Cats & Dogs in Falluga

Not sure if this is really the right section to post this, so if a Moderator reads my post please feel free to move it.

I heard today that next week the US Mil are going to begin to kill all the cats and dogs in the Iraqi town of Falluga. The reason given for this course of action is to stop the spread of diesease, which the animals may transmit.

Another reason is that many of the cats and dogs, of which a good majority are wild, have tasted human flesh as a result of the Area of Operations not being cleared of the bodies of 'Insurgents'. As many of you are aware Falluga has been the scene of a major US offensive against the many Insurgents operating in the area.

It will be interesting to see the reaction of the world when/if the story is covered by the media.

My initial reaction of course is disgust! I am probably the biggest animal over you will ever encounter. I not only share my home with many, including several different species, dogs, cats, rats, dagus, spiders, lizards, toads, ferrets, birds.... but I make my living working with animals also...but after thinking about it, I can understand the reasoning....still makes me feel sad.

Probably best, certainly can't have these animals running around and increasing in number, only to have some massive cat/dog famine in the middle of everything.

Hope they don't get your avatar!!

I don't know...killing all cats and dogs like that seems a bit extreme...

I just hope it's done respectfully and not a group of men laughing and having a good time..and please...don't act like that couldn't happen!

I have 4 cats and 2 dogs, I am an animal lover to the core:


Shoot and kill every one of those animals in Fallujah. Every single wild one. Do it for the animals AND the people. No use adding to the suffering to humans through disease and the suffering of the animals due to the fighting and malnutrition, etc.

Now of course, I say this assuming that there is a real health threat associated with them.

How exactly will they do this in the middle of a war? how will they dispose of the bodies? I imagine burning, but i dont see they can be rounding up animals all over town. are they not disposing bodies of human dead?
I just dont see the point really. cleanup the bodies of human dead for sure because this will spread disease and encourage rats/more disease etc, but dogs n cats???

Originally posted by skippytjc
I have 4 cats and 2 dogs, I am an animal lover to the core:


Shoot and kill every one of those animals in Fallujah. Every single wild one. Do it for the animals AND the people. No use adding to the suffering to humans through disease and the suffering of the animals due to the fighting and malnutrition, etc.

Now of course, I say this assuming that there is a real health threat associated with them.

Malnutrition. good point. but how will they know which are pets and which are wild? Itll just make the us seem worse i think.

Originally posted by Loki
I don't know...killing all cats and dogs like that seems a bit extreme...

It's hardly extreme when you consider the loss of human life that's going on there.

Originally posted by LadyV
I just hope it's done respectfully and not a group of men laughing and having a good time..and please...don't act like that couldn't happen!

(sigh) They've actually done this before -- sometime last year. I think it was called "Operation Snoopy." It was part of the general "cleanup."

And you're right. The person who was telling me that (a young lieutenant who supervised and participated) was laughing about some of the kills. I was disgusted but I was the guest of a military family (and it was the son telling this) and simply gritted my teeth, nodded, and didn't comment. It wouldn't have done any good at all.

Originally posted by Loki
I don't know...killing all cats and dogs like that seems a bit extreme...

Why? its done in all civilized societies. Strays are rounded up, offered to people, and euthanized.

lady v
I just hope it's done respectfully and not a group of men laughing and having a good time

Yes, it needs to be done humanely and properly.

byrd
was laughing about some of the kills

Were they torturing the animals while they were doing it? As long as they are killed as quickly as possible, bullet, injection, whatever, then there really isn't a problem. Hell, dogs are routinely processed for feed and raised as livestock in North Korea. They have 'dog farms' where the animals are raised, fed, butchered and shipped out to the markets.

Originally posted by LadyV
I not only share my home with many, including several different species, dogs, cats, rats, dagus, spiders, lizards, toads, ferrets, birds....

Rats? Intentionally ? Usually when I share my apartment with rats and roaches it's always a mistake. By the way, what's a dagus?

Anyway, yea kill them. Kill them all. The animals that is...oh and while you're at it, be sure to kill those insurgents too. I hope our military just doesnt get off track here. Killing terrorist should be the prime objective, killing a disease infested dog should be...a bonus. Like when you find money in your jeans.

Originally posted by Nygdan

byrd
was laughing about some of the kills

Were they torturing the animals while they were doing it? As long as they are killed as quickly as possible, bullet, injection, whatever, then there really isn't a problem. Hell, dogs are routinely processed for feed and raised as livestock in North Korea. They have 'dog farms' where the animals are raised, fed, butchered and shipped out to the markets.

I guess this is all depends on just how much of an animal lover you are and your belief structure of the taking of innocent life...and please no one respond back to mewith...."they are killing humans over there" I know this and I did not vote for bush, and I think our butts should be outa there.

Oh boy, now they've started on animals. Did I die and go to hell?
It appears the facist police forces have a problem with dogs, considering how many have been shot dead in US alone for no reason at all. Maybe they are shape-shifting lizards after all

Billy the Cat and Byrd-

Thanks for informing me of this. I almost wish you had not. It just seems like "How can we make this war even more disgraceful? Lets find us something really pointless and evil to do?"
They're worried about the animals spreading disease when theyre bombing everything? Uhh..... real logical there.

