1 winning website & 1 death-dealing practice

Frankie

Some time ago, I confessed to a weakness for The Dodo, the website with short, effective videos and stories, all starring animals.  For a go-to-sleep picker-upper, I recommended looking at The Dodo last thing before bed each night.

Now after a few years of Dodo-ing, and still liking it a lot, I’m even more aware of some of its regular messages, which I like and have learned from.  One of the threads through Dodo content is that pit bulls are nice dogs – at least as nice, and needy, as other dogs. So many stories about heroic pit bulls, hurt pit bulls, baby- and people-loving pit bulls, all needing only the chance to show their sterling qualities.

Another Dodo message has been that animals with what might be called “deformities” are really only “different,” or “special,” and utterly lovable in their own right – as well as loving in return. What a great thing to believe, and act on!

The latest example is Frankie, the kitten born with two pairs of ears – a new phenomenon to me – who was adopted by a “mom” who recognized his high spirits and "deservingness" to live. Before him, there were bait dogs, badly scarred in their past lives; abandoned animals, left to die because they weren’t traditionally attractive; animals born with various birth "defects" that only made them different, not undeserving of life!  

https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/cat-with-four-ears-frankenkitten-australia

Still another worthy Dodo message has been about the friendships between different species of animals – cats and horses, dogs and squirrels, even cats and dogs.  From their stories, a big element of their successful bonding was that the people around them seemed to expect it, and fostered it.  None of that “Ohh, watch out, you know X and Y don’t get along!” stuff.

Lucas

There’s still more to be said about how The Dodo (www.thedodo.com) is good for animals, and I’m a continuing fan. For now, though, another kind of animal – a well-intentioned one -- in the spotlight: a spider.  And not just any spider, but an animated one, designed to help people like spiders (or at least respect their right to life), instead of squishing them.  Meet Lucas the jumping spider . . .  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoYVZmKSYFg&feature=youtu.be

Donating dilemma

The Olympics are over, but South Korea’s dog-meat farms continue.  There are thousands of them, and it will take much more than a few Olympians to change the culture of a country where people see dog meat as a delicacy and dog meat farms as the way to feed that appetite. 
https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/olympian-gus-kenworthy-saves-korean-dogs

And that leads to a donation dilemma for anyone wanting to contribute to better lives for animals: give to the organizations working to eliminate dog meat farms, which may be a century-long undertaking, or choose different beneficiaries where results are faster and more comprehensive?
It can seem like the proverbial drop in a bucket to donate to, say, Humane Society International (HSI) on behalf of those terrified caged dogs who know their end is coming.  But then, donating nothing toward their possible rescue seems callous and cruel.

                                        Gus Kenworthy image

The only other option I can think of is hoping that humane millionaires will seize on this issue and donate mega bucks to eliminate dog-meat farms.  Maybe for long-standing problems that require long-time solutions, organizations should reach out to people with deep pockets, instead of working with much less to encourage Korean farmers, one farm at a time, to grow mushrooms instead of dogs.  

What do you think, readers?

Now I can look at you in peace; I don't eat you any more. --Franz Kafka

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