to think most supposed "animal lovers"

[Aribura]

only care about animals when it's convenient?

Horses die in a race you don't watch or take part in: OMG NO HOW CAN THEY BE SO CRUEL LETTING HORSIES DIE IT'S SO UNNECESSARY

Crapton of animals die for a food product which you eat and really enjoy: lol oh well circle of life we need meat to live ignoring the fact there are perfectly healthy vegetarians lol never mind

If you don't care about either or care about both then fair play. I know I'll be UBU'd by the guilty but I just had to get that out there.

YABU to create a whole new thread to make a point that has been made many times on the Grand National thread. It's not particularly interesting and definitely not fresh thinking.

Do you care about animals?

Are you not allowed to care about animals if you eat meat?

well I don't like other peoples children but wouldn't want them beaten up

YABU

If God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat products.

"Not allowed to"? I don't think it's a matter of not being allowed to, I think it's a matter of it being logically incompatible.

And I'm sorry, I'll let you all get back to the more worthwhile and interesting "AIBU because my MIL is providing free childcare" threads.

"well I don't like other peoples children but wouldn't want them beaten up hmm"

What does that have to do with anything? A proper analogy would be that you claim you love children, care about your own children but don't give a shit if another child gets beaten.

Are you an animal lover OP?

YABU

Not particularly, no.

What a load of tosh!
I'm a vegetarian animal lover, and have friends who are animal lovers who also eat meat. Its the way people have been brought up. A lot of people choose free range meat etc. and meat does have health qualities that you struggle to get through a veggie diet.
The difference with the grand national is that it is purely for entertainment, it has no actual benefits, whereas meat does

Righty ho so you just felt like doing a spot of finger wagging?

Fair enough

Consider it well and truly wagged.

Not necessarily - I am an animal lover - I am vegetarian, trying to go back to being vegan, don't wear leather or fur, and don't use animal-tested products.

But just because other people eat meat etc. that doesn't mean they don't care.

It doesn't have to be either or, I eat meat, but give to an animal charity every month, and I've never heard anyone say we NEED to eat meat.

I don't know what it is you're trying to say? Us meat eaters are blood thirsty murdering bastards and ony vegetarians that run in front of the horses during races really care about animals?

No awesome point to be made, just pointing out that it's funny that people whine about animals dying whilst tucking into a bacon sarnie and not giving two shits about the animals being treated like dirt ("free range" =/= the animals frolicked in a field and died happy).

@Worra yep just to wag my finger, aww don't judge me. I love your posts.

It's for everyone to decide their own ethical standards.

I used to be vegan, except for the wine that i drank, on investigation, i found that unless you have limitless amounts of money, it is very difficult to have a social/work life and be trully vegan.

I eat animals/fish that i catch, but i won't be a party to the dairy trade, my choice based on my reasoning.

I like people, but i know that worldwide people are dying and suffering because of behaviour/shopping in Western society.

You just do what you can and weigh up th epros and cons.

YANBU, it is interesting how it is acceptable for some animals to die but not others.

I'm a vegetarian, I hate animal cruelty in any form. I don't think both have to go together though and that the more people care about animals the better, whether they choose to support every animal rights issue or just a select few.

I wouldn't necessarily have started a thread or put it in quite as inflammatory terms, but I do see where the OP is coming from.

I start this by emphasising that this is my own personal creed.

For me, being a true animal lover means trying to understand animal behaviour, psychology, instincts etc. It means viewing the animal as an animal not as a little furry human. It means analysing every possible interaction and making an informed judgement about whether that interaction is justified. It is about making choices and, sometimes, sacrifices. The greatest respect anyone can give to an animal is to understand it as an animal and not project their own human emotions and constructs onto it.

I was vegetarian for 13 years before it became easier to source ethically farmed meat. Throughout that time (and to the present) I was/am pro fox hunting because based on all scientific, independent peer reviewed evidence ( as opposed to emotion) I genuinely believe it causes the least amount of potential stress - and therefore the least amount of cruelty - to the individual fox and the greatest benefit to the fox species.

For years I wanted a dog. I wasn't in a position to have a dog that would have been fair - urban flat, no garden, worked full time. Even though I grew up with dogs, understand them, have no illusions about the amount of time and commitment involved and have confidence that I am a responsible owner, it would have been utterly selfish of me to bring a dog into that environment. So I didn't get one until we'd moved to a house with a garden and my husband had retired. We now have a rescue dog and I adore him - but I never forget he's a dog.

I don't believe farming animals for food is fundamentally wrong if the animals are housed and cared for appropriately and ethically and their despatch is quick and humane. Equally I don't believe keeping animals for human entertainment is fundamentally wrong if the care is as above, if the INTENTION is for every animal to return from their participation safe and sound, that measures are in place to regulate any such activity and minimise risk, and that similar humane quick euthanasia is on hand when things do go wrong.

Worra

Agree, agree, agree OP!

People see their pets as family members but happily process vast quantities of industrially farmed, processed meat and aggressively defend their "right" to do so.

hee hee, EAT not process!

The only animals I like are ones which are edible.

I am a meat eating, leather wearing, pet owning, hunt supporting, anti racing, animal lover.
I have serious issues with the welfare of farm animals, I think that there should be way more control over who should be allowed to keep pets, and there should be serious curtailments over mass breeding.
There isnt enough respect for animals. Treat it at source. The breeders and producers are the first step. Work from there. There isn't any one, single species fix, humans need to totally rethink the way that they treat the entire planet, before animals welfare improves seriously, but even a little change is something.

Meh
Actually I am unsure I care about animals.(except the ones I knw personally)
Big society innit