#End Breed Specific Legislation

[kittykat3801]

BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION STUDY

UK CASE STUDIES NEEDED

I am doing a study on Breed Specific Legislation in the UK. I am looking for case studies. If you live in the UK, & have owned any of the breeds listed below or have had any experience with BSL, please DM me on here or email me at: JadeSirmon3801@gmail.com

Breeds I am looking for case studies on:

Banned Breeds:

- Dogo Argentino

- American Pit Bull Terrier

- Japanese Tosa

- Fila Brasiliero

- XL Bully

Other "Bully" Breeds:

- Staffordshire Bull Terrier

- American Bulldog

- Cane Corso

- Bull/English Mastiff

- Any bully type crossbreed

[fandomtrumpshate]

Fan Labor Offerings

We've had 67 offers for fan labor so far - everything from SPag and cheerleading, to translations in 5 languages, to sensitivity reading for head injuries, to specialist knowledge of camp counseling and US law, to offers for custom AO3 skins and podfic editing - and LOADS more.

Under the cut you'll find the full list, but just as a preview we've got:

Translation in five different languages

Specialists offering their unique knowledge on 15 professions, 15 hobbies, and a variety of medical conditions and subcultures

Sensitivity readers on ten different topics, mainly medical issues and LGBTIA+ topics

Cultural knowledge of eight areas of the US plus seven other countries and two religions

Editing a variety of mediums

Read on for the full list - and stay until the end for some of the more unique offers!

Specialist knowledge offers:

Professional- Academia (US) American legal system/bar exam/practicing law Camp counselor Civil engineering Drafting legislation for local government (American) Employment in movie theaters Forensic science/crime scene investigation/autopsy Funeral services/embalming Medical field expertise: operating room nurse, inpatient/outpatient, emergency and wards Public libraries Small business/environmental/real estate/contracts/and general business law (American) Social media and TV/Film production work Theatre Theme/amusement park (there is a difference!) operations

Medical issues including: Ehler Danlos, surgery, escoliosis, partial disability, poor eyesight, migraines, diabetes, stroke, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and experience with hospitalization

Educational info on charter schools, language immersion education, and US public education

Hobbies- Camping/hiking Chess Choir Classical music, specifically opera Film Geocaching Historical literature Horse care & general equestrian activities Music Musical instruments (guitar, ukulele, handbells) Pet ownership of multiple species/breeds Sewing, tailoring, alterations, fashion history and flat pattern-making Sports culture (US) Textile crafts (esp knitting and mending) Voice and vocal technique

Subcultures including BDSM and leather/kink, Goth, and j-fashion.

Sensitivity reading offers:

ADHD Aromanticism Asexuality Autism Blindness including: accessibility, Braille education, experience with ablism and activism, experience with assistive devices, guide dog use, rehabilitation services, navigating with or without white cane Butch/femme (esp. stone) Genderqueer Head injuries LGBTQ+ Transmasc/non-binary gender identities and/or social/medical/legal gender transitions

Cultural knowledge offers:

Australian American Chinese diaspora British culture/history Catholicism China Columbian culture/Latine culture German culture Judaism Mexican culture United States (Baltimore, Maryland; Illinois; southern California/greater Los Angeles; Great Lakes region; Pacific Nortwest; Upper Midwest; small town/rural college) Taiwan

Translation offers:

Catalan/English French/Catalan French/English German/English Spanish/Catalan Spanish/English Spanish/French Spanish (Latin-American)/English Limited English/Classical Latin

Other fan labor offers:

Typesetting a fic for printing/binding Commenting! Podfic editing Historical research assistance/developing research methodology Book review Custom AO3 workskin Basic AO3 coding Podfic mentoring/tutoring/coaching using Audacity

You guys know So Much. We're so lucky you're all so willing to share!

Want to join us? Sign ups are open until Sunday Feb 2!

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - March 27, 2023

🐢 - Why did the 90-year-old tortoise become a father? Because he finally came out of his shell!

1. New Mexico governor signs bill ending juvenile life sentences without parole

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed a bill into law that prevents juvenile offenders from receiving life sentences without eligibility for parole. The bill, known as the No Life Sentences for Juveniles Act, allows offenders who committed crimes under the age of 18 and received life sentences to be eligible for parole hearings 15 to 25 years into their sentences.

This legislation also applies to juveniles found guilty of first-degree murder, even if they were tried as adults. The move puts New Mexico in a group of at least 24 other states and Washington, DC, that have enacted similar measures following a 2021 Supreme Court ruling.

2. Promising pill completely eliminates cancer in 18 leukaemia patients

An experimental pill called revumenib has shown promise in curing terminal leukemia patients who were not responding to treatment in a long-awaited clinical trial in the United States. The drug works by inhibiting a specific protein called menin, which is involved in the machinery that gets hijacked by leukemia cells and causes normal blood cells to turn into cancerous ones.

The pill targets the most common mutation in acute myeloid leukemia, a gene called NPM1, and a less common fusion called KMT2A. The US Food and Drug Administration granted revumenib "breakthrough therapy designation" to fast-track its development and regulatory review based on the promising results of the trial.

3. Spain passes law against domestic animal abuse

Spain has passed a new law on animal welfare, accompanied by a reform of the penal code that increases prison sentences for those mistreating animals. The law will make compulsory training for dog owners, and will prohibit them from leaving their dogs alone for more than 24 hours.

It also mandates the sterilisation of cats, with exceptions for farms, and increases the penalties for mistreatment of animals to up to two years in prison, or three years in the event of aggravating circumstances.

4. Bravery medals for women who raced into 'rough, crazy' surf to save drowning girls

Elyse Partridge (far left) and Bella Broadley (far right) raced into dangerous surf to save Chloe and Violet from drowning.(ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)

Bella Broadley and Elyse Partridge saved two 11-year-old girls from drowning at Angels Beach near Ballina, an unpatrolled beach in Australia. The younger girls, Chloe and Violet, became trapped in a rip and overwhelmed by waves and the current. Bella and Elyse jumped into action, using an esky lid as a flotation device to help them swim to the girls. Elyse helped Chloe back to shore while Bella swam further out to help Violet.

Elyse and Bella were on Wednesday named on the Governor General's Australian Bravery Decorations Honours List, which recognised 66 Australians for acts of bravery.

5. Almost every cat featured in viral Tik Tok posted by Kansas City animal shelter adopted

Let's find homes for the rest

6. A 90-year-old tortoise named Mr. Pickles just became a father of 3. It's a big 'dill'

These critically endangered tortoises are native to Madagascar and have seen their numbers decline due to over-collection for illegal sales on the black market. Captive breeding programs have helped produce new radiated tortoises, but the species still faces extinction in the wild.

That's why the arrival of these hatchlings, born to 90-year-old Mr. Pickles and his 53-year-old partner Mrs. Pickles, is such great news. Mr. Pickles is considered the most genetically valuable radiated tortoise in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan, and the births represent a significant contribution to the survival of the species.

7. EU strikes ‘ground-breaking’ deal to cut maritime emissions

The European Parliament and EU ministers have agreed on a new law to cut emissions in the maritime sector. The law aims to reduce ship emissions by 2% as of 2025 and 80% as of 2050, covering greenhouse gas, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions.

The European Commission will review the law in 2028 and will decide whether to place carbon-cutting requirements on smaller ships. The agreement will also require containerships and passenger ships docking at major EU ports to plug into the on-shore power supply as of 2030. Penalties collected from those that fail to meet the targets will be allocated to projects focused on decarbonising the maritime sector.

- - - -

That's it for this week :)

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[lonelywretchjervistetch]

The State Bird Initiative: Massachusetts (#6) - Results

Hope everybody had or is having a good holiday! It's been an interesting week, especially because the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) has just been selected by President Biden as the National Bird of the United States! Wow! I honestly did forget that the Bald Eagle had previously been a National Emblem, rather than an actual National Bird! So, hey great timing for this, and proof that there is some legislative attention given to state and national symbols after all! Very cool! I'll actually rvisit this choice at the very end of this poll series, whenever I end up finishing. But for now, let's proceed!

