Here's What's Left: The politics of envy, doggy style

July 11, 2005

The politics of envy, doggy style

From today's Washington Post--Behold the utter bizarreness of our classless society:

Sherry Shumaker has grooved to "Dancing Queen," "Wild Thing" and "Doo Wah Diddy" with her dancing partner Heidi -- a Doberman pinscher.

At a Woodbridge studio, Heidi has taken lessons in standing on her hind legs, walking backwards and spinning, all in time to music and in sync to Shumaker's dance steps

...

With Heidi already a dancer, Shumaker plans to enroll Sable in the next freestyle class offered at All About Dogs. "It's a lot of obedience as well as putting some fun and music to it," said Shumaker. "It's kind of our time together."

The classes are taught by computer technician Susan Brogan as a hobby. The Nokesville resident sometimes dons a Spanish-style costume while her Australian shepherd, Jazz, sports a color-coordinated collar.

...

In April, Peter Perretta, owner of Yappie, transformed his grooming business into a pet resort, housing it in a fancy lodge with granite floors in the lobby. The building dwarfs the children's day care next door.

Perretta sells spa packages that include a 30-minute run on an underwater treadmill. Suites for overnight guests include beds. Yappie hosts birthday parties to which dogs can invite their closest canine pals. At the day-care center, they can watch episodes of Lassie or classic Benji movies on satellite television.

Meanwhile: (old article but the best I could find)

In rural communities, wild dogs attack livestock, angering farmers who commonly shoot them. A survey by the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 1999 found that feral dogs were partly responsible for killing cows, sheep, and goats worth about U.S. 37 million dollars.

Farms aren't the only place where these animals may be found. Low-income, high-crime neighborhoods in cities like Los Angeles, St. Louis, New York, Santa Fe, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland, are being overrun by tens of thousands of unwanted dogs, says Randy Grim, founder of Stray Rescue in St. Louis, a nonprofit organization that saves street dogs.

"The problem is only going to get worse," he said. "Animal control agencies and humane societies don't want to deal with it. It's just too overwhelming."

The problem started in the 1980s, Grim said, springing from a combination of increased dog fighting, dogs being bred for aggressiveness, and reduced animal control. Compounding the problem, he said, is that America's poorest neighborhoods do not have veterinarians or animal shelters.

...

Most towns and cities across America have strong animal-control programs and veterinary services that keep the pet population in check, protecting citizens. But not all communities have that luxury.

The Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where 23,000 people live, is one of the poorest counties in the nation.

The animal population on the reservation is at crisis levels. An estimated 4,000 dogs, covered with mange and ticks, roam the land and are sometimes so hungry they resort to cannibalizing other dogs.

The reservation does not have a veterinary hospital, and each week Indian health officials investigate an average of two dog bite incidents, often involving children.

I'd comment but one of Sean Hannity's flunkies just showed up to issue me a fine for attempting to incite class warfare.

-Heather

Posted on July 11, 2005 at 01:43 PM | Permalink

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Here's What's Left

July 11, 2005

The politics of envy, doggy style

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