I still do not blame the soldiers themselves, but I am really upset that some have to get in the killing-for-fun mindset to comply with duties. I think it is a natural psychological reaction to become psychotic to be able to do dastardly deeds.

What is extra mind-screwing here, is now I am having a sense of Deja Vu. I think I heard about this before, but blocked it out of my mind. I, like too many Americans, put on the blinders because the truth was too much to grasp.

I guess its kids and animals that will always be the nerve strikers with me. I can't even understand how people can feed their pets low-nutrition foods or leave them outside in bad weather, let alone kill animals for something as unnecessary as shoes.
So I am obviously disgusted when I hear about people killing animals (as well as unintenionally harming and killing children, traumatizing those that survive) because of a war that is entirely built on lies and corruption.

"Operation Snoopy"

I fail to see why everyone finds this so surprising. Depressing, yes; but surprising? Hardly. In Fulton County, Georgia, where I live, 11,000 dogs were euthanized last year alone. The Fulton Co. animal shelter even has a doggie gas chamber (no, they don't still use it, but it's ready to go at any time).

Unwanted, homeless animals are routinely killed in the U.S. because it's more humane than letting them starve to death on the streets. Why is it different when it's happening in a war zone?

If this bothers you, then (in my best Bob Barker imitation) "remember to spay or neuter your pet."

Originally posted by sandge
I fail to see why everyone finds this so surprising. Depressing, yes; but surprising?

I don't think anyone here has said they are surprised...just saddened or upset about it....any animal lover knows the horrible problem ALL cities have because idiot people don't spay and neuter!

Originally posted by duh squared
Billy the Cat and Byrd-

Thanks for informing me of this. I almost wish you had not. It just seems like "How can we make this war even more disgraceful? Lets find us something really pointless and evil to do?"

Do you not understand that these animals are homeless, unsheltered, unfed and unprotected? Every society in the world rounds up and exterminates animals like this, the good socieities try to do it humanely. SInce civil society is more or less non existant in Falluja, someone has to do it, and they military has decided that they should, rather than have packs of disease ridden rabies spreading mange carrying animals ripping one another and human corpses to shreds.

A humane society will round up and destroy these animals, rather than leaving them in the streets.

They're worried about the animals spreading disease when theyre bombing everything? Uhh..... real logical there.

What is so illogical about doing something to prevent dieseases from being spread? If they didn't, and there was a massive rabies outbreak in Falluja, how much outcry would there be then? Hell, some people would probably say that the US government invented rabies and was using it to fight the iraqis.

I still do not blame the soldiers themselves, but I am really upset that some have to get in the killing-for-fun mindset

Who in the world said that this is killing for fun? I am sure that lots of the people charged with this duty are having a hard time doing it themselves. Americans in general -love- dogs, especially guys, dogs are a man's best friend right?

Dogs and cats are nothing compared to the loss of human life. I hate to see someone gloat while they are killing anything though. I wonder how many were trained to do this by "BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD".

Nygdan, if you are only addressing me why do you mention the spelling of Falluja in the title. I don't believe I mentioned Falluja in my post, but I will check back and see in a minute.

Do you not understand that these animals are homeless, unsheltered, unfed and unprotected? Every society in the world rounds up and exterminates animals like this, the good socieities try to do it humanely. SInce civil society is more or less non existant in Falluja, someone has to do it, and they military has decided that they should, rather than have packs of disease ridden rabies spreading mange carrying animals ripping one another and human corpses to shreds.

A humane society will round up and destroy these animals, rather than leaving them in the streets.

I am aware that these animals killed are (obviously out on the streets) without human care. You failed to understand WHY its upsetting to me. It is because of the havocs created by a war I am p-o'd about.

Yes,I also am aware that the Humane Society terminates animals. I have put a lot of work into getting animals out of such facilities and into homes, and non-kill shelters.

Who in the world said that this is killing for fun? I am sure that lots of the people charged with this duty are having a hard time doing it themselves. Americans in general -love- dogs, especially guys, dogs are a man's best friend right?

Well gloating/lauging to me insinuates it was not an unpleasant experience.
An example of this was mentioned earlier, by Byrd, I believe.
It is a known fact that people have to come up with coping mechanisms to deal with the most difficult tasks. I just find it upsetting. I have put much of my life into efforts to save animals, and it is a personal thing.
I am allowed to react with disgust, thank you.

What is so illogical about doing something to prevent dieseases from being spread? If they didn't, and there was a massive rabies outbreak in Falluja, how much outcry would there be then? Hell, some people would probably say that the US government invented rabies and was using it to fight the iraqis.

My point was there is no way some stray animals can be more dangerous to humans than oh, lets say, an air strike.
This goes right back to point A. It is part of the chaos/destruction of waging war. I disagree with this war.
I never said it was happy fuzzyfluffykitten-ville over there. However, this is a revolting side effect, and again, further reminding me that we shouldn't be there.