STOP CRUEL AND ABUSIVE WEIGHT PULLING COMPETITION "FOR" DOGS

SOME JACKASSES SAY THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO BOND WITH YOUR DOG

I know some of you are going to say with everything going on in the world, why does this guy choose to write about dogs.  Someone will comment about how I must care more about dogs then...Someone else will just scoff.  Many will simply ignore.

Don't make me no never mind.

A friend of mine told me the other day about the so called sport of pulling, dog pulling.  Human beings take their dogs, hook em up to some huge weight, and have them start pulling.  Are you kidding me?  There is the usual quacking about how the dogs just love it, how great the training is for them, this that and the other thing.  Heard it all before.

I've posted before about the awfulness of greyhound racing.  I happen to be best buds with a greyt named Hawk, and before Hawk there was Whitney and Sasha.  Truth is I do love dogs.  I don't understand people who don't get these wonderful creatures and all they have to offer.  

But whatever.  Not everyone is a dog person and that's okay.

However, no one has the right to treat dogs, or any other animal (including the human kind) with cruelty.  No one has the right to turn torture and pain into some entertainment venue.  Make no mistake about, folks, that is exactly what the people do who carry on what you are about to read about.

And what can I even say about those who get a kick out of watching this crap.  Don't make me go there.

The International Weight Pull Association (nice name, huh) was formed three decades ago.  I just wanted to say that.  I'm not following up.

Dave Gallagher says, 

It’s a bonding thing. Can you force the dogs into doing it? Yeah. Is it the right way of doing it? No. If you bond with the dogs, they’ll work a lot harder than if you force them into doing it.

What the hell is he talking about? He wants to bond with his dog so he can get it to do something that will hurt it. When was the last time Dave, I wonder, saw a dog, just on it own, try to pull something that weights more than a hundred times what it does...for fun.  Are we seriously to presume there is nothing a dog likes better than muscle strains, tears, heart and kidney failure, severe osteoarthritis in all joints, and other injuries common to this stuff?  

Dave may be that dumb, but dogs are not.

Dogtime describes the torture:

Competing dogs are tethered to a wheeled cart by a special harness, and they must use their body strength to pull increasingly heavy loads, usually consisting of concrete or bricks. For each timed round, the weight-pulling dogs must drag their loads a total of 16 feet down a track. The dog who manages to pull their load the required distance in the fastest time wins. Each competing dog’s owner or handler makes no physical contact with their pooch during the rounds; they must stand in front of the animal and coach it forward.

Have I mentioned that  dogs not only pull weight on grass but also compete in events pulling sleds on snow and carts on a rail system on carpet? On rails, some dogs have pulled up to five tons. 

Lindsay Rajt, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says   here have been cases of people suspected of dogfighting who used weight pulling as a defense because some of the same training methods and equipment are used (and we just imagine how wonderful training methods for dogfighting are).  Rajt also says that weight-pull breeders will aim to push their dogs to the limit in order to sell puppies sired by top competitors for unbelievable amounts of money.

“Why can’t you just value the animal for the companionship that he offers?” Rajt asks.

The answer is because people are not like dogs.  There are plenty of people who find fun in the misery of other living beings.

How about this, also from Dogtime:

Enzo Cullotta, a weight-pulling judge from St. Charles, Illinois, has owned many American Bulldogs who have competed in pulling events. Cullotta says that he starts training his dogs to pull at four months of age by having them drag heavy chains. He also trains them further by tethering his dogs to his bicycle and running them for six miles at a time.

“They’re not just a pet,” he says. “They’re a machine. When they got it, it just makes it so much fun.”

... During a recent International Weight Pull Association (IWPA) event in Riverton, Connecticut, dog owner Todd Sheehan competed with his 103-pound Alaskan Malamute, Valiant, who managed to pull a cart stacked with concrete blocks nearly 10 times his body weight. Though Valiant won the competition, pulling more than 1,000 pounds behind him, Sheehan expressed frustration that his dog couldn’t pull 1,200 pounds instead. 

“He still needs work,” Sheehan tells Aljazeera of Valiant. “He’s gotta stop backing up and stepping out of the harness.”

Would you want to bond with these A-holes, if you were a dog?

The USA may not get it, but Costa Rica does.  Lawmakers in Costa Rica,  passed a bill that would permanently ban dog fighting, dog pulls, and ‘all events that could cause aggression, abuse or injury to dogs.’ The bill imposes stricter fines and penalties of up to three years in prison for people caught in the act of this behavior.  Opposing View writes:

Not only does the new ban clarify and categorize dog fighting as a true criminal act, but it also imposes stiffer penalties for convictions. These include prison terms of up to three years for a first offense, plus steep fines.

The bill also introduces an “offender’s list” for those found guilty of organizing dog fights. They would be required to register with the Animal Health Service in Costa Rica, with the goal of making it more difficult for them to obtain aggressive dogs.

“We are very pleased that this slipped right under the wire,” Cynthia Dent, the regional director for the Humane Society International-Latin America said noting the vote came at the very end of the session.

Meanwhile, in the USA many continue to get their rocks off at the expense of other living beings, in this case dogs, but rest assured, anyone who could see positives in forcing a dog to pull 5000 pounds is quite capable of getting their jollies torturing just about anything that moves...and that includes you.

The following is from YouSignAnimals.org


OUTLAW WEIGHT PULLING COMPETITIONS FOR DOGS 

IN THE UNITED STATES!

The International Weight Pulling Association (IPWA) was formed three decades ago and has been since hosting countless events across the United States. It has also crossed the border into Canada. Unfortunately, these competitions are becoming more and more popular in North America. Dogs are usually divided into weight class and given 60 seconds to pull a cart filled with weight for a distance of 16 feet. Meanwhile, their owners frenetically encourage their pets, while crowds cheer enthusiastically. This is supposed to be entertaining…

Owners claim this sport helps them develop a special bond with their dogs and give the animals a much-needed exercise. What happened with a classic stroll in the park, I wonder.

In addition, one owner claims he is not forcing the dog to do anything that he does not like. On the contrary, he says that the dog has the option not to enter the competition if it chooses. To get disciplined, these dogs are oftenly neglected and mistreated by their owners, in order to get the best result and get a spot in the hall of fame of such competitions.

What the owners don’t understand is that this is sport is really cruel, leaves dogs prone to all kinds of injuries – muscle strains and tears, just to name a few. In addition, breeders are willing to push their dogs to the limit, so they can later sell their puppies for huge profits. In other words, owners are more focused on the big bucks rather than the safety of their own dog! Moreover, some owners use dog weight pulling events as a cover to train their dogs (mostly pit bulls) for dog fights, which is illegal in the United States.

The state of New York prohibits owners to overdrive an animal. It is obvious that dogs are overdriven at weight pulling competitions.

We, the undersigned, would like for the dogs to have some rights! We do not, by any means, want them to be pulling around thousands of pounds just to show off. Owners need to learn to value the companionship that a dog offers! We therefore urge the United States Congress to outlaw these dog weight pulling compettions across the US! New York has done it, we would like the entire country to follow. Please sign and share this petition and say NO to dog weight pulling events!

Go HERE to sign.