Two points. Torture is a relative term. Is it torture when a lion catches an antelope and begins eating it before the antelope is completely dead? Is it torture for the antelope to be chased by the lion? Is there really any difference between the terrified antelope and a cow being forced up a killing chute and killed quickly with a blow to the head? Humanoids have eaten plants and animals since before we were Homo sapiens. We killed animals however we could. Forcing herds over a cliff and leaving most of the animals to rot, since there were too many to eat before the rest began to decay. Most people in the US are appalled by the thought of eating dog or horse meat. Because we have enough wealth to keep those animals as pets, making them more special to us. I can't visualize eating monkey meat and I would never open a clam/oyster and eat the insides. I have tried roasted opossum(once was enough---greasy, nasty tasting) and like rattlesnake. I've butchered chickens, hogs, and cows, processed them, cooked them, and enjoyed eating them. What people eat is what they grow up eating. Point two. Everything dies. Some things die quickly, some die slowly. Ever see a cow or deer with wasting disease? Or a starved horse or a dog? Pitiful sights. Makes me mad. People have the ability to choose what they want to eat. Those same people have no right to force me to abide by their beliefs---like PETA(I like my version of P(eople)E(ating)T(asty)A(nimals). You want to eat chocolate covered spiders? Have at. Don't be surprised if I say "No Thanks".

I too have a beautiful shepard-husky mix named Ebony who is 14 years old. I looked at your web site a story of Angel and Wolfy. Your wolfy looks so much like my Ebony (Ebby). I talked about putting my girl down 3 weeks ago but didn't/couldn't do it. I would look into her face with her beautiful brown eyes staring back at me and decided it still wasn't time yet. My neighbor would say' don't you think it's time? I thought, sure she is walking a little slower and doesn't eat that well but I don't think it is time yet. I took her to the vets the middle of May and she gave me medicines for her arthritis and also to stimulate her appetite but neither helped much at all. Over the past week and especially since yesterday I now know it is time. She can't stand up for long in one posistion. She has fallen over several times. Prior to that, the past several weeks she has aimlessly walked in circles not knowing what she is doing or where she is going. She has drank some water today but would not eat. She hasn't really eaten very much over the past 2 weeks. Her kidneys have shut down I know ,because she has hardly voided. She doesn't even bark to go outside. She is very listless. I am a hospice nurse. I've seen the same terminal restlessness in my poor Ebby as I have seen many times with my beloved pts. With hospice we have the medicines to help ease the terminal restlessness and the narcotics to ease the pain and/or to help with the shortness of breath. Wouldn't it be great if there were a pet hospice were our beloved pets could die painfree at home with the proper medications and not have to be euthanized. I had to put my cat Purrie down 2 years ago this month. It was very hard but like my Ebony it had to be done. I wouldn't want them to suffer. I hope that I will be okay because I am alreay very sad this week because yesterday was the 1st anniversay of my mothers death from cancer. I don't know why everything has happened in July. I believe that you will know when the time has come for your Wolfy and I pray for you. I am already sick to my stomach and I'm crying rivers knowing what I have to do tomorrow. I wish you the best and hope you will know when it is time so that they will not have to suffer.

I do this on a small scale. I love working on all sorts of projects, from furniture to funky clothing/purses, etc. But my apartment is too stuffed as it is. Every year there is a neighborhood wide yard sale on a Saturday in May, and I haul a ton of stuff out to get rid of it. My prices are stupid low -- because I really want to get rid of stuff. I get the fun of finding things, doing something with them -- then I don't have to live with them! I just wish, wish, wish I had some storage/work space. It keeps me from working on larger pieces of furniture. And this neighborhood is sooooo obliging about throwing out near perfect pieces.... One question I have, for those who've done this often; how do you handle taxes? An attorney friend told me that you don't have to declare income from yard/garage sales because the assumption is that you are selling at a fairly significant loss, but when you pay little or nothing for the raw elements, and sell at a reasonable profit -- do you declare the income? Best of luck with your sale, Margo -- and I hope you have many more in the future!

Both of my dogs were supposedly healthy and fit, and yet they have cost us thousands of dollars with their health problems. I realized it right away when I picked each of them up. I'm not very smart in that I could have done better screening, but on the other hand, I'm brilliant because I have two of the most wonderful dogs in the world, so it worked out. ..lol. My youngest dog has some behavior problems on top of her health problems, but she absolutely requires love and affection (they both do, really), and I am so happy to have the opportunity to give that to them. When the older one required $1,400 in medical care this past fall, I was so grateful to be able to provide that for her, which improved the quality of her life. I always advise everyone I know who is on a tight budget NOT to get a dog, because you can't count on continued good health, even if you do get a healthy animal to start with, and it is not fair to deny the pet medical care or give it away because you can't afford that care. That's too hard on the dog.