Help! Help! Save me from the vicious... Human?!

I love dogs. I like my dogs more than most people. I'm not ashamed.

I love the fact that they have different personalities.

I love their loyalty.

I love their innocence.

That said, I want a law that protects both human and animal life in this country.

About now, I really despise the abounding ignorance that currently exists in Trinidad and Tobago about dogs.

It's not the first time I've documented my thoughts on this matter, but since people persist in expounding the same old misinformation and myths, I feel the need to write about it again.

On the 26th of August, 2013 an elderly woman was attacked by a pit bull at her residence. She was bitten several times and the animal "locked his jaws" on to her body and refused to let go.

Initial reports state that the animal was shot nine times by the police on their arrival. Other reports say it was shot six times and others, eleven. With Trinidad and Tobago's excellent media sources, who can be sure any more?

But let us examine what transpired in this case. The owner of the dog has nine other pit bulls. He was breeding them for commercial purposes. He fed the animals steroids and gave them aggression training. He did all of this in a residential area. He did not familiarise the dogs with this "grandmother," as the media calls her, though her relationship with the dogs' owner has not been clarified.

Currently there are no laws in Trinidad that state that what he was doing was wrong. Of course, he walked away from the incident with no charges pressed against him.

Reading over the specifics of this incident, I wonder how human beings can say that it was the animal's fault. However, the anti-pit bull out cry ignores all these facts.

Why did this man breed pit bulls and give them aggression training in a residential area?

Why did he pump them with steroids to make them more aggressive in his own home?

Why did he not think it wasn't important to get the dogs familiar with this "grandmother" or try to control their behaviour in her presence? It's not the first time she was attacked.

However, good sense does not prevail in this country.

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan responded to the attack with this remark:

I feel very strongly about this matter that dog-specific legislation is a must. The idea that we should have dog control for all dogs, from pompek and pothound to Pit Bull is something that I don't subscribe to.

Because the laws of this country are dependent on the AG's strong feelings. Not so?

But then, being that he said "dog-specific" and not "breed-specific," maybe he wants to ban all dogs.

The fact is the Dangerous Dog Act is more harmful than helpful. Yet those in power wish to push it forward as indicated by the AG's response. Added to this, media pages are crawling with comments from those who believe that pit bulls should be poisoned and that dogs on the whole should not be trusted, to those who recognise that the Act is bound to fail and that dogs, if properly socialised are indeed loving, playful and trustworthy.

Those who wish to have dogs killed and pit bulls eradicated are the ones who know the least about dogs, dog behaviour or compassion. They've never owned one but presume to advise what should be done about them. They certainly do not seem to respect life as a whole, probably because their religious doctrine teaches that dogs do not have souls. However, if they really thought that human life was so important and that the life of a dog was minor in comparison, they would want a comprehensive law that covers the basics and everything in between.

Detractors of the Bill are quickly stigmatised as citizens and organisations who are not interested in the welfare of humans. They have to battle with a population who refuses to listen to their arguments and are written off as sentimental animal lovers. Humanitarians are interested in the protection of both humans and animals and the Bill, as it stands, can protect neither.

The Dangerous Dog Act  is a poorly adapted bill from Canadian law books where in certain areas such as Winnipeg, Manitoba and the Province of Ontario the Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) has failed.

The Bill attempts to class dogs into two categories: Class A which consists of dogs that "are defined as Pitbull Terriers or any dog bred from the Pitbull Terrier; Fila Brasileiros, or any dog bred from the Fila Brasileiro; and Japanese Tosas, or any dog bred from the Japanese Tosa" and Class B dogs which includes all other dogs.

How many Fila Brasileiros and Japanese Tosas have you heard about in Trinidad? When was the last time you've heard of people being assaulted by them in the news? Earlier this year a child was mauled by a Rottweiler. Another was killed by an Akita. There was also an incident where a woman was killed by a pack of an unidentified dog breed who were initially irresponsibly labelled by the media as pit bulls. In the past Dobermans, German Shepherds and Rottweilers were considered dangerous dogs, yet they are not part of this bill. Why not? If this law is really about protecting human life why aren't all these dogs here?

