DUers: Soldiers' pets need your help.

[Maddy McCall]

Sign up here to be a foster parent to numerous pets whose owners have had to (or will have to) go to Iraq.

http://www.netpets.org/militarypet/foster.php#fosthome

Many military members' pets are being euthanized as entire military towns are called up to go to war. Some soldiers are dropping their pets off at pounds, knowing that they will be put to sleep soon, because the owners have no friends or family nearby to care for their animals. You can help by offering a home to these pets until the owners come home.

Please help these members of the military by providing a home for their pets (all kinds, even exotics) until they come home.

Let's kick this.

:loveya: DUers.

[Misunderestimator]

1. That's very cool...

kick

[purr]

2. Signed up!

I wouldnt mind at all..

[Maddy McCall]

30. Great! Keep in touch...let me know if they call on you to care for a pet.

:loveya:

And tell us about the soldier, too.

[purr]

33. Will do!

[xmas74]

3. Kick

I live in a military town. Quite a few of the pets in the local shelter ads start w/ the message "My owner had to go to Iraq-please adopt me!"
If I had a better situation right now, I would.

[WilliamPitt]

4. If this movement gains a lot of speed and sympathy

I am going to start breaking things.

No, not because I have anything against taking care of these pets. It is a good and humane thing to do.

But I see this as the same wretched trend that saw homeless people start putting puppies next to them on the street. We can walk past a destitute man or woman without giving a damn, but o the horror if the widdle puppy suffers.

If Americans start getting amped up to really care for these pets after two years of giving the thinnest of shits about the soldiers who own them, alive or wounded or dead, I might chew off my own tongue like the guy in 'Seven.'

Again, not meant as an attack against the OP or anything. Just PISSES me off.

[Solly Mack]

5. I grok fully

[Maddy McCall]

6. Will--I donate time and money to my local homeless shelter.

What I think you will find is that people like me, who help homeless humans (I even took a guy in one night who had been refused help by the church next door to my former residence!) are the same ones who help homeless animals. I also donate money to the local animal shelter.

There is no competition here between homeless people and homeless animals. I help both. And I am sure you will find an abundance of DUers here who help homeless people because generosity and empathy is their nature--and those same humans will help animals, when need be.

If you want to start an advocacy thread for homeless veterans, I think that's a great idea. Please don't knock this thread with an argument that just holds no water.

[WilliamPitt]

8. I hope I made it clear

that I am not knocking the thread or the idea. If not, I'll make it clear again: I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.

But to say that my argument holds no water - that we as Americans spend more on pets than we do on education, or that homeless pets will tug the heartstrings but dead soldiers don't, etc. - is an argument that holds no water.


I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.I am not knocking the thread or the idea. These pets should be taken care of.

[Runcible Spoon]

12. good post Maddy.

:hug:

[Runcible Spoon]

7. give it a rest.

some people have enough compassion to feel for people AND animals. I think you're assuming an awful lot and degrading the intentions fo these volunteers. Unless you'd like to offer actual evidence that these volunteers don't give a shit about the soldiers, then I'd appreciate you not jumping to conclusions.

[Maddy McCall]

9. Thank you.

His assumption about me could not be further from the truth.

[WilliamPitt]

11. I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT YOU.

[WilliamPitt]

10. RIF

Where do I refer to the volunteers?

It was a general statement, not aimed at anyone specifically. I said clearly I was neither knocking the idea nor the OP.

Jeez.

[Maddy McCall]

13. Then can I ask you please....

Let's not turn this into a flame war. I'm just getting info out. If you or others want to debate the vets vs. animals point, then please start another thread.

I'm not being a bitch, and I've always been fond of you, so I am perplexed why you want to bury the point of this thread under a flamewar.

[WilliamPitt]

15. *deep breath*

Hokay.

I made an observation in this thread, while saying the idea was good and should be followed through.

I was told my 'argument holds no water.' It does, and I'm pretty sure you know it.

You and the other poster then decided I was trying to attack you personally. I wasn't. "Again, not meant as an attack against the OP or anything" were the words in the post.

I suppose I could go start another thread. But I have to ask: Why would you start a thread and then jump on people who post in it? Can't a person post a thought in your thread?

If this is a flame war, I sure as hell didn't start it. But it's you're thread, and you're welcome to it.

