Why Lennox?

By: Marilyn Ramos

For anyone who spends any amount of time on Facebook (or any other social media site) you have no doubt heard about Lennox and the "Save Lennox" movement. I've had no less than 15 friends over the last two weeks post about Lennox, link to newspaper/TV stories about Lennox, asked friends to pray for Lennox, etc.  You get the picture. The story of Lennox and his plight have gone viral.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you are probably wondering who is Lennox and why is he so important. Well, Lennox is an American bulldog/Labrador mix in Belfast, Ireland sentenced to die on July 12, 2012, for the "crime" of looking like a pitbull.  In short, the United Kingdom has a dangerous dog law on its books known as the "Dangerous Dog Act" ("DDA") and if a dog's measurements meet a certain standard for "pitbull types", he or she can be seized from a home without a warrant and put to death.  The assumption is that just looking like a pitbull means the dog will behave badly, either now or some time in the future so he or she must be killed.

Lennox was taken from his home in May 2010 despite not having had any complaints lodged against him. In fact, Lennox not only served as a family companion but he also served as a therapy dog for a disabled daughter in the family. 

To add insult to injury:

1) Lennox wasn't even the original target of the warrant (the "dog police" mistakenly went to the wrong address and poor Lennox's life was never the same again);

2) the DDA was amended recently to incorporate additional criteria that the dog at issue must also be proven dangerous. Unfortunately, Lennox is still being held prisoner because he was seized BEFORE the amendment went into effect so the fact that he's never been proven dangerous is a moot point; and

3) not once have the Belfast authorities permitted his human family to visit him during his two years of imprisonment (they won't even tell the family where Lennox is being held).

One is never really sure why a story goes viral but in this case, Lennox has gotten the attention of celebrities all over the world (even Cesar "the Dog Whisperer" Millan has offered to bring him to the United States) and has been the subject of numerous petitions seeking his release.  

Incredibly, high ups like the Minister of the Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the First Minister of Northern Ireland have been brought into the mix. Even a last ditch effort has been made with the Queen, seeking a "royal prerogative of mercy" for Lennox. If they are not able to save Lennox, then his family is demanding to at least have the right to say goodbye. As they eloquently stated, "We cannot bear the thought that Lennox will die without being reminded of the hearts and hands that love him."

Now if that last line didn't bring a tear to your eye, you aren't human!

But why write a blog about Lennox? Well, this blog isn't really about Lennox. This is about the billions of other animals who are just like Lennox but who don't garner as much attention.

Where is the pardon request for the beagle suffering in an animal lab testing facility?

Where is the outcry for the calf taken away from his mother after only a few hours and sold off to the veal industry?

Where is the petition seeking to free the bull about to be killed in the bullfighting ring?

Now, granted, many animal advocates do all of the above on behalf of animals. However, the plight of the average animal does not get the attention of the average person. The average person does not advocate for ALL animals.

I'm happy for Lennox and his family that their story is being told; however, I am always astounded at the disconnect people have to other animals who suffer as much if not more than Lennox. I spent some time reading the comments by people who were outraged by Lennox's story and cared enough to comment on a newspaper article or comment on a Facebook posting. Why Lennox though? Why this dog? Why not express the same compassion and concern for other animals?

I think about the time that millions throughout the world have taken to speak up for Lennox; however, the overwhelming majority of these people ate animals today and wore animals today. After signing a petition on behalf of Lennox, they may have had bacon for breakfast, put on their favorite leather shoes or bought tickets to the circus. Totally unphased by the hypocrisy they have just participated in.

I ask, again, "Why Lennox?"

If Lennox doesn't make it beyond July 12^th, then I hope that his passing is not in vain. I hope that maybe, just maybe, his plight and the overwhelming concern the world has given him will have opened the eyes of some who might also ask, "Why Lennox?" Then perhaps they'll go one question further and ask, "Why not every other animal?".

