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Amazing comment policy

One of my most favorite things is writing comment policies. In fact, I've often considered writing a blog entirely about comment policies but my therapists have convinced me that the world at large is not yet ready for something of that magnitude. Instead, I'll just present you with the shorter version:

1. Be courteous, which includes not libeling anyone even if you think they'll never read your comment.

2. All comments are moderated which means that if the comment doesn't meet criteria 1 (see above), it will be moderated with extreme prejudice, as in deleted.

3. In certain cases, the comment might get edited to meet criteria 1. So, for example, if most of the comment is looking pretty but then there's a line which goes, "And that's why I think Mr. Nutbucket is a big fuggink a-hole", I might edit that single line out. Or I might not. You take your chances.

For further exciting reading about comments, "Stephen Baxter over at NewStatesman" provides a list of commenting styles best avoided, including the one which you inevitably see every time there is an article about animal welfare in any of the major newspapers:

The "There's Something Much More Serious Going on Somewhere Else" interruption: "Excuse me, but I can't believe you're not talking about rape in the DRC. Why on earth aren't you talking about that in a blogpost entitled 'Kittens and Bunnies'?"




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A request

The reason for this blog is to help get specific dogs adopted from TAS but equally important is to try to normalize the idea of shelter dogs being just as good and just as desirable as any other dogs including those which are regularly merchandised by backyard breeders, puppy millers and those few remaining pet store owners who still feel a need to sell live animals. The single greatest stigma shelter animals still face is the belief that shelter animals are substandard animals. Anyone who has had enough experience with shelter animals knows this is untrue but the general public hasn't had the same experiences you've had. They see a nice dog photo in a glossy magazine and too many of them would never think of associating that dog with a dog from a shelter. After all, no one abandons perfectly good dogs, right? Unfortunately, as we all know, perfectly good dogs are abandoned all the time.

The public still too often associates shelter dogs with images of beat up, sick, dirty, severely traumatized animals and while we definitely sometimes see victims such as these, they are certainly not the majority and, regardless, even the most abused animals can very often be saved and made whole again.

Pound Dogs sometimes discusses the sad histories some of the dogs have suffered. For the most part, though, it tries to present the dogs not as victims but as great potential family members. The goal is to raise the profiles of animals in adoption centers so that a potential pet owner sees them as the best choice, not just as the charity choice.

So, here's the favour I'm asking. Whenever you see a dog picture on these pages you think is decent enough, I'd like you to consider sharing it on Facebook or any other social media sites you're using (I know many of you do this already and thank you for that). And when you share it, please mention that the dog in the photo is a shelter dog like so many other shelter dogs waiting for a home. If we can get even five percent of the pet buying public to see shelter dogs differently, to see how beautiful they are and how wonderful they are, and to consider shelter dogs as their first choice for a new family member, we can end the suffering of homeless pets in this country.
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