[Runcible Spoon]

19. one last thought Will and then I won't pursue this

I have seen you defend Christians in many threads, and there is nothing wrong with this. HOWEVER from your POV attacking one's belief system or closely held values is pretty near to a personal attack, yes? Don't make me go through the archives...it is rather disingenuous for you to make a "general statement" whether or not it is directed specifically to Maddy about the questionable intentions of people who do this kind of work. I don't blame Maddy for taking offense.

[WilliamPitt]

21. Where

and I mean specifically WHERE in my post, did I attack anyone's belief system or their intentions?

Are you serious?

[Runcible Spoon]

23. this is tiresome.

I suggest you go down to your local animal shelter and offer to walk a dog, and then down to the local homeless shelter and do some dishes. This may be more productive than doing discourse analysis on an internet chat board. Better for the soul too. I'm going outside for a bike ride myself; it's gorgeous out! :hi:

[WilliamPitt]

24. I guess that's my answer

*shaking head*

Thanks for scolding me on my activism, btw. Enjoy your bike ride.

[burrowowl]

35. I think that the

trend of Will's thought is that the homeless and the soldiers shouldn't be in such dire straits that they have to give up their pets. For some homeless their pet is their only consolation and gives them a reason to live.
It is shameful that some people live on pet food although that too is getting too expensive.

[Runcible Spoon]

16. OK Maddy. I will also not flame :)

you're right, the spirit of this post is to help spread info about this project! :hug:

[Runcible Spoon]

14. fine. if it was a a general statement and not referent

to anything the OP had to say, than it was irrelevant. Either way, some things are best kept to one's self unless one wishes to be called on it. We can play these semantic games all day or you can admit that your sentiment was a tad mean-spirited and baseless.

[WilliamPitt]

17. Wow, OK

It was not mean-spirited because I wasn't attacking the OP. It was not baseless because, as I have come to find after three years of screaming myself hoarse about Iraq, that Americans don't get worked up about dead soldiers. They get worked up about pets (as this thread is proving beyond the shadow of a doubt).

Whatever. This is the most bizarre brain-cramp of a thread I've been involved in for a while.

*ejecting, shaking head*

[Runcible Spoon]

22. I don't know which rallies YOU'VE been attending

I've been to pro peace rallies where hundreds of thousands of people show up to bring our troops home and stop this senseless war. A PETA rally may have 40, 50 people. I can't believe that you would say that the typical US citizen cares more about animals than soldiers. THAT is the real brain cramp, since I don't see any huge vegetarianism movements :eyes:

[Maddy McCall]

29. The whole point of my post was to show love to the soldiers...

by caring for their pets. I can't imagine how heart-wrenching it must be for them to have to pack their bags to leave to go somewhere about which they have no say, and to have to leave their pets behind with no one to care for them.

I don't want the soldiers in Iraq. I am adamnantly anti-war. But, since they have to go, at least we can help ease the emotional burden of having to leave a pet behind and not know if they will ever see it again.

It's for the soldiers, as well as for the pets.

[Misunderestimator]

25. Bad mood today I guess.

You're point is a good one, but probably not so appropriate in a generous thread about pets. Sounds a bit like those who posted on threads about gay marriage before the election (and after) saying that there were more important issues to address. There are plenty of important issues all the way around.

[WilliamPitt]

26. I was in a pretty good mood

Now I'm just confused.

Yes, I see your point. No, I don't understand the reaction my thoughts got.

[Misunderestimator]

27. Here... just listen to these for a while...

:)

[enigmatic]

37. You hi-jacked a thread...

with a comment unrelated to the info Maddy was giving out. It's pretty simple.

You post would have been a good (and provocative) starting point for discussion in a thread of it's own; why you thought dropping it in somebody else's thread that had nothing to do w/ the point of the thread only you can answer, I guess.

[WilliamPitt]

39. Bad, bad me

for thinking I could comment in a thread.

...and the wackiness continues...

[commander bunnypants]

18. done

CB

[Beaverhausen]

20. Thanks

I can't do it myself but I will pass the info along.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

28. Signed up...

just now. Thanks for the link.

[Maddy McCall]

31. Great!

Keep in touch. PM me if they call on you to care for an animal! :loveya:

[Maddy McCall]

32. kick

[Maddy McCall]

34. Kick, for anyone who may care.

[enigmatic]

36. You got it...

Thanks for this; I'm contacting them in the morning..

[RebelOne]

38. I wish I could sign up, but I can't have another pet.

I live in a mobile home with a 100-pound Rottweiler and there is just enough room for her and me. I can't take a cat because she would probably kill it. But I do pet transports when I can. I help transport rescued dogs and cats to their forever homes or foster homes out of state.