After the difficulty with choosing a bird for Massachusetts, we've got our results! And in the picks for this poll and state, we'll have an interesting line-up, and a number of surprises to fill out our normal roster! With that, who did Tumblr choose as the State Bird of the Bay State?

Now that is a surprise!

SBI Elected State Bird of Massachusetts: Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)

The Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) has won the position of the State Bird of Massachusetts, in a LANDSLIDE upset as compared to the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)! And to be honest, I have no objections, especially because 2024's monitoring of Piping Plover populations has just been released, and for the second year in a row, the population is booming! It's fully plausible that, if the Piping Plover is finally taken off of the Endangered Species list (where it is listed as threatened), it'll be because of Massachusetts! And yes, its role as one of the iconic conservation stories of Massachusetts, and the USA in general, makes this an excellent candidate for State Bird!

That said...I am a bit sad for the Black-capped Chickadee. After all, not only is it an incredibly iconic bird for the area, but it's also a pretty important part of state symbology. It's on the Welcome signs on the highway, it's...uh...OK, that's all I can think of right now, but it is known! Still, that means we can free up BCCH for another state, so this might prove interesting down the line! With that, we're going to choose the rest of the birds in the SBI lineup, so feel free to read on to see the Game Bird, Raptor, Big Fifty Pick, and Conservation Focus of Massachusetts. Otherwise, see you in the next state, Maryland!

Now, last time, in the poll post, I said I would explain why there were no good candidates for State Game Bird or State Raptor proposed in that post. And that's because, frankly, any choices wouldn't be the best choice for State Bird, meaning their candidacy for the overall poll would take away from the overall choices. So, that makes these choices fully my opinion as the writer of this blog. If you've got any personal choices you think would fit better, let me know! But with that said, let's get to our first choice: State Game Bird.

State Game Bird of Massachusetts (SBI): Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

...OK, now, hear me out. I recognize that we've already elected the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) as a State Bird, specifically of Pennsylvania. And I stand by that choice. However, repeats between categories are acceptable, just not within a category, at least in my opinion. Secondly, the Wild Turkey is actually already the State Game Bird of Massachusetts. Yeah, forgot to mention that one. However, it's also the State Game Bird for Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Carolina (kinda). So why am I just giving it to Massachusetts? It's not the best state for hunting them, it's not a major bastion for breeding, and turkeys aren't in any way a species of conservation concern here. So, why the Wild Turkey, other than the fact it's already got the job?

Because Massachusetts saved the Wild Turkey. Almost. Not really.

To address this, we need to go back to 1851, when Massachusetts had no turkeys left. After centuries of hunting and habitat loss, the species was extirpated in Massachusetts. Yeah - no turkeys anywhere in Massachusetts. To be fair, this was not the first state the turkey had disappeared from; however, it was the LAST one. By 1851, New York. Vermont, and Connecticut had also lost their turkeys, meaning that New England was almost out of the birds. In the 1860s, the turkey became a symbol by way of Thanksgiving, thanks to Abraham Lincoln, but some states had a mild issue with that because...well, there were no turkeys. So, reintroduction efforts began...in 1911. These efforts failed. They failed 9 times.

Then, in the 1970s, 37 turkeys from New York (where reintroduction WAS successful) were released into western Massachusetts (in the Berkshires). This was HYPER successful, and by 1978, the population bloomed and spread to over 1,000 birds in 2 counties! After that, 561 more turkeys were released throughout the state, and now we have about 35,000 turkeys all over the state...for good and for bad. Not really bad, but take it from me, the Massachusetts turkeys are a lot to handle. They're notorious in some areas near Boston for their iconic nature, AND their territoriality. I has on the Harvard campus last fall, for, like, the second time ever, and a couple of males ("toms") were hanging out on the lawn when a random businessman walked past them, and they chased that dude for, like, 2 blocks. They're aggressive, but they do tend to pose for pictures!

Maybe more prominent than, though, is Kevin. Kevin led a gang of similarly-named turkeys in Woburn, Massachusetts (one of the suburbs of Boston), and they're apparently pretty goddamn violent! The neighborhood has named the individuals, and they'll straight-up ATTACK people, trapping them in homes and cars. And this isn't the first time thi has happened, AND it's SPREADING! I'm telling you, one turkey saw that really shit animated movie Free Birds through a television window one time, and it sparked the flames of revolution here in MA. The Boston TurTea Party. So, an iconic bird with a complicated history in Massachusetts...and an even more complicated reputation. Then again, that sounds EXACTLY like Massachusetts, so this is honestly a perfect fit! And yes, that means all of the other states just got shafted out of the Wild Turkey as a Game Bird, so we'll see how that goes moving forward! What's next?

State Raptor of Massachusetts (SBI): Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)

This was, absolutely, the most difficult state to choose a raptor for this time around, because there are few raptors with a real significance in Massachusetts, from a breeding range standpoint or a cultural standpoint. Now, to be clear, there were a few good options. Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii) isn't a bad choice, necessarily, but it would fit with other states a bit better. Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) aren't a horrible fit, but they could fit anywhere, honestly, and I have another state in mind for them. And then there's the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), which has exploded in the state since its extirpation, but I've already got one extirpated species on the list, and there's a MUCH better place to put (or keep the Peregrine). In fact, there are two places, but that's a struggle yet-to-come. Osprey (Pandion halieetus) is in a similar situation.

So, uh...why the Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)? It's not an especially prolific breeder in Massachusetts, although no raptors really are. And there's no real cultural tie to any raptor, this one included. However, this is hawk is one of the smallest, without being the smallest in North America, it's a specialist in the forests of Massachusetts, especially in the western portion of the state, and most importantly, it's an extremely common fall migrant. It's so common, in fact, that's it's a bird of highlight during fall hawk migrations, which are a notable sight in the state. And the Broad-winged Hawk is by far the most common member of this group in those mass migrations. So, there are reasons. But with all of that said...this is a weaker choice, I admit it. I'm more than happy to bring this guy up again by the end of this project, but this is the answer to the Massachusetts State Raptor question...for now.

SBI's Big Fifty - Massachusetts: Black Chickadee (Parus atricapillus)

“Hope” is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all - -Emily Dickinson, from Amherst, MA

...Ah, screw it. Look, to be honest, the plover was supposed to go in this place, because I really didn't expect the incumbent to lose this race! And to be fair, this is maybe the most common bird on the eastern seaboard, and its relatives are exceedingly common throughout North America. It won't even be the first time it's in this poll series! And nobody's ever actively gone out to hunt for this bird, if they're a serious birdwatcher. But to hell with it! I love chickadees! And they deserve to be remembered somewhere. And, considering that it's one of the most iconic North American songbirds, it deserves a place in the Big Fifty.

And are there other birds that could take this spot? Absolutely. The Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) was my choice for a while, because I associate my childhood in the state's forests with the bird (I didn't grow up here for the most part, but did live here for a short while as a teen). But, the Wood Thrush has other sites to be featured in, frankly. What about the Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus), whose massive Massachusetts breeding populations I, uh, sorta slept on in the nominee-choosing process? Valid choice, but Big Fifty worthy? And this is also a state full of crazy-ass visitors in recent years, like Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) this past year, American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) the year before, and Steller's Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) the year before that! But those are visitors, and unreliable for this state. But still, why the chickadee?

Because it's name might actually have been invented by one of the most prominent American authors and famous Massachusetts resident, Henry David Thoreau. Yeah. Seriously.

OK, two things. One, yeah, this is the guy who wrote Walden. One of the creators of the environmentalist movement in literature, a transcendentalist extraordinaire! One of the most iconic authors from the state, and he invented the word "chickadee"? Two, yes, I know, WHY DIDN'T I BRING THIS UP BEFORE? 'Cause I literally just found out. But, yeah, damn, that's a compelling-ass argument for State Bird of Massachusetts.