Some time ago, a horse bit off a boy's hand. Should all horses be exterminated as well? What about humans? In Trinidad, our murder toll is in the hundreds. We should ban humans from breeding also, not so?

Moving on. The Bill mentions in several sections that dogs are supposed to be properly secured at all times. And while effective in some cases, where is the subsection that states that dogs cannot be kept confined for long periods of time? That they need regular exercise to keep them healthy and balanced. Ever took a trip to the zoo? Saw the animals pacing up and down? Saw the otter swimming in circles? They're going insane. Keep an animal restrained and restricted for extended time periods and the animal's behaviour will be affected. If you've ever watched The Dog Whisperer hosted by dog behaviourist, Cesar Milan, you'd see one of his recommendations in dealing with aggressive dogs is to give the animal regular exercise by taking it out for a walk and giving it a chance to be playful. So how precisely will securing a dog alone help? What happens when a frustrated animal breaks free?

The law also states that people cannot abandon "Class A" dogs, yet how is this preventative when dogs haven't been registered yet? Can't an owner who is unwilling to take out that exorbitant insurance bill simply abandon the dog as soon as the Bill becomes law? But wait - it's already happening!

Speaking of registering dogs, The Trinidad and Tobago Veterinarians Association (TTVA) have professed that they are unqualified to sign certificates that define the difference between a Class A and Class B dog and thus refuse to comply with this law if it comes to fruition. Furthermore, the Association of Trinidad and Tobago Insurance Companies (ATTIC) claim that the insurance policies that currently exist do not distinguish between dog breeds. Too many gaping holes in this Act. Too many.

Seeing how, in this dog attack case on August 26th, the owner applied poor breeding practises, what does the Bill say about the practise of rearing "dangerous dogs" in Trinidad? What's that? It says nothing? So you tell me, if not for a pit bull, why not pump a Rottweiler with steroids and see what happens? Why not a regular pothound? Why doesn't the Bill account for proper and safe breeding practises? Why not humane ones where pit bull bitches aren't simply used as machines birthing one litter of pups after the next? The bill doesn't cater for those who breed dogs simply for profit. So what or who will control the improper breeding of ferocious animals? Also, who will monitor the training of these so called dangerous animals? Why isn't the section about training both Class A and Class B properly defined? Where is the section of the Bill that deals with animals being bred to fight, being bred to be weapons?

Where is the clause in this Act where it states that pit bulls and other dogs must be properly socialised to exist peacefully among humans and "Class B" dogs?

This is the Bill you want to have passed?

As mentioned before, Breed Specific Legislations have largely been found lacking. So why is the government pushing for this draconian thing to be passed? Is it simply for the masses to believe they're doing something? They can't clamp down on the criminal elements of this country, nor protect people from human-human violence, so why not victimise those who do not have a voice right?

Incidentally, it is interesting to note that the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) have stated that a pit bull is not an easily defined breed.

Depending on whom you ask, it can refer to just a couple of breeds or to as many as five—and all mixes of these breeds. The most narrow and perhaps most accurate definition of the term “pit bull” refers to just two breeds: the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) and the American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff). Some people include the Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Bulldog in this group because these breeds share similar head shapes and body types. However, they are distinct from the APBT and the AmStaff. 

Because of the vagueness of the “pit bull” label, many people may have trouble recognizing a pit bull when they see one. Multiple breeds are commonly mistaken for pit bulls, including the Boxer, the Presa Canario, the Cane Corso, the Dogo Argentino, the Tosa Inu, the Bullmastiff, the Dogue de Bordeaux, the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog and the Olde English Bulldogge.

How then are we expected to single out and curb a lineage that is so difficult to clarify? Looking at the pit bull's history it is noted that they were bred by humans to fight large animals such as bears and bulls. When this was banned, humans then pitted the dogs against each other. Still, we want to hold no responsibility for the monsters that we have created.

I wonder, with 500,000 pit bulls in Trinidad (nearly a half of the population) and a minimum of five attacks for the year (some not even from pit bulls) compared to one million people living in Trinidad with hundreds of murders being committed, who is the more vicious animal?

