A paper in Davidson Co, NC ran an article Monday in the “news” section (not “opinion”) which promotes the killing of shelter pets. The author, L.W. Shoaf, characterizes pet advocates as “zealots”. And from there, it goes straight to hell.
Mr. Shoaf wants readers to know that shelter pets are not friendly companions waiting to find a family:
The vast majority of these animals can be classified as feral, stray, surplus, often sick and/or dangerous animals.
He fails to mention that feral adult cats already have a home – the community. Or that feral kittens can be tamed. Feral adult cats should only be brought to a shelter for the purpose of neutering before they are returned to their colonies. Sick pets can be treated – they call it veterinary medicine. Dangerous dogs are rare and usually mislabeled by people not qualified to make such a determination. As for the pets he calls “stray” and “surplus” – is this a problem as far as getting the pets adopted? I highly doubt anyone who has ever adopted a stray or surplus (he makes it sound dirty) pet would agree. They are regular pets who happen to be homeless. This is not a crime. And certainly not one requiring a death penalty.
If these animals were such treasures, people would be breaking in line to take them home.
Well gee, I guess you’ve got us there. Never mind pounds who refuse to adopt some or all of their pets out to the public, who keep banker’s hours, who charge prohibitive adoption fees, or who require adopters to submit to home inspections and other invasions of privacy in order to save a pet’s life. Let’s put all that aside and just apply Mr. Shoaf’s logic – if they were so great, everybody would want them. Just like cultures which condemn rape victims as damaged goods who bring disgrace upon their families. You know they were asking for it anyway.
Not everyone wants to go to the pound and adopt an animal that someone else has ruined. Would you?
Why don’t we dispense with the gas chambers and blue needles and just stone all these surplus pets to death?
Mr. Shoaf also posits that gassing pets to death is a better experience for the pet than killing by injection. (He’s suddenly concerned about the quality of the pet’s death experience?) And he has the answer for pets who have been abused: death, natch.
If you are a pet advocate living in Davidson Co, NC, maybe you should send in an article to this paper. You know, so they can get more “news”.
your hyperlink to the article doesn’t seem to be working…
I just checked the html and it’s correct but somewhere along the way WordPress seems to be having trouble. Here is the link:
http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20111010/COLUMNISTS/310109994/-1/news
Added: I think it’s fixed now. TY for the heads up.
I think they may have taken that insulting piece of trash offline. We’ve been trying repeatedly but the page won’t load. Anyone else having trouble viewing that opinion fluff piece?
Maybe they moved it to the opinion section? (Do they have a section for “Terrible Opinions”?)
It loads fine for me, more’s the pity.
This is ridiculous! I’d like to stick him in the gas chamber!
Why do people insist on talking about things they know nothing about? Sigh.
I commented on this goofballs story… I told him I’m proud to be a zealot!
Hi Vickie. Saw your fine comment so we thought we’d follow yours up with one of our own. Think you’ll enjoy it – go take a peek. ♥
Loved it!!! Thank you!
Mr. Shoaf does possess one skill: I rarely read articles that manage to piss off as many different groups as his “journalism”. Notice how he decided that, after insulting animal rescue groups, he decided to name-call unrelated groups like the NAACP and Planned Parenthood? A true waste of oxygen, our Larry Shoaf.
It gets better. Mr. Shoaf is an official “guest columnist” for this rag!
I noticed the fact that he called NAACP and PP “propaganda groups” that propogate “false facts” too, but after I commented on his BS story.
The thing that makes me sick, beside the fact that he is allowed to write on subjects he obviously does not know anything about and didn’t even bother to research…is the fact that the same paper has a link on their front page to the pets that are dying in their OWN LOCAL KILL SHELTER that need homes. LW Shoaf, before writing such idiocy, should have to go into that shelter, look every one of those animals in the face, and tell them that they deserve to die. Or better yet, participate in senselessly killing them via ‘humane’ methods (yeah, right).
Somehow, I think he’s so daft that even that wouldn’t reach him. I just wish the paper would ban him from spouting his crap from here on out. There are many good journalists, who actually do their job, who would be willing to write REAL news articles for them. You have to wonder who he’s related to at that paper, because they certainly didn’t select him for his journalistic abilities.
larrywayne63@yahoo.com is his listed email address…also you can contact to complain:
Broughton Hodges, Vikki – Senior Editor
vikki.hodges@the-dispatch.com Phone: (336) 249-3981 x214
He’ll be lucky if a bunch of local “zealots” don’t show up at his listed class reunion this weekend and harrass him about his ignorance.
heehee- #OccupyShoaf!!
holy hell
don’t even bother commenting on the article- people like him thrive on that kind of attention. Go straight to the newspaper and complain about his shoddy journalism. Let them know that you expect more from their publication and that you will no longer be reading any of their articles (or subscribing) as long as he is allowed to post there in any area other than ‘opinion’
He reminds me of those people who blame pet owners for there being starving children in other countries (even though the plight of those children is the fault of the corrupt governments in those other countries). When we can have compassion for the lowest in our society, we can have compassion for everyone.