But in my defense, he only maybe invented the word "chickadee", and it's somewhat doubtful. While he's quoted as an originator in the OED, and he used the word during its first recorded appearances, there are other recordings that use the word around the same time, and it's uncertain whether that was before or after Walden's writing. And, since the name comes from the song it makes, it's reasonable to say he may not have invented the word. But that's interesting, right? So, with that said...I think the chickadee deserves a spot. Plus, hey, everybody's gotta start somewhere on their birdwatching journey! Might as well give a freebie in this list of 50 birds! Oh, and if you're wondering why I didn't choose the Ipswich Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) here...well, it mostly breeds in Canada, and it's an unreliable bird to find in Massachusetts. But, if this offends you, feel free to use that as your Big Fifty entry instead. Moving on!

State Conservation Focus of Massachusetts (SBI): Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

Finally, another nominee who made it into the final list, and our last entry in this state's appointees! The Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) got its write-up in the original post, so feel free to check that out for more. But, really, unsurprisingly, the tern is meant to represent the shores of Massachusetts, and all of the birds who nest there. Throw in the Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus), which has one-third of its global population born in Massachusetts, as well as the various other shorebirds that breed here (and there are a LOT of them), and you've got a Conservation Focus! Plus, hey, what better bird for this category than one of the decline in the state, and the original and current symbol for Mass Audubon. It's the best choice, in my opinion!

And with that...yeah, those are our appointees. Please feel free to leave feedback on this one, since this was definitely a tougher one for a number of reasons. I may revisit some states in the future, so if you've got any opinions or ideas, feel free to contribute, either publicly or privately, your choice! Have an excellent day/night, and get ready for some Old Bay seasoning and some Smith Island Cake, we're headed to Maryland next!

See you next time, and happy birding!

Introduction to the State Birds Initiative

1. Delaware - Poll | Results 2. Pennsylvania - Poll | Results 3. New Jersey - Poll | Results 4. Georgia - Poll | Results 5. Connecticut - Poll | Results 6. Massachusetts - Poll | Results

[omegawizardposting]

Here is my Pet Site/Breeding Sim Hot Take.

Most pet sites are not for kids anymore. Even Neopets has a userbase primarily consisting of adults. (They also have NFTs.) To that end, I think that sites like Flight Rising and Subeta should bite the bullet and go full adult. Become 18+ sites that cater to an adult audience. Stop scrambling to sanitize everything on the off chance a teenager might see it.

Then open up new sites that are VERY SPECIFICALLY for different age groups. Give us sites that cater to under-thirteens. Give us sites that cater to teenagers. Make spaces for minors again. Make sites like what Neopets used to be. Yes, you'll likely still attract some adults, but make it known that your site is for the young'uns. Put a focus on the things they enjoy. Bring back the minigames. Go all in on the cartoony aesthetic. Baby proof your lore.

Spaces segregated by age are necessary. Kids need space to be kids. Adults need space to be adults. The fact that we were ever thrown in with one another in the first place is a travesty, because now neither demographic gets what they want. Kids are exposed to things they aren't comfortable with, and adults are having our sexualities legislated out of existence in an effort to sanitize the Internet. It's not fair to either group.

So BRING BACK KIDDY SITES, but also GIVE ADULTS SITES TOO.

[holidays-events]

Pets are family forever and always 🥺❤️ Kahu Hawaiian

National Dog Day

When is it? August 26

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National Dog Day is a holiday that’s observed on the 26th of August every year and helps people recognize the importance of dogs and how they impact our lives on a personal basis. It’s also a day used by various dog charities and individuals interested in the welfare of pets to draw attention to the plight of abused and abandoned dogs.

And it’s a day to give all those hard-working service dogs that work for us humans a day to recognize their hard work on our behalf. This holiday has been officially celebrated since 2004 but is a holiday that most people can get behind.

After all, it’s been estimated that approximately 57% of all the people in the world own pets—and of that 57%, approximately 33% of them own dogs.

The History Of National Dog Day

This day was founded by author and animal behaviorist Colleen Paige in 2004. She created this observational holiday to not only show appreciation for dogs but also to bring attention to the plight of abused dogs, to end puppy mills, and to bring an end to breed-specific legislation that regulates or outright bans certain breeds in the hope of minimizing dog attacks.

Since its original inception, the observance of National Dog Day has expanded, and now more people are using it simply to acknowledge the importance of their own pet or to recognize the achievements of service dogs.

A History Of Dogs As Pets

At one point in time, it was believed that humans and wolves first connected approximately 15,000 years ago in the Middle East. However, newer research has changed that idea. Swedish geneticist Pontus Skoglund published a study in 2015 in the journal Current Biology. In this study, he describes his findings when he examined a Siberian wolf bone that was over 35,000 years old.

His conclusion after studying this bone was that the domestication of wolves must have occurred somewhere between 27,000 and 40,000 years ago. According to various studies of dog genes, scientists have concluded that dogs probably originated in Eastern Europe, China, and the Middle East.

In western Eurasia, it’s believed that gray wolves were domesticated by humans. At the same time, people in Asia were also beginning to domesticate wolves around the same time. Why did humans begin to domesticate wolves? Well, according to scientists, it was the wolves who made the first move toward domestication.

[blognerdzone]

Common Myths About Dog Bite Laws in New Jersey

Owning a dog brings immense joy, companionship, and responsibility. However, many dog owners and dog lovers are often misinformed about the laws surrounding dog bites in New Jersey. This lack of understanding can lead to confusion, anxiety, and even legal trouble. This blog aims to clarify these common myths, offering valuable insights and practical tips to help you better understand New Jersey's dog bite laws. By the end, you'll be well-informed about your rights and responsibilities, ensuring a safer community for everyone.

Why Understanding Dog Bite Laws is Crucial?

Dog bite laws are in place to protect both dog owners and victims. Misunderstanding these laws can result in unwanted legal issues. For example, some dog owners believe their pets are exempt from liability if they have never shown aggressive behavior. This is a dangerous misconception. Dog bite lawyer in Hackensack NJ hold the owner responsible regardless of the dog's past behavior.

Understanding these laws can also prevent unfortunate incidents. Knowing your responsibilities as a dog owner ensures that you take the necessary precautions to prevent your dog from biting someone. This not only keeps others safe but also protects your pet from potential legal consequences.

Finally, being well-versed in dog bite laws can provide peace of mind. If an incident does occur, you'll know exactly what steps to take, whether you're the dog owner or the victim. This knowledge can be empowering, helping you handle the situation calmly and effectively.

Myth 1: Only Aggressive Breeds are Regulated

Many people believe that dog bite laws only target certain breeds like Pit Bulls or Rottweilers. In reality, New Jersey's dog bite laws apply to all breeds. Whether you own a Chihuahua or a German Shepherd, you are equally responsible for your dog's actions.

The misconception stems from breed-specific legislation in other states, which can confuse New Jersey residents. However, New Jersey focuses on the behavior of the individual dog rather than its breed. This approach aims to create a fairer legal environment where every dog owner is held accountable for their pet's behavior.

It's essential to remember that any dog can bite under certain circumstances. Therefore, all dog owners should take preventative measures, such as training and socializing their pets, to minimize the risk of biting incidents.

Myth 2: A Warning Sign Protects You from Liability

Some dog owners believe that posting a "Beware of Dog" sign absolves them of any liability if their dog bites someone. This is another common myth. While warning signs may serve as a deterrent and provide some level of protection, they do not eliminate your legal responsibility.

In New Jersey, dog owners are strictly liable for any injuries caused by their dogs, regardless of whether there was a warning sign. The law focuses on the owner's responsibility to control their pet and prevent harm to others.

Therefore, while warning signs can be a helpful precaution, they should not be relied upon as a sole means of protection. Proper training, supervision, and securing your property are also crucial steps in preventing dog bites.

