# SPCA - Sarah McLachlan



## Josh66 (Mar 29, 2009)

Have any of you seen the ASPCA commercial with Sarah McLachlan singing?  Kind of a sad commercial...  My daughter starts crying _every_ time it comes on.  It would be funny if it wasn't so sad - sad enough to make a baby cry.

It's hard to explain the reaction my daughter (15 months old) has to this comercial, but it's almost as if someone had just killed a puppy right in front of her - that's the only thing I can think of that would provoke the same reaction.

Anyway - do anyone else's kids start crying uncontrollably when this commercial comes on, or is it just mine?


EDIT
Here is the commercial
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO9d2PpP7tQ[/ame]
(this is the Canadian version - the American version is similar, but I can't find it on youtube.)

EDIT, agian - found the American version:  [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eXfvRcllV8&feature=PlayList&p=0BC4E7CD0D4D785C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=12[/ame]

I've done some volunteer work at animal shelters, and this is a sad subject - but my daughter, who is just over a year old cries every time this comes on...  It makes me want to cry, seeing her cry over this...


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## Chiller (Mar 29, 2009)

In about 8 months, I will be putting my German shepherd down, as he was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy , which is the deterioation of the back nervous system.  This will be the hardest thing I will ever have to do in my life.  
 I took Kane from an abusive home when he was 4 months old, and we have been best friends since then.  I promised him when I took him away, I would give him the best life I could , till that moment when I will hold him close to me, and he closes his eyes forever. 

  These people that abuse animals are a complete waste of skin, and I would take great pleasure in strapping them to a tree and beating them with in an inch of death with a stick.  

And it is not just kids that cry when they see this.   I do.


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## JE Kay (Mar 29, 2009)

Maybe it's the Sarah effect. 

My GF rescues dogs, she has two now, one is a handful, BC's are anyway at the best of time, but with some training she's having a great time. Still gets crazy at times, but when they have a bad time early on it's hard to get it all out of them. 

_People that abuse animals should be made to inhale glass slivers and dust until they bleed-out screaming in agony_. :-x :thumbup:


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## Kondro86 (Mar 29, 2009)

That is so funny you say this. I work with a 40 year old MAN. Whenever this song comes on at work he starts thinking about the commercial and starts ballinn tears. Its actually quite funny.  -Danny


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## Overread (Mar 29, 2009)

I made it through without breaking up - only because of 3 things

1) the warning in the first post
2) my music was on very very quiet
3) they didn't use a cheetah (seriously if it was done with cheetahs no one would make it throuh!)

What makes me mad though is not just those that abuse animals, but the breeding and standards groups who will constantly breed weaknesses and defects into a breed to retain "pure bloodlines" and "the correct look". There was a big thing on this in the UK recently and the annual national dog show was not held this year because of what as going on with breeders  -  heck they were breeding and showing dogs with the "perfect" profile who could hardly stand on their back legs (I recall this was German shepherd ). 
Heck some dog bloodlines need some new blood - labradors  are great dogs, but when they get old they become so susceptable to things like back, hip, rhumatism (SP) and even things like caterats on the eyes . They need some stronger blood mixing in otherwise whilst the dog might conform to some breed list in some book written by some guy (normaly from the Victorian era) they are going to have a hard life and a lot of vet trips.
Heck your average mutt is often far more healthy


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## Seefutlung (Mar 29, 2009)

Your average mutt is heathier. A mutt's genetic makeup (regardless of species) is most always superior to a purebreed.

For a 15 month old to react that way is surprising. Shows that the video works on many different levels .. older people react because they remember pets with fond memories and how wrong abuse is for such wonderful creatures and the child reacts because it understands and relates to the sad faces ... interesting.

I rescued a Wire Haired Fox Terrier, Shelby (aka Shabs). She was abused mentally, the owners totally ignored her .... gave her no attention. She was/is a great little girl. 

One of the reasons we brought her into our home was as a companion for Cookie, our Wheaten Terrier. They were pretty much opposites, The Cook was all soft and flexable easy going, never did anything wrong. Shabs was stiff and string loaded, even when she slept her legs were stretched out, Shabs tried her best to be a good dog. Cookie was very very accomodating of Shelby. For six months it was great, both dogs played and played and played.  They even had many specific games.  They seemed just grand together. 

Then one day Shelby turned and started to attack Cookie. We had to keep them separated. Apparently, you can't keep two female Terriers in the same household. It took about three months but we finally found a good home for Shabs. This was about two+ years ago ... but a day doesn't go by when I don't think of her.

Shabs






Cookie and Shabs





The Cook


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## Kegger (Mar 29, 2009)

I tear up when I see that commercial, everytime. 

