A (trophy animal) picture is worth a thousand (angry, violent) words

 

From Huffington Post; click image for article & original photo credit

Kathleen Stachowski    Other Nations

One woman (sporting a Safari Club International cap), one gun, one dead giraffe. One pump-my-ego photo posted and then shared hundreds of times on animal rights Facebook pages, generating thousands of sad or angry comments.

Many–distressingly many–of the responses to these vile, celebratory trophy photos are vile and violent themselves. When the killer is a woman, the comments can also be terribly misogynistic: “Stupid brainless b*tch!” “This fat ugly b*tch should be shot!” “Shoot this b*tch!” 

Someone else’s trash: Rez dogs saved; rez dogs lost

Kathleen Stachowski   Other Nations

Dumpster pups reunite; M. Greener photo, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

From tragic to jubilant in eight short words: “Puppies left to die in garbage bin reunited.” The headline pulls you into the story–you already know it ends well–but still, you have to confront the fact that someone callously trashed a box of 10 newborns during a frigid Montana winter. Instead of freezing to death, the babies–some had not yet opened their eyes–were rescued by RezQ Dogs (website, Facebook), a volunteer rescue operation “committed to helping the unwanted and abandoned dogs from the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy Indian reservations” in north-central Montana. Tiny Tails K-9 Rescue (website, Facebook) stepped in to help, and the rest is happy history. 

New Book on Evolving Legal Status of Pets

Hi All,

Please excuse the self-promotion, but today marks the publication of my first book, Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs. The book is about how pets have become more like family, not only in our homes, but also in the eyes of the law. It covers a number of topics that would be of interest to the Animal Blawg community, including:

–The evolving legal status of cats and dogs in courtrooms and legislatures

–The rise of the animal law and animal protection movements

–The backlash against animal rights from the veterinary, scientific, and agriculture communities

Reviews have begun coming in, and they’ve been great so far:

“Well researched and also very personable, this book will make readers think as they look into the eyes of those furry beings that share their lives.” —Booklist

“This engrossing, enjoyable, and well-researched title contributes positively to the literature on companion animals and belongs in all libraries.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“Grimm’s most valuable contribution… is his reasoned and well-researched discussion of the pet “personhood” movement, particularly its legal implications for veterinarians, scientific research, and agriculture.” — Publishers Weekly

“Eye opening” — National Geographic

“A book of note” — The Toronto Star

I’ve also just had two very nice Q&As published, one in National Geographic and one in Wired.

The book is available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, IndieBound, and bookstores everywhere. Please help me spread the word!