Myth 3: First-Time Offenders Get a Free Pass

There's a widespread belief that if a dog has never bitten anyone before, the owner is not liable for the first bite. This is entirely false. New Jersey follows a strict liability rule, meaning the owner is responsible for any dog bite, regardless of the dog's history.

This law is designed to encourage dog owners to take proactive measures in preventing bites. It underscores the importance of responsible pet ownership, emphasizing that every dog has the potential to bite under certain conditions.

Understanding this law can help dog owners realize the importance of preventative measures. Training, socialization, and proper supervision are essential in reducing the risk of your dog biting someone, thereby protecting you from legal repercussions.

Myth 4: Victims Must Prove Negligence

Another common misconception is that victims must prove the dog owner's negligence to receive compensation. In reality, New Jersey's strict liability laws make it much easier for victims to claim damages. They only need to prove that the dog bit them and that they were lawfully on the property where the bite occurred.

This aspect of the law aims to simplify the legal process for victims, ensuring they can receive compensation without the added burden of proving negligence. It also serves as a deterrent for dog owners, encouraging them to take all necessary precautions to prevent bites.

For dog owners, this means understanding that you are responsible for your dog's actions at all times. Ensuring your pet is well-trained and supervised can help prevent incidents and protect you from legal liability.

Myth 5: Dog Owners Can't Be Sued if the Victim Was Trespassing

Many dog owners believe they are not liable if their dog bites someone who was trespassing on their property. While this is true to some extent, the law is more nuanced. In New Jersey, the victim must be lawfully on the property to claim damages. However, this doesn't mean trespassers have no legal recourse. If a trespasser can prove that the dog owner acted recklessly or with intent to harm, they may still have a valid claim.

In such complex legal situations, consulting a dog bite attorney in Hackensack NJ can help clarify your rights and responsibilities. Understanding the full scope of the law is crucial for dog owners, who should take appropriate measures to secure their property and prevent unauthorized access. By implementing proper security measures and training your dog, you can minimize the risk of biting incidents, even in cases where the victim was not lawfully on your property.

[ainews]

Man's best friend has proven to be a loyal companion for generations, but why does it have to be a specific breed? Enter the rise of mutts, or mixed breed dogs that provide an alternative to buying a purebred canine. While it may seem like a nonsensical idea, there are some distinct benefits to owning a mutt over a purebred.

First off, mutts are usually cheaper than purebreds, which is great if you want to adopt a dog that won't break the bank. In general, purebreds require more trips to the vet, higher-quality food, and more frequent grooming, which can add up over time. On the other hand, mutts are much more resilient and typically have fewer health issues overall. Plus, if you have allergies or resistance to certain breeds, mutts can be a smart, customized choice.

Furthermore, mutts come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, making them incredibly customizable. If you're looking for a small, friendly companion for the house, there's a mutt for that. If you're hoping for an athletically inclined pup to join you on your outdoor adventures, there's a mutt for that too. And if you're worried about breed restrictions in your area, mutts are exempt from breed-specific legislation, making them a great choice.

Finally, mutts offer an amazing opportunity to people to help out rescued animals. While there are still plenty of purebred dogs in shelters, it's becoming increasingly common to find a great mix of breeds. Adopting a mutt opens up the possibility of giving a home to a pup who really needs a loving family, and that mentality is something to be celebrated.

At the end of the day, there's no reason to dismiss mutts for calls. Whether you're looking for a pet, a companion or a rescue mission, mutts can check all the boxes, making them a worthwhile choice for those searching for the perfect pup.

[nevaehkallon]

Behind Closed Tanks

"Blackfish" explores the important social issue of animal welfare and captivity in the context of orcas, specifically focusing on Tilikum, a captive killer whale involved in several fatal incidents. The documentary raises the question of whether it is ethical to keep orcas in captivity for entertainment purposes, particularly in theme parks like SeaWorld. Through interviews with former trainers, marine biologists, and footage of orcas in captivity, "Blackfish" challenges the traditional narrative of these animals as performers and truly shows the psychological and physical toll of confinement on orcas. It delves into the consequences of separating orcas from their natural habitats and families, shedding light on the complex emotional lives of these intelligent creatures.

In terms of storytelling, "Blackfish" employs a combination of narrative techniques to convey its message effectively. The documentary uses personal testimonies from individuals directly involved with orcas, such as former trainers, who provide firsthand accounts of their experiences working with these animals. Archival footage and reenactments are also shown to illustrate key events and to immerse viewers in the world of orcas in captivity. Through a compelling and emotional narrative, "Blackfish" aims to evoke empathy and provoke thought about the ethical implications of keeping animals in captivity for human entertainment. The documentary encourages viewers to reconsider their perceptions of marine parks and the treatment of captive animals.

"Blackfish" has had a significant impact on public discussions surrounding the captive marine mammal industry. Since its release, the documentary has prompted people to question the ethics of keeping orcas and other marine mammals in captivity for entertainment purposes. This increased scrutiny has led to widespread awareness about animal welfare issues and has encouraged activism aimed at improving conditions for captive marine animals. The revelations presented in "Blackfish" have resonated with audiences worldwide, sparking debates about the treatment of animals in theme parks and aquariums.

The documentary's influence extends beyond public discourse and has led to legislative action. In response to the concerns raised by "Blackfish," several jurisdictions have implemented regulations to safeguard the welfare of orcas and other marine mammals in captivity. Some places have even gone so far as to ban the keeping of orcas for entertainment entirely. "Blackfish" has also prompted SeaWorld, one of the largest marine park operators, to reevaluate its practices. The decision to end the orca breeding program and phase out theatrical shows featuring orcas reflects a broader shift in societal attitudes towards the treatment of animals in captivity. As a result, the impact of "Blackfish" reaches beyond the realm of entertainment to influence policy changes.

"Blackfish" left me both shocked and inspired. The shocking treatment of orcas in captivity, especially the emotional and physical toll on these intelligent creatures, deeply affected me. Learning about the incidents involving Tilikum and the consequences of keeping orcas in theme parks challenged my previous perceptions of marine mammal entertainment. This film made me realize the importance of questioning established norms and advocating for change in industries that exploit animals for profit. Ultimately, "Blackfish" has changed my perspective on the subject by highlighting the inherent cruelty of keeping orcas in captivity and has created a greater sense of empathy towards these magnificent creatures.

"Blackfish" expanded the reputation of the subject by bringing widespread attention to the treatment of orcas and marine mammals in captivity. Prior to the documentary's release, the topic of captive marine animals was not widely discussed in mainstream media. However, "Blackfish" sparked global interest and controversy, reaching audiences worldwide through its compelling storytelling and impactful revelations. The film shed light on the harsh realities faced by orcas in theme parks like SeaWorld, challenging the perception of marine mammal entertainment. Through its powerful narrative, "Blackfish" elevated the subject to the forefront of public consciousness, prompting widespread discourse and scrutiny of the captive marine mammal industry.

In addition to expanding the subject's reputation, "Blackfish" served to further the spotlight on a key social change issue surrounding animal welfare. By exposing the mistreatment of orcas in captivity and the ethical implications of marine mammal entertainment, the documentary brought about a broader conversation about the treatment of animals in captivity. It prompted increased awareness, activism, and legislative efforts aimed at improving conditions for captive marine mammals and ultimately ending their use for entertainment purposes. "Blackfish" played an important role in gaining public support for social change, inspiring individuals and organizations to advocate for the rights and welfare of animals. As a result, the documentary contributed to a growing movement towards a more compassionate and ethical treatment of marine life in captivity.

