Cafferty question: "How much importance should be put on rescuing pets?"

[lindisfarne]

Cafferty from CNN just posted a "question to the viewers". Say's, "they're sending in cages to bring the animals out."

VIEWER POLL, wants to know:
"How much importance should be put on rescuing pets?"
PLEASE SEND EMAILS [e-mail]

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Please let them know that now that the human search and rescue operation is almost complete, they have the resources to save pets. There are at least 10,000 National Guard troops in New Orleans. If each saved just 2 animals and brought them back to wherever they sleep, animal rescue organizations could collect the animals. This would save thousands of animals alone!!!

Also, if they would allow residents to go back into NO to rescue their pets, it would help, too. Other parrishes which suffered as much if not more than NO are letting their residents back in; what's the holdup with NO?????

edited to add link: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/situation.room/

[LisaM]

1. It doesn't have to be a choice!

Jesus. They have shown boats with room for pets refusing to take them, they have the capacity to do this. It's not as if they are filling boats up with dogs and cats and sailing past people waving out of windows. No one is saying to save pets over people. At this point, there are plenty of saveable pets.

[Mairead]

2. bump

[roguevalley]

3. done

[zanne]

4. I don't trust people who don't love animals,

they're usually less compassionate. So I don't think Cafferty's question is genuine. If you only value human life, you'll say that rescuing pets is a bad idea. It's not an opinion, it's a character flaw.

[LisaM]

6. And if you don't care about human life

you would never care about a pet. Not all animal abusers turn out to be serial killers, but most, if not all, serial killers have abused animals.

[SiouxJ]

7. I don't either (trust people who don't care about animals)

I try not to associate with people who have no compassion for animals. It's a waste of time IMO.

[LunaC]

8. Earlier, Cafferty said

He didn't know if he could leave his own pets behind. He's definitely on-board with the people-pet connection and understands the anguish of the survivors who left their furry friends behind. He's an advocate for pet rescues, not a critic.

[SammyBlue]

10. I love animals

But given a choice between a baby and a puppy, the puppy loses hands down!

[Mairead]

14. Choices like that only exist when you decide they do

What's your choice between your daughter and your son?

[SammyBlue]

16. My choice: I sacrifice myself without a second's hesitation.

[Mairead]

19. But the "choice" isn't between you and your kids, it's between

your daughter and your son.

[Mein Bush]

17. I agree. They have real psychopath potential!

Jeffrey Dharma was into torturing and killing animals.

Wholly crap! Bush used to blow up frogs!!!!

[bklyncowgirl]

20. Cowboy author Will James once said:

"I've never gone wrong by judging a man by the horse he rode"

[Piperay]

18. I agree nt

[SiouxJ]

5. I just sent him this letter

Mr. Cafferty:

I think people are forgetting that in some cases pets are all those people have left! We have pundits and others saying, "save the people and forget about the animals," but what they are forgetting is that these are not just animals, they are family members. It is not only cruel to the animals to let them starve, it is cruel to the owners of the animals. Where is the compassion? It was heartbreaking to see some people trying to decide whether to leave their beloved pet in order to be allowed on an evacuation bus. How can we force people make that kind of decision in a compassionate, wealthy country like America? I think every effort should be made to save those animals! They are the most innocent victims of all.

[LunaC]

9. Please see post #8 n/t

[SiouxJ]

12. Good to know

Since he asked the question, I felt obligated to respond (even though I did not see his program today). I'm glad he seems to see the importance of saving the animals.

[samdogmom]

11. Here's the text of my email:

You’ve been such a truth teller lately! I hope you will listen to my plea. Saving pets puts the ”H” in humanity. Watching the many videos of victims torn between being “saved” or leaving their pets was too much for me to bear. (And then I saw the Dallas TV video of unknowns shooting abandoned pets in the devastated area and I really cried.) I can’t imagine being put in that position. Please do all that you can to save these animals that depend upon humans for their very existence. If I found myself in this situation and my pet was sacrificed I don’t think I could ever put the disturbing images of my pet’s last moments on earth out of my mind. I’m pretty sure I would not be able to deal with this. Finding your pet alive and well after all of the loss may be the one thing that saves many of these victims.


Please if you have any power; make someone in authority understand that pets MATTER!

[SiouxJ]

13. Great letter!

I've been talking about this to my friends all week. I just couldn't do it. I just would not leave my animals behind. I'd rather die with them than try to live with myself after leaving them behind to suffer and die.

[meow2u3]

15. Text of my e-mail:

"Many people grossly underestimate the importance of animals in the lives of human beings. It's a proven fact that pets relieve stress, lower blood pressure, and offer many other physical and psychological benefits. As a matter of fact, an increasing number of Americans treat their pets as their furry, feathered, or scaly children. It would be the height of cruelty to abandon our human children to fend for themselves, and it should be unconscionable for government likewise to force people to abandon their furkids.
The humane and moral thing to do would be to rescue the pets and reuniting them with their humans, so the animals will help the displaced cope with such a catastrophic loss. Haven't these poor victims lost enough? Do we have to add insult to injury by forcing those human beings who lost everything else lose their fur children?
Animals, like people, have their own individual personalities. The only difference between them and us (besides the obvious) is that animals lack free will that humans possess."