I Couldn't stand it - I had to write a letter to the Editor!

I had to write a letter to the Editor of the Globe and Mail and the Chronicle Herald about their articles about "rat free Alberta". Here's what I wrote:

I've read several articles on the topic of Alberta being a "rat free" province in the last several days and how it is everyone in that province's civic duty to kill every rat that they come upon.

I have to say how glad I am that I don't live in that province. I live in Nova Scotia that doesn't have such an inhumane law against any species. In late July I did come across an abandoned pet rat at a local park. She was obviously a hooded rat - they look completely different than wild rats and through selective breeding are as different from wild rats as domestic dogs are to wolves. I named her Mrs Dingle (in honour of the park in which I found her) and she has become a valued member of my extended multi-species family.

It occurred to me today that if I lived in Alberta I would've been expected to kill her instead of rescue her when I found her on that misty cool night in July. And I would've been breaking the law if I didn't.

Alberta is certainly allowed to ban rodents. They can do whatever they like. They can ban pitbulls, they also can ban lesbians and homosexuals if they'd like - but I bet all those things will still exist in the province (no matter what they do) - I just don't think that any of them should be dealt with by hitting them over the head
with shovels. They are all sentient beings like you and me and deserve to die with the same dignity as you and me and should be euthanized (killed) accordingly. If they aren't allowed to exist in Alberta then round them up and send them back to where they came from, or kill them humanely - but don't make them suffer a horrible death or torture them needlessly because you see them as being a nuisance - or heaven forbid - vermin!

Sincerely,

Joan Sinden
dogkisser@gmail.com
http://charlieloveshalifax.ca/
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