Blackfish - Recollections of a Former SeaWorld Trainer (2013)

"Blackfish" proved pivotal for the director and producers' careers. The success and impact of the film not only recieved widespread acclaim but also earned them awards and nominations, giving them a reputation as influential voices in the industry. Their bold storytelling approach and dedication to shedding light on pressing social issues resonated with audiences worldwide, establishing them as trailblazers in documentary filmmaking. "Blackfish" not only elevated their careers but also left a lasting impact, inspiring future filmmakers to use their platform for social change and advocacy. Overall, the directors and producers of "Blackfish" made history with their groundbreaking documentary, leaving an indelible mark on the film industry and shaping public discourse on animal welfare issues.

Gabriela Cowperthwaite 'Blackfish' Interview

[geeoharee]

We are having another breed-specific legislation moment in the UK. Apparently banning pit bulls didn't magically end dog bites, so now it's very urgent that we ban a specific kind of pit bull crossbreed. (Never mind that nobody can identify them more accurately than "big short-haired dog with a square head".)

As for that quote, I eagerly await the ban on the Jack Russell terrier and the English bulldog.

[legalshell-app]

The Answer to Unfair Competition: A Legal Guard

In the ever-evolving world of business, competition serves as the lifeblood of innovation. However, it can also breed deceitful tactics, leading to the rise of unfair competition. From deceptive marketing to misappropriation of trade secrets, these practices can cause irreplaceable harm to unsuspecting enterprises. Thankfully, the Legal Shell app is here to redefine the way businesses navigate the legal landscape of competition law.

Competition Law: A Complex Web

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Legal Interpretation Simplified

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In the end, legal protection is not a luxury but a necessity in today's fast-paced, cut-throat business environment. The Legal Shell app provides this protection, serving as a legal guard against unfair competition. Through its comprehensive legal framework, it offers a legal perspective on competition issues, competition law interpretations and even provides legal remedies in competition disputes. All these features make the Legal Shell App an indispensable tool for any business looking to thrive in a competitive market. Remember, it's not just about winning the competition; it's about ensuring the game is fair.

Join the League of Well-guarded Businesses! Download the Legal Shell app now!

Elevate your business success and safeguard against unfair competition. Download the Legal Shell app today – your essential companion to navigate the labyrinth of competition law!

For iPhones For Androids

Begin the second part of two:

Understanding Legalities: A Simplified Approach

In the world where legal jargon dictates the rules of the game, understanding contracts and agreements can be a daunting task. Enter the Legal Shell app. This ingenious tool allows you to scan any document and receive an immediate legal opinion, thereby eliminating the complex wording and providing a clear, concise legal interpretation. It's the legal guard you never knew you needed until now.

A Comprehensive Guide to Competition Law

The Legal Shell app serves as your guide through the intricate web of competition law, covering everything from unfair competition and antitrust laws to competition regulations and enforcement policies. Whether you are a novice navigating the business world or a seasoned competition law expert, the Legal Shell app offers a rich repository of legal advice tailored to your unique needs and circumstances. It simplifies the legal implications associated with competition disputes, providing a clear and precise legal strategy to tackle any competition issues you may encounter.

From Legal Analysis to Practical Solutions

With the Legal Shell app, you not only get a legal analysis of unfair competition cases but also practical solutions to ensure legal compliance. It helps you decipher complex competition legislation, understand the legal framework for competition, and offers legal remedies in the event of competition disputes. Furthermore, it provides an invaluable legal perspective on unfair competition, allowing you to adopt a sound legal approach towards competition law issues.

Legal Shell: Your Ally in Navigating Competition Law Challenges

More than just a legal tool, the Legal Shell app is your ally in navigating the challenges and complexities of competition law. It provides legal protection against unfair competition, competition law violations, and helps evaluate competition law compliance. From offering legal guidance on competition law issues to reviewing and analyzing competition law cases, the Legal Shell app is simply indispensable. It assists in resolving competition disputes, offers legal support in unfair competition cases, and even helps interpret the competition authorities' view of competition law. With the Legal Shell app, you are always one step ahead, ensuring your game is not just about winning, but winning fair and square.

Key takeaways

Legal Shell app helps navigate the intricate web of competition law.

It offers user-friendly legal interpretations and guidance.

Legal Shell app is a digital legal counsel, offering strategies and solutions to legal issues.

The app serves as a protective shield against unfair competition.

It provides a simplified approach to understanding complex legal terminologies.

Conclusion

The Legal Shell app is more than just a tool for understanding competition law. It serves as a preventive and protective measure against unfair competition, and ensures compliance with robust competition laws. As a reliable guardian, it navigates businesses through the trickiest legal terrains, empowering them to play and win according to the rules of the game.

[swoopingsilver]

Whiny dumbass: pitbulls are just naturally aggressive!!! They are bred to be!! Pure!! Evil!! I know because I heard about a dog attacking another dog in my town, and since all dog attacks happen from pit bulls, they have! To be! Evil! They should be banned everywhere!!!!

Me, an aspiring vet and someone with two brain cells: I mean, I get it. You’ve been fed media about aggression in pit bulls- a name that is super ambiguous and leads to any dog who so much as kind of looks like a pit to be killed. But also, breed specific regulations (BSL) are racist, pointless, and most of the reasons people think that BSLs are needed are absolute lies.

Yet many states, cites and provenances ban the dogs, which does not help whatsoever.

[reanimatedcourier]

How to Write Indigenous Characters Without Looking like a Jackass:

Update as of December 26th, 2020: I have added a couple new sections about naming and legal terms, as well as a bit of reading on the Cherokee Princess phenomenon.

Boozhoo (hello) Fallout fandom! I'm a card-carrying Anishinaabe delivering this rough guide about writing Indigenous characters because wow, do I see a lot of shit.

Let's get something out of the way first: Fallout's portrayal of Indigenous people is racist. From a vague definition of "tribal" to the claims of them being "savage" and "uncivilized" mirror real-world stereotypes used to dehumanize us. Fallout New Vegas' narrated intro has Ron Perlman saying Mr. House "rehabilitated" tribals to create New Vegas' Three Families. You know. Rehabilitate. As if we are animals. Top it off with an erasure of Indigenous people in the American Southwest and no real tribe names, and you've got some pretty shitty representation. The absence of Native American as a race option in the GECK isn't too great, given that two Native characters are marked "Caucasian" despite being brown. Butch Deloria is a pretty well-known example of this effect. (Addendum: Indigenous people can have any mix of dominant and recessive traits, as well as present different phenotypes. What bothers me is it doesn't accommodate us or mixed people, which is another post entirely.)

As a precautionary warning: this post and the sources linked will discuss racism and genocide. There will also be discussion of multiple kinds of abuse.

Now, your best approach will be to pick a nation or tribe and research them. However, what follows will be general references.

Terms that may come up in your research include Aboriginal/Native Canadian, American Indian/Native American, Inuit, Métis, and Mestizo. The latter two refer to cultural groups created after the discovery of the so-called New World. (Addendum made September 5th, 2020: Mestizo has negative connotations and originally meant "half breed" so stick with referring to your mixed Latine and Indigenous characters as mixed Indigenous or simply by the name of their people [Maya, Nahua].)

As a note, not every mixed person is Métis or Mestizo. If you are, say, Serbian and Anishinaabe, you would be mixed, but not Métis (the big M is important here, as it refers to a specific culture). Even the most liberal definition caps off at French and British ancestry alongside Indigenous (some say Scottish and English). Mestizo works the same, since it refers to descendants of Spanish conquistadors/settlers and Indigenous people.

Trouble figuring out whose land is where? No problem, check out this map.

Drawing

Don't draw us with red skin. It's offensive and stereotypical.

Tutorial for Native Skintones

Tutorial for Mixed Native Skintones

Why Many Natives Have Long Hair (this would technically fit better under another category, but give your Native men long hair!)

If You're Including Traditional Wear, Research! It's Out There

Languages

Remember, there are a variety of languages spoken by Indigenous people today. No two tribes will speak the same language, though there are some that are close and may have loan words from each other (Cree and Anishinaabemowin come to mind). Make sure your Diné (you may know them as Navajo) character doesn't start dropping Cree words.

