND NEUTER. ADOPT, DON'T SHOP.

People need to step up to the plate and be responsible. There is simply no acceptable justification for producing more puppies when so many die in shelters. Supply exceeds demand.

14 years ago @ KATU - Portland, OR - \'We euthanized the wr... · 0 replies · +5 points

I agree with you that dogs shouldn't be running loose. But if you want to save yourself from possibly being bitten, keep in mind that dogs are predatory animals, and herding breeds like the blue heeler can become quite excitable at the fast movement of someone on a bike. Perhaps the dog was trying to herd you.

14 years ago @ KATU - Portland, OR - Ashland police chief a... · 0 replies · +9 points

I agree. In this scenario it seems highly unlikely that the victim would have had time to react and protect himself.

How about not turning a tragedy like this into a platform for one's own beliefs about gun rights when it really has nothing to do with what occurred?

14 years ago @ KATU - Portland, OR - Dog shelter is maxed o... · 1 reply · +16 points

Pet overpopulation is a tragic problem; it's easily prevented by spaying and neutering your pets. "Don't breed or buy while others die."

Advantages of adopting a shelter pet:
They are spayed or neutered prior to being adopted out
They are microchipped
They are fully vaccinated
When you choose to adopt, you are saving a life. When you buy from a breeder, you are perpetuating the problem of overpopulation. There are shelters and breed rescues overflowing with adoptable pets. You can find just about any breed and age of animal on petfinder.com

15 years ago @ KATU - Portland, OR - Sad end for bear stran... · 0 replies · +6 points

I think it's impossible to say with certainty that just because it got there it could get out. It certainly doesn't seem that the bear wanted to be there. It looks like it got stuck. Would a bear eventually decide to risk its life scrambling down or would it become exhausted by direct sunlight, thirst, hunger and suffer slowly?
Just watching animals deal with highways leads me to believe that animals can't always get themselves out of where they've gotten themselves stuck. Yesterday I saw a pronghorn buck panic on a 75mph highway in Montana wedged between two fenced cattle allottments. They are capable of shimmying under a fence but in a stressful situation they can flee in the wrong direction or end up dying entangled in a fence.

15 years ago @ KATU - Portland, OR - Sad end for bear stran... · 1 reply · -4 points

Followed him in the water and tranquilized him (so he'd drown)?
Sea lions have the marine mammal protection act which is an obstacle to culling, while black bears are managed as a game species. Big difference.
Root of problem with endangered fish runs = humans and dams and loss of suitable riverine habitat. Sea lions = proximate and visible cause of salmonid mortality + easiest scapegoat.

15 years ago @ KATU - Portland, OR - Sad end for bear stran... · 0 replies · +3 points

Right, and then everyone will complain (in this down economy) about all the money spent to save one bear. I admit it is a sad situation. Who knows if the bear could have managed to find a way down. It's always a judgement call in these cases and I hope ODFW and the police carefully considered their action. In reality, wild animals face fragmentation and unnatural situations every day. I wonder how many bears are killed on Oregon roads every year.

The population of bears in the state is considerate healthy.

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