Hot Diggity Dog

By: Marilyn Ramos

Another 4^th of July holiday is gone which means another Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest (that’s a mouthful…pun intended) is also gone. This year, Nathan’s held its ninety-seventh annual contest. Five-time-defending champion, Joey Chestnut, won again by devouring a record-tying 68 hot dogs (and buns) in ten minutes.

Now, I’m sure most of you have seen video clips or snippets of this nausea inducing contest. People dunking hot dogs and buns into water and shoving them into their mouths as fast as possible. For what? What purpose does this serve? For the right to claim that they ate the most hot dogs in ten minutes? Who would want this distinction? Where is the nobility and prestige in that? I question the mentality of a person who wants that to be their claim to fame.

What’s also nausea inducing is the movement to make gorging your face a sport called Competitive Eating. It makes no sense whatsoever.

The implications of this hot dog eating contest are multi-fold.

First, the toll on the body is shocking. Each Nathan’s dog has 290 calories, 710 milligrams of sodium and 17 grams of fat. In total, stuffing 68 hot dogs and buns into your body means almost enough calories as someone on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet would need in ten days. The long term effects of “competitive eating” have not yet been fully studied since this is a new phenomenon. However, if you deem yourself an ‘athlete” in this new “sport” then the long term effects can’t be good especially when we know that “competitive eating” involves mostly unhealthy foods.

Second, putting veganism and animal rights aside for just a minute, devouring 68 hot dogs in ten minutes is also cruel when you think of the millions of starving people around the world. Heck, forget the world, think of the millions starving right here in the United States (or, at least, those who are “food insecure” as they are now called). Almost 15% of Americans are “food insecure” with 5.5% of those having very low food security. That means, over 15 million Americans don’t have enough food to sustain them on a daily basis. I wonder about the child sitting in front of his/her TV who hasn’t had food that day. I wonder what he/she thinks when they see that much food piled onto a plate. When they see it disappear in ten minutes flat, do they wonder, “Who needs that much food at once?” or “Why can’t I have some?”.

If one were to argue that it is okay to eat animals (not my position) because they are used to feed the masses, then how is it “respectful” to either the animal or the starving child to have ONE person eat 68 hot dogs in ten minutes? Multiply that by the number of contestants, multiply that by how many times these contestants practiced and multiply that by the number of increasing “competitive eating” contests out there. What you get is a lot food being wasted. Food that is not used to sustain you or provide you nutrition but food used simply as a game…a sport. Food that the person barely tastes because it is being inhaled at an alarming rate. Gluttony run amok.

Whenever I see one of these competitive eating contests, I can’t help but feel saddened when I think of the animals sacrificed and the people starving everywhere. To be so glib about devouring that much food in such a short period of time makes me wonder about our priorities. Besides that, how does this one 4th of July gorge fest honor our freedom, our independence or our founding fathers? It doesn't.

Finally, I wonder if the average person craves a hot dog more after seeing Nathan’s annual hot dog eating contest. I think they probably do. Heck, in just writing this blog I craved a veggie dog even though I haven’t eaten one in over six months. I went food shopping yesterday and bought a pack of veggie dogs and a pack of hot dog buns. But I digress, I think that these competitive eating contests spawn imitators and I can envision these macho guys in their backyards holding their own hot dog eating contests. Not because they are hungry but because they want some silly title they can lay claim to or to show off among their friends. Mature, right?

I think of the cows, pigs and turkeys who suffer so on factory farms. The months they spent confined, abused, exploited, and scared. Their sacrifice a mere blip, a mere shove down a throat. Their pain and suffering a mere stepping stone to a tacky Nathan’s “championship” belt.

In my ideal world, everyone would be vegan. But, I’m a realist and don’t believe that will ever happen so if people are going to eat animals then, at a bare minimum, I would hope that they would be more MINDFUL of the suffering and the sacrifice. Be more MINDFUL of the toll it takes on the animals and on the environment and on people. Of course, if they were more MINDFUL then they probably wouldn’t be eating animals in the first place. Ignorance is bliss but we must all strive to turn that ignorance into education and, hopefully, make this world a better place. A better place for animals. A better place for the hungry. A better place for future generations.