The media jumps on every opportunity to label the pit bull as a diabolical creature, and sure some of them are. Yet how can it not be the onus of a reckless owner? Consider another aspect of the pit bull's history where they were considered nannies to children due to their loyal, friendly and non-human-aggressive traits. Isn't it important to ask what happened in between?

What happens to pit bulls who have saved the life of humans? Are they and their owners to be punished due to the poor judgements of negligent individuals? For every article you show me about a pit bull attacking someone, I can show you an article about a pit bull saving someone.

Advocates of BSLs have also neglected to do their research, as they cannot seem to acknowledge that any dog can be trained to be aggressive. A pompek (a Pekingese and Pomeranian cross) can be just as vicious as a pit bull. But a pompek is "cute" so when it barks and rushes your neighbour it's okay because it's tiny. But how would you feel about that ferocious pompek if it attacks a child? It's not impossible. So why are we targeting one breed?

Cesar Milan put it very aptly when he said:

When will they blame humans?

What does this quote even mean, you ask? Simply what I mentioned before, that any dog can be trained to be dangerous. You've banned the pit bulls? The pothounds could be next, pompeks could follow and then we might ban the mosquito? How is this Act long term?

The irony is that humans created dogs to be loyal companions. In fact all purebreds were created to serve some kind of function for humans. Dogs are entirely dependent on us for their survival. They love without prejudice, without condition. Yet what do we do in return? Kill, maim, breed them to be aggressive, torture, beat and starve them. We think it is nothing to clip their ears, and cut off their tails, but they can't hurt us in retaliation.

Why is there no attempt to update the current laws of animal cruelty in Trinidad and Tobago? The penalty for animal cruelty here is $400. Pocket change these days. And who is enforcing these laws against animal cruelty? The police? The ones entering your yards and shooting harmless family pets?

Yes, I care about human welfare, but when we consider ourselves to be so superior that our lives are the only ones worth protecting, I have to wonder if it is not the same arrogance hundreds of years ago that purported Earth to be the centre of the universe.

Though I suppose asking for us to give a damn about dogs is far too much, when we hardly seem to care about our own kind. Our concern for each other is superficial, we say, "To hell with those pit bulls!" because they are voiceless, but where is our vociferation against criminals, murderers and child abusers?

If you really want effective dog handling look at cases of human cruelty towards animals. You want to keep an animal confined for long periods of time and not expect it to be frustrated? You want to starve the animal and not expect it to be hungry? You want to keep an animal tethered in the blazing heat without water and not expect it to suffer? You want to beat dogs and then sell them to hapless owners without a thought that dogs are psychological beings just like us and are capable of reacting and overreacting?

Nobody is begging you to like dogs, but if you really care about human life, seek  thorough laws that protects both humans and animals. Instead of applying a fly-by-night law that has little to do with the conditions in our country, why not look at the Antigua and Barbuda Dog Registration and Control Act which accounts for various aspects of human and dog interaction?

If you really care about human life, advocate a proactive law rather than a reactive one.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

Edit: 29/08/2013

If I've managed to convince you that the Dangerous Dog Bill needs to be repealed, sign the petition against it here. 

References:

Dangerous acts
World-Wide Failure of Breed Specific Legislation
The Truth About Pit Bulls
Pitbulls Used to Be Considered the Perfect "Nanny Dogs" for Children -- Until the Media Turned Them Into Monsters
An Overview of Pit Bull Breeding
Are Breed-Specific Laws Effective?

Are we the change we want to see in the world?

 I didn’t really intend to discuss politics in this blog, but in light of the recent by-election I couldn’t help but have some of my own thoughts.

My Facebook page was rampant with all sorts of political analyses from every extreme. People either supported Jack Warner, supported the People’s Partnership, supported the People’s National Movement (PNM) and predicted the present government’s downfall, or none of the above: it doesn’t matter who is in charge, we’re all screwed anyway.

There was a point in my life when I fell into the category “None of the above: It Doesn’t Matter who’s in Charge, We’re All Screwed Anyway.” That changed when I attended university and grew interested in politics. I even considered changing my BA to an LLB.