Here's a Site With a Map and Voice Clips

Here's an Extensive List of Amerindian Languages

Keep in mind there are some sounds that have no direct English equivalents. But while we're at it, remember a lot of us speak English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese. The languages of the countries that colonized us.

Words in Amerindian languages tend to be longer than English ones and are in the format of prefix + verb + suffix to get concepts across. Gaawiin miskwaasinoon is a complete sentence in Anishinaabemowin, for example (it is not red).

Names

Surprisingly, we don't have names like Passing Dawn or Two-Bears-High-Fiving in real life. A lot of us have, for lack of better phrasing, white people names. We may have family traditions of passing a name down from generation to generation (I am the fourth person in my maternal line to have my middle name), but not everyone is going to do that. If you do opt for a name from a specific tribe, make sure you haven't chosen a last name from another tribe.

Baby name sites aren't reliable, because most of the names on there will be made up by people who aren't Indigenous. That site does list some notable exceptions and debunks misconceptions.

Here's a list of last names from the American census.

Indian Names

You may also hear "spirit names" because that's what they are for. You know the sort of mystical nature-related name getting slapped on an Indigenous character? Let's dive into that for a moment.

The concept of a spirit name seems to have gotten mistranslated at some point in time. It is the name Creator calls you throughout all your time both here and in the spirit world. These names are given (note the word usage) to you in a ceremony performed by an elder. This is not done lightly.

A lot of imitations of this end up sounding strange because they don't follow traditional guidelines. (I realize this has spread out of the original circle, but Fallout fans may recall other characters in Honest Hearts and mods that do this. They have really weird and racist results.)

If you're not Indigenous: don't try this. You will be wrong.

Legal Terms

Now, sometimes the legal term (or terms) for a tribe may not be what they refer to themselves as. A really great example of this would be the Oceti Sakowin and "Sioux". How did that happen, you might be wondering. Smoky Mountain News has an article about this word and others, including the history of these terms.

For the most accurate information, you are best off having your character refer to themselves by the name their nation uses outside of legislation. A band name would be pretty good for this (Oglala Lakota, for example). I personally refer to myself by my band.

Cowboys

And something the Fallout New Vegas fans might be interested in, cowboys! Here's a link to a post with several books about Black and Indigenous cowboys in the Wild West.

Representation: Stereotypes and Critical Thought

Now, you'll need to think critically about why you want to write your Indigenous character a certain way. Here is a comprehensive post about stereotypes versus nuance.

Familiarize yourself with tropes. The Magical Indian is a pretty prominent one, with lots of shaman-type characters in movies and television shows. This post touches on its sister tropes (The Magical Asian and The Magical Negro), but is primarily about the latter.

Say you want to write an Indigenous woman. Awesome! Characters I love to see. Just make sure you're aware of the stereotypes surrounding her and other Women of Color.

Word to the wise: do not make your Indigenous character an alcoholic. "What, so they can't even drink?" You might be asking. That is not what I'm saying. There is a pervasive stereotype about Drunk Indians, painting a reaction to trauma as an inherent genetic failing, as stated in this piece about Indigenous social worker Jessica Elm's research. The same goes for drugs. Ellen Deloria is an example of this stereotype.

Familiarize yourself with and avoid the Noble Savage trope. This was used to dehumanize us and paint us as "childlike" for the sake of a plot device. It unfortunately persists today.

Casinos are one of the few ways for tribes to make money so they can build homes and maintain roads. However, some are planning on diversifying into other business ventures.

There's a stereotype where we all live off government handouts. Buddy, some of these long-term boil water advisories have been in place for over twenty years. The funding allocated to us as a percentage is 0.39%: less than half a percent to fight the coronavirus. They don't give us money.

"But what about people claiming to be descended from a Cherokee princess?" Cherokee don't and never had anything resembling princesses. White southerners made that up prior to the Civil War. As the article mentions, they fancied themselves "defending their lands as the Indians did".

Also, don't make your Indigenous character a cannibal. Cannibalism is a serious taboo in a lot of our cultures, particularly northern ones.

Our lands are not cursed. We don't have a litany of curses to cast on white people in found footage films. Seriously. We have better things to be doing. Why on earth would our ancestors be haunting you when they could be with their families? Very egotistical assumption.

Indigenous Ties and Blood Quantum

Blood quantum is a colonial system that was initially designed to "breed out the Indian" in people. To dilute our bloodlines until we assimilated properly into white society. NPR has an article on it here.

However, this isn't how a vast majority of us define our identities. What makes us Indigenous is our connections (or reconnection) to our families, tribes, bands, clans, and communities.

Blood quantum has also historically been used to exclude Black Natives from tribal enrollment, given that it was first based on appearance. So, if you looked Black and not the image of "Indian" the white census taker had in his brain, you were excluded and so were your descendants.

Here are two tumblrs that talk about Black Indigenous issues and their perspectives. They also talk about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia.

However, if you aren't Indigenous, don't bring up blood quantum. Don't. This is an issue you should not be speaking about.

Cherokee Princess Myth

"Princess" was not a real position in any tribe. The European idea of monarchy did not suddenly manifest somewhere else. The closest probable approximation may have been the daughter of a chief or other politically prominent person. But princess? No.

Here is an article talking about possible origins of this myth. Several things are of note here: women from other tribes may have bee shoved under this label and the idea of a "Cherokee Princess" had been brought up to explain the sudden appearance of a brown-skinned (read: half Black) family member.

For a somewhat more in depth discussion of why, specifically, this myth gets touted around so often, Timeline has this piece.

Religion

Our religions are closed. We are not going to tell you how we worship. Mostly because every little bit we choose to share gets appropriated. Smudging is the most recent example. If you aren't Indigenous, that's smoke cleansing. Smudging is done in a specific way with ceremonies and prayers.

Now, a lot of us were forcibly converted. Every residential school was run by Christians. So plenty of us are Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, Lutheran, etc. Catholicism in Latin America also has influence from the Indigenous religions in that region.

Having your Indigenous character pray or carry rosaries wouldn't be a bad thing, if that religion was important to them. Even if they are atheist, if they lived outside of a reserve or other Indigenous communities, they might have Christian influences due to its domination of the Western world.

Settler Colonialism and the White Savior Trope

Now we've come to our most painful section yet. Fallout unintentionally has an excellent agent of settler-colonialism, in particular the Western Christian European variety, in Caesar's Legion and Joshua Graham.

(Addendum: Honest Hearts is extremely offensive in its portrayal of Indigenous people, and egregiously shows a white man needing to "civilize" tribals and having to teach them basic skills. These skills include cooking, finding safe water, and defending themselves from other tribes.)

Before we dive in, here is a post explaining the concept of cultural Christianity, if you are unfamiliar with it.

We also need to familiarize ourselves with The White Man's Burden. While the poem was written regarding the American-Philippine war, it still captures the attitudes toward Indigenous folks all over the world at the time.

As this article in Teen Vogue points out, white people like to believe they need to save People of Color. You don't need to. People of Color can save themselves.

Now, cultural Christianity isn't alone on this side of the pond. Writer Teju Cole authored a piece on the White Savior Industrial Complex to describe mission trips undertaken by white missionaries to Africa to feed their egos.

Colonialism has always been about the acquisition of wealth. To share a quote from this paper about the ongoing genocide of Indigenous peoples: "Negatively, [settler colonialism] strives for the dissolution of native societies. Positively, it erects a new colonial society on the expropriated land base—as I put it, settler colonizers come to stay: invasion is a structure not an event. In its positive aspect, elimination is an organizing principal of settler-colonial society rather than a one-off (and superseded) occurrence. The positive outcomes of the logic of elimination can include officially encouraged miscegenation, the breaking-down of native title into alienable individual freeholds, native citizenship, child abduction, religious conversion, resocialization in total institutions such as missions or boarding schools, and a whole range of cognate biocultural assimilations. All these strategies, including frontier homicide, are characteristic of settler colonialism. Some of them are more controversial in genocide studies than others." (Positive, here, is referring to "benefits" for the colonizers. Indigenous people don't consider colonization beneficial.)

