The Tip of a Fur Coated Iceberg

Gold cherry

By Ed Crane

Thu, 11 Aug 2022
  • 1061 reads
11 comments
 

So four thousand set free

Destined for a real life if they’re lucky

Ineptitude, bad management, ignorance

your saviour.

Kind hearts will find you a future.

Teach you to play. Ease your fears

and place trust in hands that feed.

 

You are fortunate, perhaps mine was too.

I don’t like to think about it.

Tens of thousands of your brothers and sisters

given life solely to suffer needles and pills

because you don’t fight back, instead

wagging a trusting tail.

Slaves to medical science for the benefit

of all. Two legs or four. A means to an end

and a financial gain.

 

The chemo that saved me killed them.

I can never thank them enough.

Or forgive myself.

 

https://news.northeastern.edu/2022/07/21/beagles-lab-testing/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62487934

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/nuclear-history-of-lab-b....

https://books.google.be/books?id=cpGnBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT46&lpg=PT46&dq=how+ma...

 

Certificate PG
Poem
Rant

Comments

Submitted by Ewan on

If you are having trouble editing on the site at any time and you are using an android phone or tablet go here

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I have an iPhone but I don't use it for posting or editing. 

Microsoft in their wisdom downloaded four updates yesterday which my poor (getting tired) laptop struggled to install. Maybe something's gone squiffy. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I thought of you when I heard this story. My dog was a greyhound cros s and I think of all the greyhoundssuffering for research into smoking. The intelligence, telepathy, joy of a dog. Supposedly our best friends. Not to mention primates, our closest relatives.

That they were saved because of the cruelty of being fed mouldy food as opposed to the cruelty of being tortured to death for science is something an objective observer might struggle to understand

I hope those beagles do find good homes, they need a lot of stimulation, being so brainy. I found your poem very moving, Ed, particulary the problem of the research into chemo. 

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

My Beagle is nine and a half now. When the family chose a Beagle I was not too keen. I was/am a Labrador man.

My brother-in-law didn't understand why they chose a dog with its nose virtually permanently on the ground. However, there is more to a Beagle than a fantastic sense of smell, and I fell in love with her from the outset. She is independent, curious, cheeky, stubborn, disobedient (when she wants something) and like all Beagles a four legged Houdini. She plans ahead when there is a chance of stealing food when we aren't looking and always remembers where forbidden dropped bread for the ducks can be found. 

In short, a far cry from a Lab. Beagles are said to be hard to train, true, but it's not because they are stupid. The opposite really. They don't wanna be a robot.

thanks again for your thoughtful comment.

I'd love another one but I'm getting too old and it could well outlive me. It would be immoral for a rescue dog to need re-homing five or so years down the line.

I've alway had a thing for Greyhounds. I've heard it said they are a big lap-dog. A  friendof the family had one years ago - sweet dog and stunningly beautiful.

Such a shame animals of any kind need to be used for research, but if they are, they at least deserve top end treatment and respect. Sadly not always the case.

I read dogs are relly important for cancer research becace unfortunately they suffer from the same kind of tumors we do.

 

Submitted by Ewan on

This simple, effective poem draws attention to a complex matter, and that's why it's our pick of the day today.

If you read it, please share and/or retweet it.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I was surprised to get cherries now gold is a bit of a surprise!

 

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I missed this before so I'm very glad it got the golden cherries. Nothing is ever black and white is it. Such beautiful dogs!

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

Yes, wise words . . .  nothing is black and white.

Beagles are real characters, as well as being pretty. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Glad this got POD

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

yes

 

Submitted by celticman on

I'm not sure why we torture dogs, but I'm sure in the years to come (if they do come) we will think this barborous. But I guess we do worse to chickens and cows Not that it makes it better.