Since then I’ve returned to “None of the above: It Doesn’t Matter who’s in Charge, We’re All Screwed Anyway” status.

Why? It’s because I’ve come to realise is that we blame the politicians for the failings of the country. Every time a politician fails us we point our fingers and curse them. To be sure, politicians are not without liability. Yet when we consider their repeated failures; when we consider the continued division of race, class and culture and when we consider the rampant corruption that persists regardless of every turning tide of government, isn’t it time to ask ourselves whether or not something is intrinsically wrong?

Our political system follows that of the Westminster system, a vestige of our colonial heritage. Its detractors believe that it merely imitates British parliament, and as such cannot serve and function in the Caribbean at its best capacity. It’s been criticised that its two-party system does not bode well for a country with a conflicting racial undertow. This coupled with the prejudiced legacy left by our former colonists it is hardly any wonder that our national and civic progress is being hindered. 

If the system is indeed failing us, then why aren’t we doing anything about it? All that exists is discussion of Constitutional Reform; something that I don’t trust will come into fruition in the near future. Even if proper research needs to be completed for successful constitutional reform, in a country where we place bandages on our wounds without treating them for future infection, a country of quick fixes how can we expect to exact any kind of change?

Nota bene: I’m not talking about the type of change we were promised three years ago.

We have to look at the Black Power riots of the 1970s to show that our country isn’t incapable of tenacity, but now it seems that our determination for fair play has been reduced to paltry marches for higher wages. When we also see the one-man stands of Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh and Tony Leavitt we can deduce that the grit the country once had is dwindling away. And sometimes in the face of such resolution we as Trinidadians scoff and ridicule. Perhaps V.S. Naipaul is right to say that we deny ourselves heroes.  

There are those who condemn such undertakings of activism, those who believe that peaceful discourse is the only way. Maybe they’re right.

But how can we just talk when it seems that no one is listening?

We can look maybe to the poet Martin Carter (1927-1997) who not merely wrote about social injustice in Guyana but acted – fought for his people and his communist beliefs. Maybe it’s about balance, not being rash, thinking before acting.

I imagine we can only measure how effective this is if we were to systematically measure his successes.

Yet I too am guilty of just talking, just writing, not acting enough.

Perhaps because like so many others in this country, I am merely trying to get by.

Whining alone gets us nowhere.

References:

 Trinidad in the Middle Passage
Martin Carter: The Poems Man
Corruption and Development
The Westminster Model
Westminster in the Caribbean: History, Legacies, Challenges
The Revolutionary Seventies

Things to remember when you leave your cave.

Many people in this world are a-holes. You know it. I know it. Everybody knows it.

Yet I am cursed with naïveté. Inconsideration never fails to shock and anger me.

However I’m not talking about run-of-the-mill acts of discourtesy that we complain about everyday. This is not about the jerk who nearly ran us over at the intersection while quacking on his cell phone, it’s not about the mulish youth who thinks that everyone should listen to his favourite chutney/soca/hip-hop song of the week  whether we want to or not while it blasts from his car, nor is it about the hoggish individual who cut in front of us in the grocery line.

I want to talk about the little things - things that are so mundane to me I can’t even understand how others fail to realise they’re being thoughtless.

One thing that really irks me is how disgusting public toilets are. I’m not a fan of using them, but when I have to I will venture into the realm of abominations for relief. Still, a single whiff of rancid air is enough to make me risk a bladder infection. Don’t leave toilet paper on the floor; stop splashing water (God I hope it’s water) around and for goodness’ sake, flush the damn toilet! Ladies, if you just used an automatic loo and it didn’t flush, please note there is usually a button or lever than you can use to flush the toilet manually, just look around. If it didn't flush the first time, try again! Rome wasn't built in a day! Nobody, and I mean nobody wants to see your stale piss. People, you don’t know when the cleaning lady will arrive, so don’t just assume someone will clean up after you. We all know that you don’t leave your bathroom at home like this (I hope) and that you think that you will only have to visit it once, but seriously.

Think.

Think of the person who has to use it next. You don’t want to have to see their business, what on earth makes you think they want to see yours? So please don’t leave us wondering how on earth that got there!

