When I was browsing facebook, I found an application called "causes" that supports donations to organizations such as "Livestrong", "AIDS Research", and "Stop Abuse of Women." I found a cause that shocked me to no end. It was a cause to stop the use of dogs and cats, live and dead, as shark bait. At first, I was a bit skeptical at first, but I found a link to an article in National Geographic (found here). After reading it and looking at the picture in the article, I cried. If you know me, I'm the kind of person that doesn't cry very much, but this was horrible.

What think is the worst part of this whole twisted enterprise, is the total disregard for life. The lives of stray dogs and cats have been taken without any remorse. They were stabbed with hooks and were left to bleed for a whole day before being put on a raft for a shark. I consider myself an animal rights' activist and I wish more than anything that creatures living on the streets would be taken to a warm, loving home rather than a boat to be eaten by a shark.

However, the French government has taken steps to stop this slaughter. They now made it illegal to bring cats and/or dogs (dead or alive) on a boat. But, just as it is in the United States, there are people who manage to evade the law and still carry out this horrifying practice. Please, as a dog-owner, stop this madness.