I sent him an e-mail… I’m no writer, but I gave him my opinion.
Larry got my 1 cent worth too. It used to be my “2 cents” worth, but because of the economy it’s only worth 1 cent. Next month I may be writing I.O.U.s worth.
Who put him in charge of opinions on “shelter” pets anyway? Disseminating his opinions only hurts the cause to get dogs & cats into homes. He spoke as if shelter dogs don’t count much, like they weren’t “pure-breed” enough for him. He obviously has no dog/cat companion. They wouldn’t like him anyway.
I’ve a category for articles like this: ‘stomping on shit to see the flies rise.’ And, in this case, generate page views.
What’s more, either Mr Shoaf doesn’t bother to read the news at all, or he simply ignores what he doesn’t like – at a guess, I’d say the latter. Because people DO stand in line to adopt shelter pets – just type ‘adopt-a-thon success’ into Google, and lo, there’s evidence.
I’ve run into the notion that shelter animals are too severely damaged to be good pets before, and I suspect it may, sadly, be fairly common. Myself, I’ve wondered if it’s most common in areas with high-kill pounds and no organized rescues – that seems to be the case among those I’ve personally heard express it. Thing is, I also suspect these kind of areas – where no effort is made to evaluate or rehab, or even keep impounded pets healthy – create an environment in which precisely this sort of problem *will* arise, where sick, injured, damaged pets *will* be adopted out to people who may well lack the skills or money to cope with them.
We encourage everyone to send the following link to Mr. Shoaf to show him what a famous city has done to PROTECT its feral and stray cats = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x8rhrdg74k
What’s the difference between Davidson County and Rome? Simply an attitude. (Enjoy the video!)
Pure BS – I am not even bothering commenting on this article because I am willing to bet this ‘person’ thrives on stirring the pot. I’m not giving him that benefit of getting off on my negative comments. Besides that there was so much crap in there – where do you start? The only thing I DID agree with was his position on HSUS – but for him to turn around and blast NAACP, Planned Parenthood, and NRA as being “boisterous, propaganda group” also made me realize that this guy may have a few screws loose…gas chambers are better than injections? Strays are damaged goods?
While I am not one to equate animals to humans…they still are deserving of love, comfort, companionship, food, fresh water, medical care, etc. People like this make me sick to my stomach!
I bet he’s a PETA supporter, too.
Comment sent to the editor. We’ll see what happens, but I sure would hate to think this man represented my publication or community! What a pitiful excuse for a human being.
Had an email from the paper asking for my location so they could print it in letters to the editor. I told him I was out-of-state. We’ll see if they print it. Somebody let me know, okay?
Mr. Shoaf ought to be euthanized
P.S. The link worked
Here’s Mr. Shoaf. Show this picture to your animals so they’ll know to stay away from him.
As a professional “columnist”, he might want to use his spell checker next time he starts constructing signs for tomatoes.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lfma/3658100706/in/set-72157619713481839
I had a look at the Web site for the Dispatch. They also ran this story, where another story claimed:
Animal lovers says it’s better to kill your children than any animal. Animal lovers are the Hitlers of today.
The funny part is that, under this article, it says “links are encouraged”. The Dispatch is flypaper for freaks.
Anyway, here’s the link that I was encouraged to post:
http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20111010/OPINION02/310109993/-1/news?Title=Animal-lovers-go-too-far
Oh, good grief. I need to scrub my brain after that one.
Before you view this link, be forewarned: these are vicious, feral, animals who do not deserve to be spared.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDCqQROYc2k
I think Shoaf is the sound my mom’s orange cat, Tommy, makes when he coughs up a hairball. Someone pass the Femalt!
I especially like the scruffy brown dog. My kind of damaged goods.
“If these animals were such treasures, people would be breaking in line to take them home.”
They don’t know they are there. They are hidden away and killed too quickly. When people become aware that there are animals waiting for a home, and they take that animal home. That animal is treasured.
What an idiot…its things like this that makes it difficult to educate people about no kill and homeless pets. Ugh.