Letters

LETTER 1 – GOODBYE TO EGGS

For years I have been eating two cage-free eggs a week. After reading the short article Egg Fetishes, I am through eating eggs of any kind.

J.A. Hyra, Los Angeles , CA

LETTER 2 - DOWNSIDE OF WIND POWER

The article "Wind Farms" by Lee Hall is an excellent review of the pros and cons of wind power.  Nowhere mentioned, however, are the intrinsic negative effects of sapping the energy of wind itself.  Is it possible that Lee Hall is unaware of this problem, or does Lee simply choose to ignore it?

Via e-mail, Gene Brewer

LETTER 3 - Hoping for a World Without Cruelty

Thank you for ActionLine. As an animal advocate, I read it from cover to cover, donate to FoA, and write many letters of protest about the cruelty to animals. You are a wonderful organization for animal rights.

I felt somewhat bad about the letters to the editor concerning Farm Sanctuary, Chimp Haven and animal shelters. The letter writers were so critical. I believe they are doing the best they can under the circumstances. This is not a perfect and ideal world. Animal cruelty will not go away overnight. At least, these animal groups try to compensate with little victories such as no more animal crates and taking care of chimpanzees hoping they will not be recalled for research, and euthanizing unwanted pets humanely.

I, too, hope for the day when animal cruelty is gone forever, but now we take it one step at a time. I'd like to hope for a world without any kind of violence towards people, children and animals but it’s doubtful.

Marilyn Evenson, Via e-mail

Editor's note :  Our writers sincerely value our readers and carefully consider feedback. As we see it, Friends of Animals, active for 50 years, is especially well positioned to take the long view of how social change occurs, and what is instead more likely to enable the status quo. Thus, we sometimes provide controversial takes on matters of key importance to the development of a movement, and not everyone will agree with our views or how we deliver them in all cases. We do strive to offer our readers critical
analyses to enable the best possible decision-making.

LETTER 4 - ELECTRIC FENCE A SAFE OPTION

I am writing to complain about your article "Where Good Intentions Breed Animal Suffering" (Autumn 2007, ActionLine).

After many months of failed containment methods for my dog, I also bought an electric fence and collar.  We went through many frustrating and stressful times with our dog, who even after training by many professionals, would chew through chain link fencing, and a heavy duty crate.  We cannot be home at all times to supervise our dog, who we love dearly, and she was slowly working her way around our home and destroying everything in sight.  We tried everything, because like you, I did not want to use a shock collar for fear that it would hurt her.  We tried taking her for extremely long walks, we tried professional training, we tried to give her bones and kongs and everything else to keep her mind off the idea that we were gone.  We tried talking to our vet, who said that separation anxiety medication was not for our pet. 

Finally, we tried an electric fence. We use the electric fence in conjunction with our already four foot high chain link fence that our dog used to jump over. I completely disagree with almost everything in your article.  I myself put the electrodes to my neck to feel how bad the shock would be before I put it on my dog, just so you know my dog and I are about the same weight, I am small and she is very large, and the shock was only slightly scary, not harmful. 

My dog is so much happier, she gets to run all around our yard everyday and she is much safer than anytime before, when she would jump the fence and could potentially put herself in car paths and other dog's paths.  She only had to shock herself once and she doesn't go anywhere near where the beeping starts.  She is not stressed out, she does not scratch at the collar or cry out, she is much happier than she was in a kennel or in a crate, or even left inside our house. 

I love animals and I am going to college for a major in zoology, to help with conservation efforts.  Sometimes an electric fence is the only safe method left for people with certain dogs, and I think that using this fence is much safer than leaving a dog in a fenced in yard that she can jump over. 

Via e-mail