We've had numerous dogs over my life time, all of which have been rescues. So I know just what it's like to see a scared puppy just want to crawl into a corner and finally be left alone. Those are the dogs we adopt, and they all have wonderful lives.

So in reality it's not funny, people should react like that. Lets 'em know that they can still care about something.


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## kundalini (Mar 29, 2009)

Chiller said:


> In about 8 months, I will be putting my German shepherd down, as he was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy , which is the deterioation of the back nervous system. This will be the hardest thing I will ever have to do in my life...


 I feel ya bro.  I heard an interesting interview from a veternarian about medical decisions we have to make for our pets.  There was one point she made that hit home to me.  I have started making notes on the number of good days versus the bad.  My dog is coming up on 14 y.o. and has some cancer tumors that are in area with very little soft tissue around them (legs).

*Here is the interview.*  Click the Listen Now icon.  It's about 38 minutes long.


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## Chiller (Mar 29, 2009)

kundalini said:


> I feel ya bro. I heard an interesting interview from a veternarian about medical decisions we have to make for our pets. There was one point she made that hit home to me. I have started making notes on the number of good days versus the bad. My dog is coming up on 14 y.o. and has some cancer tumors that are in area with very little soft tissue around them (legs).
> 
> *Here is the interview.* Click the Listen Now icon. It's about 38 minutes long.


 
Thanks man. There is actually a web site dedicated to this thing Kane has. Since there is no cure, people are trying different things to prolong the spread of it. 
This is Kane. 


 



 
When Kane was a pup, we had to have his ear operated on, for a hemotoma. One reason the vet thinks it happened was from being hit many times in the head.​


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## Artograph (Mar 29, 2009)

Chiller said:


> Thanks man. There is actually a web site dedicated to this thing Kane has. Since there is no cure, people are trying different things to prolong the spread of it.
> This is Kane.
> 
> 
> ...


 

Awwwwww....I'm _so _very sorry to hear this Carl,.......he is so adorable.    You can see his love for you in that 2nd pic!!



About the commercial...I can't watch....I just can't.


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## Josh66 (Mar 29, 2009)

I'll never understand how some people can be so cruel to animals...


...This thread is depressing.


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## epp_b (Mar 29, 2009)

I like animals, I love my dog and it's horrible what some people do to them, but I have a hard time crying for animals when there are human beings in equal or worse situations.


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## Seefutlung (Mar 29, 2009)

Compassion is not mutually exclusive by species.

Gary


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## epp_b (Mar 29, 2009)

Indeed, but humans are simply more important than animals.


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## Overread (Mar 29, 2009)

We are?
why?


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## Chiller (Mar 29, 2009)

epp_b said:


> Indeed, but humans are simply more important than animals.


 Not in my books.  Humans can speak for themselves animals cant.  Animals can not prevent the deliberate abuse the recieve from humans.  All they offer is love and companionship.  That deserves a beating?  
 I wont tell you what a "human" did to my dog before I got him.


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## Overread (Mar 29, 2009)

Chiller said:


> Humans can speak for themselves animals cant



most animals can speak - its just that most humans are rather to deaf and dumb to understand them


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## Chiller (Mar 29, 2009)

Overread said:


> most animals can speak - its just that most humans are rather to deaf and dumb to understand them


 
  I think Im going to bow out of this thread, as this is a pretty sensitive subject for me, and I will end up saying something I shouldnt. :er:

........................walks away quietly................


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## Seefutlung (Mar 29, 2009)

epp_b said:


> Indeed, but humans are simply more important than animals.


 
As the de factco custodian of the Earth ... all species are important and it is time that we understood this and act accordingly.  (Given, in an emergency situation having to decide between saving a human or saving a dog/cat/non-human ... I wouldn't hesitate to save the human ... but it would haunt me that I was unable to save both).  But that is not what we are discussing here.

Gary


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## epp_b (Mar 29, 2009)

> (Given, in an emergency situation having to decide between saving a human or saving a dog/cat/non-human ... I wouldn't hesitate to save the human ... but it would haunt me that I was unable to save both). But that is not what we are discussing here.


Agreed.


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## Overread (Mar 29, 2009)

I would save the most important one
And I would rate the life of my dog more than the life of a stranger - and many more times that the life of an enemy. 

I find it a strange viewpoint that people today consider all people to be in the same grouping when taking discussions like this - when in actuality there are many many groupings of people and many of them do not just dislike but fundamentaly hate the others. Thus by saying you would save any human you are saying that - if in the situation - you would save Hilter too? (just an example I could pick others - Bin Ladin for example or Mao) Is this the theory of forgivness comming out in us? I think not - rather I think it a line people take so that others do not judge them harshly or feel endangered by that other person - 

I also find it odd that people are willing to take an animal and make it part of the family unit - and then abandon said animal because it cannot speak or walk on two legs - or maybe it can but it has wings instead of arms.