An example of a non-benefit, the Church Rock disaster had Diné children playing in radioactive water so the company involved could avoid bad publicity.

Moving on, don't sterilize your Indigenous people. Sterilization, particularly when it is done without consent, has long been used as a tool by the white system to prevent "undesirables" (read, People of Color and disabled people) from having children. Somehow, as of 2018, it wasn't officially considered a crime.

The goal of colonization was to eliminate us entirely. Millions died because of exposure to European diseases. Settlers used to and still do separate our children from us for reasons so small as having a dirty dish in the sink. You read that right, a single dirty dish in your kitchen sink was enough to get your children taken and adopted out to white families. This information was told to me by an Indigenous social work student whose name I will keep anonymous.

It wasn't until recently they made amendments to the Indian Act that wouldn't automatically render Indigenous women non-status if they married someone not Indigenous. It also took much too long for Indigenous families to take priority in child placement over white ones. Canada used to adopt Indigenous out to white American families. The source for that statement is further down, but adoption has been used as a tool to destroy cultures.

I am also begging you to cast aside whatever colonialist systems have told you about us. We are alive. People with a past, not people of the past, which was wonderfully said here by Frank Waln.

Topics to Avoid if You Aren't Indigenous

Child Separation. Just don't. We deserve to remain with our families and our communities. Let us stay together and be happy that way.

Assimilation schools. Do not bring up a tool for cultural genocide that has left lasting trauma in our communities.

W/ndigos. I don't care that they're in Fallout 76. They shouldn't be. Besides, you never get them right anyway.

Sk/nwalkers. Absolutely do not. Diné stories are not your playthings either.

I've already talked about drugs and alcohol. Do your research with compassion and empathy in mind. Indigenous people have a lot of pain and generational trauma. You will need to be extremely careful having your Indigenous characters use drugs and alcohol. If your character can be reduced to their (possible) substance abuse issues, you need to step back and rework it. As mentioned in Jessica Elm's research, remember that it isn't inherent to us.

For our final note: remember that we're complex, autonomous human beings. Don't use our deaths to further the stories of your white characters. Don't reduce us to some childlike thing that needs to be raised and civilized by white characters. We interact with society a little differently than you do, but we interact nonetheless.

Meegwetch (thank you) for reading! Remember to do your research and portray us well, but also back off when you are told by an Indigenous person.

This may be updated in the future, it depends on what information I come across or, if other Indigenous people are so inclined, what is added to this post.

[ofhouseadama]

I don't have any specifics but I'd love more cardassian breeding kink

Garak is drunk. On kanar, yes, but definitely on power. He doesn't get this way but rarely -- after he strongarms a particularly important piece of legislation through the Assembly, after securing critical funding in the budget, after giving a political rival a solid trouncing. But on this, the night on which the constitution of the New Cardassian Republic has been ratified, Julian Bashir finds his husband in rare form.

And they haven't even made it home yet.

Ass perched on the solid wood desk in Elim's office -- it's a joke, on the Imperial Plaza, the no one quite knows what Garak does for the Ghemor administration, his title a slippery thing, but his work gets results and his physical office shows it, large and spacious and in a quiet corner of the executive building overlooking a reflecting pool -- Julian acquiesces to the state that his neck will be in tomorrow morning. He could stop Elim, if he wanted to. If he wanted to. He thinks Elim gets off on it, on knowing that Julian could so easily overpower him. That Julian chooses to let Garak debauch him, to make a mess, to sink his teeth into him.

He'd come from the hospital as soon as he could be spared; they had all watched the vote live on the holofeeds, holding their breath.

There were threats -- of course there had been. Threats that bombs would be planted under the capital building, at the executive building, that one of the violent remnants of the old regime would storm the Imperial Plaza. That Ghemor would be assassinated if he stepped foot out of the Castellan's dwelling. Their own household had been assigned security, in the end. It was an open secret in the capital that the Son of Tain was now one of the Founding Fathers of a free and democratic Cardassia and main authors the document that would now govern it.

Garak, of course, could not be bothered if someone took at shot at him. But when the threats were aimed at his Federaji husband... concessions could be made. (We both fought in the same war, Julian muttered. I know how to be shot at.

Yes, dear.

I've been shot at by Cardassians!

Of course, dear.)

"And what we once thought could only be made glorious in war, shall be made victorious in peace," Garak says, low and in his ear. (Because of course he had a hand in Ghemor's speech tonight, too, wrote damn near half of it.) He's got a hand down the front of Julian's trousers, stroking him with an irritating kind of precision. He's dripping, and Garak knows it, desperate for a finger or two inside him. But he'll keep touching him just like this until his thighs start to strain and tremble. "For our son, and all our sons."

And there's the slip--

Our son.

(Except Elim says it in Kardasi, and Julian hardly makes use of his UT anymore. And what Federation standard and the Universal Translator decides must be the Kardasi word for son isn't quite a literal translation. Kardasi has many words for sons and daughters and children who are good and bad and illegitimate and born in the marriage bed, orphaned or abandoned, foundlings or raised up in a good and reputable family.

But dutiful and serving child of my house doesn't translate quite so lyrically.)

"Is that next on the agenda?" Julian asks, because even if the answer is no, tonight the answer is yes.

There's nothing more heady and intoxicating to a dutiful Son of Cardassia than the idea of coming home with his blood still up from battle and breeding. It must feel decadent to the point of taboo -- to be a bastard son, a former exile, returned home and given the right to plow the field and let the rain fall into the soil and conceive as many legitimate heirs as he wishes. To be the head of a bountiful family. A political family. A ruling family. And to do it with a human man, a former Starfleet officer? There's scandal, and then there's this.

Elim's thumb rolls over his clit, making him gasp.

"Don't tease."

He rewards him then, or punishes him, three fingers into his cunt right to the knuckle. This is the part where being married to a retired torturer can be either a blessing or a curse -- Julian has no way of knowing if Garak will keep him on edge of a knee-melting orgasm for the next thirty minutes, or if he will make him cum immediately, and then again, until the only word his mouth can shape is his name. No way of knowing, when Garak knows where all the nerve endings are and has them all at his mercy.

"Who's teasing?" Julian moans, letting his head drop back. "Am I wrong? You want -- you want to. I like that you want to. I like that you want to flood me with your rains and fertilize the soil." Garak noses along the hollow of his throat, teeth scraping along delicate skin. "You want everyone to know who I belong to. That you brought me here and kept me here, filled me up with good legitimate Cardassian children--"

Garak growls, and nips. "Sweet talker."

Julian could laugh, if Garak wasn't find new and innovative ways to bring him to orgasm in record time. Rapidly losing sensation in his toes, he brings his hands up to curl into Garak's shoulder ridges, basking in the resultant hiss.

"Keep telling me about the new constitution you just wrote--"

"Singlehandedly, one could say," Garak counters gamely.

"And you'll see how sweet I can talk."

[unpopulark9opinions]

The flaws in modern pit bull advocacy

Its true. The dogs that are victims of BSL (breed specific legislation), regardless of how it is we label them, need advocacy to protect them. However, the method by which the vast majority of advocates use may be counterproductive to their end goal. The method these people use has to do with people representing their dogs as sweet, cuddly, family pets - dogs that they call pit bulls or “pibbles”. They dub them as nanny dogs and portray them as their babies. While this may sound like a plausible way to melt the hearts of hardened people who just want to ban all bully breeds, all it does is create misconceptions surrounded around the American Pit Bull Terrier. And yes, it may sound like an innocent attempt at ending breed stereotypes, but this agenda unintentionally fuels high bite statistics, fosters irresponsible ownership, spreads misinformation, endangers the American Pit Bull Terrier and puts dogs that are not American Pit Bull Terriers at a heightened risk of being taken away. Let’s talk about mislabeling.

