Quote: ingrid halonen

What I read into it is that Animal Control had a problem with the humans who were planning to attend the event rather than the fact that dogs were going to pull weight. Getting PETA to step in and help get the event canceled probably saved animal control resources. Not that I agree with taking the easy way out...

Are you saying that it was a good thing that PETA stepped in and stopped a weight pull based on the allegation that dog fighters attend those type of competitions? Have you ever attended a weight pull before? No offense meant, but that is like saying all people who attend Schutzhund trials are testosterone overloaded idiots who think it is cool that their dogs bite and that it would be a good thing if PETA came in and stopped those competitions since the sport just teaches a dog the dog how to bite effectively.....

How about the focus be on the bad folks who might be involved in the sport and not on the sport itself. In the years that I was competitive on a regional level and competed in the nationals in the sport I never once "networked with dog fighters". Mind you, I am not naive enough to say that there not dog fighters who compete in weight pulling, just that in the organizations that I compete in (IWPA and UKC) it is not the "norm".

There are good people and bad people who weight pull their dogs. Just like there are good people and bad people who compete in schutzhund. To shut down a weight pull based on the allegation that it is a networking for dogfighters is outrageous! I know I am primarily preaching to the choir here but folks, right now it is weight pulls but next stop will be sports involving bitework.

I do not condone abuse of dogs in any dog sport but, with that said, I don't condone taking down a sport like weight pull just because there are a few bad apples. There are many many people like me who do it because it is another venue in which we can spend time with our dogs.

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

http://www.peta.org/about/victoryItem.asp?VictoryID=519

Bar Cancels Dog Weight Pull-Contest

Sadly, laws do not protect animals from being forced to participate in these types of events,

I want to know how you could force a dog to pull large amounts of weigh.
If you pull on the dog you are just pulling the dog and the weight, if you try to push - the dog would just shut down or come back at you.

Ingrid, At the risk of digging myself a deeper hole, I will try to answer your questions I was not saying that it was a good thing that PETA stepped in and stopped a weight pull based on the allegation that dog fighters attend those type of competitions. I was saying that I thought Gilchrist County Animal Control in Florida might have had a problem with the people who they thought were planning to attend the specific scheduled pulling event to be held at The Hitching Post Bar. And I thought that Gilchrist County Animal Control in Florida possibly chose to call PETA to stop that specific event so they would not have to send manpower out to observe the event themselves since they obviously had concerns (easy way out).

No, I've never been to a weight pulling event, but the ones I've seen on TV look like good clean fun for man and dog. I never meant to imply that I thought people who are involved with weightpulling are scumbags, and I completely agree with you that no dog sport should be banned for all because of a few bad guys.

The Hitching Post Bar sound like a bunch of wusses

 Quote: Ingrid Rosenquist

PETA came in and stopped those competitions since the sport just teaches a dog the dog how to bite effectively.....

Maybe they should be taught how to bite PETA activists effectively.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

I hope they don't find me. I force my dogs to run around outside, chasing thrown toys and bringing them back to me, only to have to chase them AGAIN.

LOL Shame on you, if it makes you feel any better, I've done it too.