Posted on 02/18/2002 4:37:22 AM PST by Fzob
PETA Still Critical of College's Use of a Cow
Thursday, February 14, 2002
By ERIK ORTIZ
The Ledger
LAKELAND -- An animal-rights group is not satisfied with Florida Southern College's explanation for allowing a game of cow bingo on campus.
In a letter dated Feb. 7, FSC officials defended their treatment of the cow used during a Jan. 16 fund-raising event.
"To our knowledge, no laxatives were used on the cow. School officials were present from start to finish while the cow was on the campus," said FSC spokeswoman Shari Szabo in the letter to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
PETA finds FSC's reasoning predictable.
"All they did was deny the cow was fed laxatives," Amy Rhodes, a PETA cruelty caseworker, said Tuesday. "And they quoted someone who wasn't even there."
Rhodes disagrees with a statement from Jennifer Vermillera, local executive of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals who was quoted by FSC.
In the letter, Vermillera said, "I don't know if a cow would be that sensitive (about being put on public display)."
Rhodes contends that cows are affected by laughter.
"I was not talking about the cow being embarrassed. That's just silly, but I would assume that she was stressed in that situation," said Rhodes, who does not think animals should be used for entertainment.
Rhodes's other concern was that children were present during the cow bingo game.
"I am told there were a
hundred people laughing at (the cow), some children," Rhodes said. "You don't teach children to ridicule animals or degrade them because they may do the same to people. It's a dangerous message to send to children."
PETA expressed its concerns in a letter to FSC President Thomas Reuschling in January, saying it can be emotionally devastating for an animal to be exposed to ridicule.
Rhodes, who was not present during the fund-raising event, said she was informed of the game by worried students who are members of PETA.
"I hope that the school will take the concerns from students seriously and not brush this aside," she said.
The cow, donated by a local farmer, was used during a carnival which raised money for the women's softball, soccer and volleyball teams.
Cow bingo was played on a grid on Barnett Field. The squares were available to purchase and the winner was chosen by the square on which the cow deposited a cow patty.
PETA does not plan to respond to FSC's letter.
Trust me on this one: I live in America's Dairyland.
"Trust me on this one: I live in America's Dairyland."
Amen to that and I do not live in America's Dairyland.
Evidentally these PETA nuts also think it is "cruel" to keep a pet dog or cat -- they should come visit my house and see the 3 kitties we have, and how fat, happy and spoiled they are (as in -- they don't like to drink out of a water bowl so we have to keep a little fountain going at all times)
If I "released" our cats into their "true environment", two of them would be dead in a week, since their hunting skills are completely non-existent (one of them had a mole skitter across his paw and he ran into the screen door in sheer terror)-- the third cat might survive a month or two--he has caught plenty of mice and shrews -- but he never eats them--he just throws them around for awhile and then brings them to me for extreme praise and (I think) because he likes to "laugh" at me as I gingerly pick the thing up and dispose of it -ICK
hehehe.... had to say it!!!!
PV
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