Yesterday, I was having lunch in a cafeteria. The guy across from my friend and I was impeccably dressed and eating his meal with a knife and fork exuding a level of class that most people weren’t displaying in there. Come to think of it, where did he get his knife and fork? Anyway, I really didn’t pay him any mind until he departed. I noticed then that he left his tray of leftover food behind without even a thought of throwing it in the trash and putting away his tray.

Now I know what I want for lunch!

This isn’t merely about there being additional work for the cleaners in the cafeteria.

I don’t know about you, but I sincerely hate to see half-eaten food lying exposed to flies and germs. It’s even more repulsive to think that someone might have been chewing on bones and bits of meat, and their saliva is mingling in that leftover meal. Not only that, but someone else probably wants to find a table to sit on, and more than likely they aren’t going to sit anywhere near your slobber-flavoured former meal.

Again, it’s the expectation that someone else will clean up after you.

Another thoughtless act I wanted to discuss is the matter of people walking in and out of air-conditioned places and leaving the door open. This really irritates me. Unless your hands are full, I see no reason for you to neglect this simple action. I’ve actually closed doors to air-conditioned public places just because I was walking by.

Or maybe I’m OCD.

Though when you really think about it, leaving a door open when the air-conditioning is running is wasting energy.

Simply because it isn’t your house and somebody else is paying for it suddenly makes it okay for you to waste it right? Then you complain that mall prices are way too high. Well they are compensating for the costs you’re incurring genius!

The last and biggest of these little things is the issue of manners. I know what you’re thinking. Having manners is an everyday thing. Maybe, but I don’t think most people realise how far something so seemingly insignificant can go. Five years ago I was the third car down the line at a gas station. The female gas attendant seemed bored at her job, pumping gas with no words being exchanged between herself or the drivers beyond finding out how much they want, super or premium. When it was my turn, I wished the woman good morning and asked for how much gas I wanted, super, please. I gave her my money, she gave me my change, I said, ‘Thank you,” and then something unusual happened: the woman leaned down, looked at me in the eye and said, “You have a great day today.”

I was floored. And I certainly never will forget it.

When you accidentally bump into someone, just apologise, when you’ve been bumped into, accept the person’s apology. You’re certain to meet people who will ignore your attempt at civility with dogged indifference, but never falter; you will meet someone who’ll give a damn. Maybe, as a society, we’re becoming so insensate that these things mean nothing even if we are on the receiving end of courtesy.

Sometimes I wonder if people still live in caves.

So easy?

Don’t misunderstand me. I am not perfect, and I certainly am not the paradigm of a moral hero. There are times when I forget to be gracious, but I think that at least I try and that I hope will make a lot of difference to somebody else.

The Thirst

soot v.

Trinidad & Tobago

To call and/or compliment someone by pulling air through pursed lips (or blowing air through open lips but closed front teeth with tongue pressed to roof of mouth). Catcall.

Everyone in Trinidad and Tobago knows what a soot is. Men of course create this sound with the intention of letting random women know that they find them attractive. The same sound is also used to summon dogs.

You see where I am going here.

I shall start off with a story, you know, because everyone loves stories.

Some time ago, I was in the grocery, shopping and browsing around. I noticed a scruffy elderly man staring at me at the other end of the aisle. Initially I thought nothing of it, but I would notice his gaze would follow me wherever he bumped into me into the grocery. Yes, he was gawking. Yes, he is old enough to be my grandfather.

Anyway, I finished up what I had to do, and then approached the cashier. Lo and behold, Gawking Grandpa cuts in front of me, without so much as a request to be excused. I curtly let him know that I was there first. He then mumbles something about him being there all the time and instructs me to ask the girl who was in front of the two of us for verification. I rolled my eyes and told him that he should have at least said something.

Anyway, Gawking Grandpa seemed to have been put off by my reprimands and no longer bothered to look in my direction. His attentions were now diverted to the hapless girl responsible for bagging his items after they’d been cashed.

With no attempt at subtlety he began to make his intentions clear – he wanted her to spend a night with him. She politely declined, referring to him as “Uncle” – a local term used to express familiarity and respect to elderly but simple men. He persisted, offering money this time – she responded that money wasn’t everything. And yes, his actions were extremely offensive, but what I found even more garishly offensive was the response of the cashier to all of this.