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## Seefutlung (Mar 29, 2009)

Overread said:


> I would save the most important one
> And I would rate the life of my dog more than the life of a stranger - and many more times that the life of an enemy.
> 
> I find it a strange viewpoint that people today consider all people to be in the same grouping when taking discussions like this - when in actuality there are many many groupings of people and many of them do not just dislike but fundamentaly hate the others. Thus by saying you would save any human you are saying that - if in the situation - you would save Hilter too? (just an example I could pick others - Bin Ladin for example or Mao) Is this the theory of forgivness comming out in us? I think not - rather I think it a line people take so that others do not judge them harshly or feel endangered by that other person -
> ...


 
I find it odd when in an emergency situation a person would discriminate and save a non-human over a human and I find it equally odd and shameful that a person would consider race/social status/economic status/religon/et al as a pre-condition to saving a life. I find it extremly odd that, in a discussion as this, one would not group all people as equal. (Maybe that the dif between a Brit and an American ... which is a softball for another 'discussion'.)

I would save Mao/Stalin/Hitler/Jesus/Mohammed/a drunk/stranger before saving my fish or my beloved dog which, while being my friend and companion, still isn't a person. It would be extremely painful and no doubt haunt me for the rest of my life ... but that is the choice I would make.

Gary


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## Overread (Mar 29, 2009)

ok I could probably agree with you on the fish grounds

"We weep for the blood of a bird but not for the blood of a fish - blessed are those that have voice"

But as to people and groups are you saying that you view All humans as equals? I cannot view all people as equal - this is not to say that I hate all other groups that are not my own, nor that I have no respect for other groups or thoughts - more it is just to say that I know there are differences between peoples just as there are ones between speices of animal and to deny that is rather foolish in my view.

I also find your choice of wording for preconditions to saving a life interesting choices of words since they relait to mostly neutral stances and each one has a specific discrimination factor built into them - you make no mention of the persons indevidual past deeds or actions in your view for criteria either - It would not matter to me if Hitler were a German an Ostrian or a Polishman - but his actins and deeds would lead me to leave him for my dog yes. 

As for a stranger I know not really how I would react in the given situation - infact its very hard to predict how any of us would truly react in such a situation. All I can say is that I value the lives of those in my life that matter to me - be they cat or dog or man. I would also say there is selectivity - I might not save the life of a fish over that of a man - I could lose the fish easier than the man - but then what if that fish were a dolphin? (ok its not a fish but work with me here )


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## Josh66 (Mar 29, 2009)

I think I have to agree with Overread on this.

I think that all people are most certainly _not_ equal, and there are some people who's life I would value less than that of a dog.


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## Seefutlung (Mar 29, 2009)

Yes, collectively, I view all humans and human groups as equal (while individually ... I may consider some to be scum and others saints).

As to an individual's past deeds ... well that was included in the "et al" ... while I specificly spoke of those who most of us would consider "monsters" .. yet I still would not act as judge and jury and I would save them before I'd saved a non-human.

A few years ago I undertook a significant surgical operation in order to harvest my bone marrow. The marrow was donated to an anonymous individual in order to save his life. The recovery was extremely painful and lasted for months ... but I'll would still unhesitantly do it again. While the above is different than what we're discussing ... I used it to somewhat punctuate my remarks.

Gary

PS- You know what's sorta odd about Dolphins ... in the ocean everything is ... well cold or netural to the touch. Dolphins are surprisingly warm ... well yeah ... of course ... they're warm blooded and all that ... it's just that you never quite expect it on your firtst encounter.
G


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## JE Kay (Mar 29, 2009)

> Indeed, but humans are simply more important than animals.


Do you reeaaally want to go there?? :lmao:

Make a list of the horrors and atrocities that man has inflicted on himself, as well as every other living thing on the planet. 

Now make one for animals and do the same, post your lists, I'd like to see what you come up with. 

Humans can be very heroic, outgoing and compassionate but that's only because we can also be so horrifyingly despicable and vile in every way if we choose. 

When was the last time you saw a dog or cat torturing one of their own, just for the pure enjoyment? 

Please, you're not going to get anywhere with the '_we're more important than animals'_ thing. _How long do you think humans would survive if 98% of the animal population vanished? No too long, not too long at all. Now reverse that. _

Still think we're more important?  _Don't get me wrong.... I like being human_.


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## Joves (Mar 29, 2009)

Like any other commercial it has zero affect on me. With that said there are alot of scumbags out there for sure. I hate seeing animals being abused and, think those that do it be put in jail and, be abused by bubba their cellmate.


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