Animal agriculture pollution and pet euthanasia

The Monday, September 26, Washington Post has two articles of importance to animal advocates. A front page story discusses the effect of animal agriculture on the environment, and a sensitive story inside the paper discusses the effect that shelter euthanasia has on those who work in animal shelters.

The front page story is headed, "In California, Agriculture Takes Center Stage in Pollution Debate." It tells us that in California's San Joaquin Valley, responsible for a fifth of US milk production, "Fifteen percent of the region's children have asthma, a rate three times the national average. Fresno -- the valley's biggest city -- has the third-highest rate of asthma in the country, and the San Joaquin Valley rivals Los Angeles and Houston for the dubious title of worst air quality in the nation."

We read: "Michael Kleeman, an environmental and civil engineering professor at the University of California at Davis, estimates that agriculture accounts for as much as half of the valley's air pollution. The health problems caused by agriculture emboldened state Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) to push to abolish farming's exemption from state air pollution laws."

You can read the whole article on line at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/25/AR2005092501172.html OR http://tinyurl.com/dc3k6

While exploring the effect of intensive farming on the environment, it does not discuss the impact on the animals. Letters to the editor can do that. You can check out http://www.factoryfarming.com to learn more on that issue and see photos from factory farms, including dairy farms.

Those new to DawnWatch may like to check out an op-ed I had in the Los Angeles Times on August 13, as the issue of dairy farm pollution made headlines in the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. It is headed, "Got Milk? You've Got Problems." You'll find it on line at http://www.dawnwatch.com/oped-august13-2005.htm

The other article in the September 26 Washington Post that should inspire letters from animal advocates is headed, "Euthanasia A Strain for Animal Care Workers; Loudoun, Other Shelters Try to Help Staffs Cope." (P B5)

It tells us that "many shelter workers adore animals but must bear the emotional brunt of animal overpopulation while putting up with a public that often derides their work and treats animals callously. The job can be so traumatic, shelter directors and psychologists say, that workers are often afflicted with nightmares, depression, suicidal thoughts and fears of going to hell."

It discusses their attempts to stop from bonding with "animals that do not stand a chance" such as very sick animals or "the sweet-as-can-be pit bulls" that many shelters do not make available for adoption. And we read of shelters that cannot keep up with the sheer volume of discarded animals, where "Life-or-death decisions can come down to hue: Too many black dogs can mean some have to go, and workers must make the wrenching choices."

It continues, "Euthanasia, experts say, is just one stressor. Shelter workers say it can be harder to deal with people who treat animals as disposable, offering a litany of excuses -- about moving or about the cat not matching the carpet -- when surrendering them."

One shelter worker, who was eventually taken off euthanasia duty because he would be in tears after it, describes one of his most heartrending experiences:
"One dog was licking my face as they were using the syringe. It took me days to get over it."

You can read the whole article on line at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/25/AR2005092501525.html OR http://tinyurl.com/bw5fn

Either of the articles above open the door for letters on our society's treatment of other species.

The Washington Post takes letters at letters [at] washpost.com and advises, "Letters must be exclusive to The Washington Post, and must include the writer's home address and home and business telephone numbers. Because of space limitations, those published are subject to abridgment."


(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. If you forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts, please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)