to be INCENSED with the Mail Online?

[Mintyy]

Look, I know its a horrible right wing rag with a very questionable attitude towards women and this is the reason why I don't read it regularly ...

but I want to know if it is possible to do something to stop its lurid, wanton and totally unnecessary coverage of unspeakable animal cruelty cases!

I don't look at it all that often but every time I do there is some horrific story on there including pictures with NO WARNING. I can't recommend that you look at it today (very very upsetting banner headline including pictures) but I hope some of you will so that you know what I mean.

If I tweeted I would be twittering about this right now! Is there anything else the ordinary punter can do? Can I complain via the website? I can't face going back on there just now.

"I think there's a difference between covering these stories - and they need to be reported - and using the most horrific detail in the headline and using extreme pictures"

I agree there is a difference, but for me the difference is the other way round.

To explain.

If I had only read about the angora rabbits being plucked, and the pain and suffering they endure, I might have only signed the petition that accompanied one of the articles (and yes, I did sign).

But I also saw photographic stills of the rabbits stretched out and tied, of the plucking, of the plucked skin, of the traumatised rabbits in their cages afterwards, and then I watched a video of the plucking, saw it happening and heard 'it' too.

Then, in addition to signing the petition that reading about it had led me to do, I spent many hours googling uk angora products and emailing the retailers of these to ask them about their angora suppliers. Then I followed it up by asking them to track their suppliers. Then I followed that up by asking them to stop stocking angora and asking them to inform their suppliers that they will no longer purchase while this method of harvesting is practiced in their country.

Okay, I know it's still only scraping the surface and I'm maybe not making much difference, but I am trying and I'll keep trying. It is the horrific detail, extreme pictures and video (in that case) that caused me to want to do more than sign the petition.

The latter is no different to killing cows even though it looks strange to us.

Cows aren't treated as badly as these dogs are. I haven't seen any cows on their way to the abbattoir, all piled on top of eachother, crammed into a cage with limbs twisted out of shape and sticking through the wires.
Cows aren't thrown (still alive) into boiling water.

This is sheer and utter cruelty. Don't try and make excuses for them.

I agree with Rosey.
It was graphic photographs from an abattoir that gave me the push I needed to give up meat. I was in ignorant bliss.
If these pictures generate debate and raise awareness I'm all for their publication, despite the Mail's questionable motives.

Actually I quite like that idea Mintyy; a click-to-hide option for images so that readers could browse in peace. I've seen it on blog sites and such for NSFW images. Or perhaps to start with the image could be blurred slightly with text saying 'click to show'. That way the article would still be in-your-face with a big dramatic headline (and hopefully make enough interest for them to read/sign/donate) but it wouldn't distress people as much.

Interestingly, most of the mixed breed dogs there have a certain look to them, even ones that aren't strays.

Thanksginney just signed petition.

The pictures in the mail are not going to encourage anyone in the UK to give up eating dog (I don't think).

The pictures in the mail are not going to encourage anyone in the UK to give up eating dog (I don't think)

You think it's going on here as well?

Buy a billboard - something else people can do to help if they have the ££.

"When anti-dog-trade charity Soi Dog put up trial billboards, local people passed on information that lead to arrests – and the lives of hundreds of dogs were saved."

Interestingly, most of the mixed breed dogs there have a certain look to them, even ones that aren't strays

I thought this as well. They nearly all have Sandy coats.

No, but they might generate discussion and rethinking of attitudes towards animal cruelty.

And I don't think it's a million miles away from western slaughterhouses.
'Humane slaughter' is a myth, imo.

I've just bought a billboard.

So although the story made me feel physically sick maybe it will have a good impact.

I won't be the only person who wants to do something.

I saw the headline of the story you are talking about, OP, but did not click on it, I am assuming it was the one with the dogs being killed for food. Disturbing and upsetting in my opinion but, taken in context, it is set in a country where eating dogs is considered normal.

Far, far more upsetting to me was seeing the blanked out picture of a long line of many bodies (tribal leaders and others who oppose ISIS) who had just been slaughtered in a street by ISIS fighters. Horrific and frightening. I cannot get my head around why humans do this to others for religious reasons.

Mintyy, I couldn't see a link, but then I realised it had been said it was the front page so I did go and see.

Looks awful to me, but then I probably wouldn't enjoy an abattoir too much. Obviously they are not doing it to be cruel, but to sell for food. So it's more like indifference. I think there's an important distinction there since we're seen cases of people doing it for fun. I don't like people who cause pain for amusement, but I do eat meat.

Don't try and make excuses for them.

If they were cows and they cut their throats to kill them without stunning them first would that be okay? Isn't it the case for many people that it's because they are dogs and therefore 'people'

I'm in favour of better treatment of animals, but most people are inconsistent.

Cows aren't thrown (still alive) into boiling water.

Lobsters are or were last time I checked, but most people don't mind that as they are not cuddly.

Don't read it.

I loaded up "Tea and Kittens" so if I'm ever tempted to click on a DM link I get pictures of kittens on my browser instead.

It has cured me of the filthy DM habit I tell ya, cured me!

I'm glad of the exposure however it comes. One day these practices will be gone because of such exposure. These poor animals must not suffer in private any longer. Thankful for the internet for bringing these stories to a mainstream audience. Let everyone who is affected by this do something about it. I hope you've been moved to take action OP, and I don't just mean complaining to the DM.

No I haven't been moved to take action Kinky. I will not be going back to the story to read more about it in depth, or see what I could do, because I have been so repulsed by the pictures. Which is one of the points I am trying (and obviously failing) to make.

I don't know...when I was a journalist I would receive court copy through which would detail the most sadistic and sustained abuse of a woman or copy with all the grim details of child abuse.

Often the decision was taken to edit out these details as they were considered gratuitous especially for a newspaper which will enter a family home.

I'm doubtful. I'd love to be proved wrong but the British care about animals in a way that's utterly alien in many countries. A DM story isn't going to make your average Vietnamese person give a crap how their food was killed.
Arguably, change should come from
Within their culture rather being imposed by another nation applying their standards to a completely different country.

I'd happily eat dog meat (or any other kind of meat) if it tasted nice. I wouldn't be too concerned for the welfare of the dog before it was slaughtered.

What's important is to promote human well-being and reduce human suffering wherever it occurs.

Animal well-being comes a very poor second: it's important to preserve species and habitats but individual animals don't matter that much. Dogs are not an endangered species; I have travelled extensively over Asia & Africa and can confirm that those "Yellow Dogs" are everywhere: sorry guys BUT THEY ARE VERMIN! At least they're a source of protein to some, many of whom are much poorer than us.

I hope they enjoy their dog thermidor (I'm not sure if I would).

Oh do fuck off UrbanLandlord.

Why is that news, everyone knows some parts of the world eat dogs.

They aren't somebodies, beloved pet any more than the chicken we had for tea was some bodies pet.

No blood or gore in the picture, hardly worth getting incensed about.

As it should be TheBogQueen.

There is no need for the general reader to know the details of the torture in "a person was tortured and killed". Certainly no need to see photos of it.

I am so bemused that dogs being killed for food is the end of the world and yet beheadings/rapes/child abuse (in very same rag) is not worthy of comment let alone a thread.
This may be due to differences in mobile/desktop sites, but still.