I frequent this grocery enough to know that the cashier is not merely a cashier – she is a lady of rank and status in the grocery, working for many years, and up the corporate ladder – for whatever reason she was helping with cashier duties today.

This cashier was amused by the relentless pursuit of this nasty old man, and the rebuffs of the girl, who all the while must have wanted to kick him in the balls, but had to keep her cool for the sake of “customer service.” The cashier had the power to stop it, to tell the man to be more respectful of their employees, but she instead chose to laugh – because an old creepy man offering a young lady money to sleep with him is hilarious.

Right?

Here’s the thing though, just about every woman in Trinidad at some point in her life would have been sooted (can I even inflect this verb this way?) The behaviour is considered practically quotidian.

I must wonder if no thought goes into the decision to harass women. And it is harassment. I’ve been told by strangers that I should smile more often, whereas I think these strangers should mind their own business. Do they know what kind of day I had? Do they know if someone just threatened to kill me? Why should I smile if I don’t feel like it? Especially when I know they just want an invitation to come and speak to me as if they have a chance.

I was even sooted on my way to a funeral, and I am quite sure the creeper in the car would have been able to ascertain that I was heading to a funeral, because I was wearing black, and (OBVIOUSLY) because I just popped out of a car parked near to the Mosquito Creek Cremation Grounds. Could I cry on your shoulder creeper?

What if I had lost someone very close to me? What if I had lost my husband?  Even though I didn’t, did they honestly think that at that moment I wanted to be gawked at? Come on.  

Then too, these days it’s harder and harder to tell the difference between a child and adult (an entirely different subject matter to be dealt with at some point), so that means these middle-aged creepers are sometimes ogling little girls. Creeper, you’re old enough to be her father. That’s how disgusting you are. When I was around seventeen I was told by a strange man that he wished he could be the ice-cream I was in the midst of consuming. I promptly tossed the ice cream in the bin and vowed never to eat ice cream in a cone in public again.

That’s what creepers do. Ruin innocence.

The way some creepers look at me, makes me want to cover everything on my body, even though I am already properly covered!

Women here have also heard everything from the wordless soot or hiss. They’ve heard catcalls with comments on their physical features from face, to body, to particulars such as breasts, buttocks and legs.

Yes baby. Nice, nice (in the grossest drawl imaginable).

I once heard a man behind me say, “Lovely, just lovely.” The guy never even saw my face.

Gyul yuh like varnish! Good for wood!

It’s even worse when they try to be polite about it. Good morning, sexy.

Vomit.

Most women’s vaginas tend to dry up instantaneously when they receive one of these creepy remarks. All women either detest it, or pay it no mind, but not once have I heard a woman feel charmed by such vulgarity.

This is not to say I don’t know that some women have found some of these creeps charming enough. I can’t explain why, but I will complain about how these men think that those women speak for all!

So the question is, what do these creepy men intend to achieve by speaking to women in such a manner? Do they really expect that panties will instantly drop? Do they expect that women would swoon at their… romantic… overtures? Or do they think women appreciate being gawked at while peacefully trying to get from point A to point B.

Now I am wondering if they were ever successful…

The most shocking thing in all of this is that these creepers are actually offended if women tell them off. As if women are supposed to feel flattered and beautiful when a complete stranger is staring at their breasts and ass as if they were KFC. Sometimes a woman will tell a man exactly how repulsive his behaviour is - his shock that he even got a response causes his piggy to shrivel up and duck between his legs.

However if a woman is with a male companion (regardless of the relationship with the woman) and that man attempts to defend the honour of the woman he is with, all hell will break loose. Creepers can’t allow some man to tell them they’re wrong, so they assert their manliness by cussing, threatening and carrying on. And after their macho display, they still go home all alone.

Ultimately, nothing is wrong with admiring a woman’s beauty, but consider the time, the place, and most importantly how you do it. There’s a creeper way, and there is a genuine and polite way to do it. If you seriously want a woman to NOT run away from you when you open your mouth, think with your head not your….