Often times you will hear pit bull advocates say that “pit bull” is not a breed, but an umbrella term that encompasses many breeds and types of dogs. When you use the term pit bull as a descriptor of any dog that fits a certain, predetermined phenotype (usually a blocky head, floppy ears, stocky build) you create the idea that nearly any dog in the bully breed family is a pit bull. This means there is a huge number of “pit bulls” and a proportionate number of attacks for the media to cover. Unless you treat the pit bulls as a single breed (the American Pit Bull Terrier), their bite statistics will always be higher. The more dogs of a type there are, the more attacks there will be.

Some commonly mislabeled dogs are:

-Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, XL American Bully, American Bulldog, Pocket American Bully, or a Mutt.

Another thing cited frequently is the idea that pit bulls are nanny dogs. Aside from being untrue (Pit bulls were never called nanny dogs and that was never their purpose) this concept can promote irresponsible ownership and yes, dog bites. Responsible dog owners know that trusting a dog around young children is a recipe for disaster. Small children have little or no boundaries or self control. They will tug on tails, pull on ears, play with jowls and poke at eyes. As a result of this behavior, a dog can be provoked to bite or snap. People will then report it as unprovoked or “out of nowhere”, because often times the signs of stress are subtle and unclear to a little kid. Fostering the notion of nanny dogs is only promoting irresponsibility and attacks.

Luckily, many pit bull advocacy groups are recognizing that pit bulls are not nanny dogs. It’s not too late to accept this. The myth comes from Lillian Rant, who quoted the Staffordshire Bull Terrier as the “nursemaid dog” in a New York Times article in 1971. She was president of the SBT club of America at the time. She made that up to better the image of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which was viewed as a fighting dog.

If you’re advocating for pit bulls, you inherently are advocating for the APBT. When pit bull advocates describe the breed as cuddly fur-babies that thrive off of attention and snuggles, it makes the owners of true working APBT’s appear to be neglecting their outdoor dogs. The American Pit Bull Terrier is an extremely driven dog. True APBT’s are dog aggressive and likely to carry a genetic propensity for gameness. Advocating that these dogs just want to be family pets will either:

-Put them in the wrong hands of people who suspect their dog will be a calm pet with a kind demeanor towards everything (improper management of any high drive dog can lead to bites)

- Paint responsible APBT owners (who condition their dogs & work them) as abusive people and possibly lead them to get their dogs taken.

EDUCATED ADVOCACY IS KEY!!

Ultimately, today’s pit bull advocates have their hearts in the right place. But unfortunately, the modern methods they use are more harmful than they are helpful. 

[ask-a-vetblr]

Hi vets! Can you please give me a veterinary perspective on "factory farms" [and if they deserve the negative reputation they get]?

vet-and-wild here.

Yes and no. I mean, everyone may have different opinions but here’s mine as a former farm laborer and Animal Science grad. Sorry this will be long, I have a whole lot of thoughts on this. “Factory farm” is honestly kind of a scary buzzword people use to describe any large farm, but a lot of times it’s just used as a blanket term for large scale farming rather than being owned by a company. The overwhelming majority of US farms are still family owned. Some of the really big farms have the newest technology to decrease their environmental impact and increase animal welfare (i.e. methane digesters, robotic milkers, etc) and end up being more efficient per pound of product produced. Some small farms have a handful of messy, stinky cows that only get seen by a vet when they’re already super sick. I’ve seen both. I’ve also seen small hobby farms where animals are treated like royalty and large scale farms that are messy and inefficient. BUT, doing anything large scale tends to lead to welfare issues (for both humans and animals) and sustainability issues. The state of animal agriculture in this country is a hot mess. Farmers have to produce massive quantities of cheap product to make a living. The problem isn’t that farmers are some evil animal haters that want to poison the planet, it’s that they literally can’t make a living without mass scale production. That needs to change. It’s bad for the farmers, their animals, and the environment. So go after legislators and corporations that allow this to happen, not poor farm laborers.

Animal welfare, particularly for production animals, was a huge part of my degree focus so that’s the area I’m most familiar with. There are obviously a whole bunch of other comments that can be made about environmental impact and human welfare conditions, but I’ll let someone who knows more than me talk about it. As part of my degree, veterinary training, animal welfare studies, and job experience, I’ve been on a lot of farms. Swine, poultry, dairy, beef, meat goat, dairy goat, meat sheep, dairy sheep, mink (fur), and camelid. I’ve been to organic, backyard, research, feedlots, tie-stall, free-stall, large scale, petting zoos, heritage breed, and every kind of imaginable in between privately owned farm. Even vegan farm animal sanctuaries. I’ve been in meat processing plants and have seen first hand what the processes is. So I’ve seen a lot. And you know what? They all have pros and cons. Back when I was in undergrad we were using the Five Freedoms of animal welfare to assess animals. The Five Freedoms are freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from fear and distress, freedom to express natural behaviors, freedom from pain/injury/disease, and freedom from discomfort. Farms of any scale can meet those requirements, or fail horribly. Personally, I think confinement housing fails horribly, and that’s a practice generally associated with large scale farming. There are actual benefits (i.e. less inter-animal aggression, tailored nutrition, easier monitoring), but you very much take away freedom to express natural behavior and I would argue freedom from discomfort as well. And you know what? I try to be objective, but my personal feelings are that an animal should have enough room to turn around and not stand in their own waste. I don’t think that should be controversial. Animal agriculture is (for the most part) failing horribly with enrichment and ability to express natural behaviors, and that happens to be very important to me as an animal owner so I know I project that onto agriculture. Some species industries are better than others (i.e. dairy), while some are so far behind (i.e. poultry and swine). I’m not vegan or vegetarian. I don’t have a problem with eating meat, but I think the system needs drastic improvements.

People honestly tend to focus on issues that are not really big issues because showing videos of an animal not being knocked insensible before slaughter is much more gut wrenching than a pig without enrichment. But you know what? There are multiple behavioral and welfare issues with pigs not being provided adequate stimulation, including increased tail chewing (which is why pigs are tail docked), aggression, and stereotypic behaviors. Whereas the rate of successful 1st time stunning in processing plants is actually extremely high, and needs to be to pass inspections. PETA shows a video of dead piglets and it makes people outraged, but the issue isn’t animal abuse, it’s poor biosecurity that caused an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus that has a near 100% mortality rate for young pigs. That is a real example. People should be upset. They should be upset that biosecurity protocols weren’t followed. But again, a video of a transport truck not being properly sanitized doesn’t really make for a good animal rights video. Public pressure is of course important for change, but people need to actually take the time to learn about what’s really an issue. Y’all can debate whether or not eating meat is ethical, but that’s not the question here, and it ignores the bigger picture. The fact is, there are animals alive right now and that will be born in the future that are harmed by a shitty system. Personally I’d rather focus on relevant welfare issues to improve their lives rather than comparing factory farming to genocide or whatever scare tactics animal rights groups are using nowadays.

Ferox here.

Following on from that note, comparing animal agriculture to genocide is a particular pet hate of mine. Genocide aims to kill and therefore eliminate a specific group of people, which animal agriculture has caused the populations of domestic animals to boom in far greater numbers than their wild counterparts. The goals are literally opposite.

As vet-and-wild was saying, using a blanket term like ‘factory farm’ isn’t super helpful when discussing animal welfare as it’s specific practices within each enterprise that need to be considered, eg dry sow stalls, debeaking, etc. Generally it’s animal density which concerns me, as the more animals you pack in together the more stress behaviours you see and the less natural behaviours, and chickens and pigs get the worst of this. But it’s hard to make a choice as a consumer purchasing food as you can’t backtrack that food from the supermarket to its origin easily so I can see why the discussion is often boiled down to ‘factory farm vs free range’ even if it’s really more nuanced than that.