Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Chihuahua friends - outrage.

I am going to descend into ranty swearage now. Please turn away if you are under 18.

What kind of godforsaken lobotomised jellybellied backwards inbred coward does this? What kind of cop does this? Tasering and shooting a Chihuahua three times because it bites you - I'm sure those tiny teeth were a real threat to your life. I'm sure with all your manly roughness you couldn't prise its grip of steel jaws off you. I'm sure you were so afeared you were causing a warm spread of liquid to seep through your pants. If you can't stop being bitten by a small dog without resorting to the highest level of force available to you, then I wonder at your ability to clean and toilet yourself let alone properly discharge the duties of a police officer. I hope you call in sick the day you have to negotiate with an armed robber, talk a person off a ledge, or even, say, write your own name because I doubt you're able to do up your own buttons.

That poor dog, and poor little boy.

Pet Chihuahua Tasered, shot dead by police in Cincinnati

June 10, 2009 01:43pm

A YOUNG boy is still "barking" for his dog to come home after police Tasered, then shot dead, the family pet on their front porch.

US police in Cincinnati killed Jack, the Bullock family's Chihuahua-mix pet, after an officer was bitten on the hand, WCPO reports.

The small dog had been Tasered, then shot at twice by police.

A third gunshot killed the dog.

Scott and Sharon Bullock discovered the dog's blood and three bullets on their porch after returning from a funeral last Friday.

They called the local police station and discovered what had happened to Jack, who was a birthday present for their 12-year-old son.

They said they were told that two officers had cornered the dog, when it began biting one on the hands.

Police said the officers had "no option" but to shoot the dog.

Mr Bullock said his five-year-old son was distraught by the killing.

"He 'barks' for him," Mr Bullock. "He'd 'bark' and Jack would always come to him, so he's outside going 'Bark bark bark,' hoping he's gonna come back.

"It's heartbreaking."

His wife said the child had cried himself to sleep after the shooting.

Lieutenant Paul Hartinger from the Blue Ash police department told WCPO that the officers had no choice but to shoot the dog after it had attacked them and other people.

"As badly as the officer was getting bitten, he had to do something to protect himself," Mr Hartinger said.

"They first chose physical means, then a Taser, and when those two didn't work, he had no option but to shoot the dog."

Police say the dog had bitten the officer 17 times on one hand and nine times on the other.


Saturday, June 6, 2009

Yummeries from Zuzu, Illinois, or: I am touched

Everyone should have an international friend like Zuzu!

Lizzy and I met in London last year, when we were coincidentally staying in the same hotel - and we worked this out via the PPK website. We hung out, ate breakfast, went to Portobello Road, swapped our respective lawyerdom horror stories, and elbowed out way through London Vegan Day. You don't often meet people who you can happily hang out with straight off, and we've kept in contact.

Recently we decided to bypass the official PPK Care Package Swap Rules and conduct our own illicit international postage yummery swap.

Anikee at Radical Grocery and I picked out Australiana-but-not-feral-Koala-Blue-style goodies. I included some Jasper instant coffee - my favourite, Orgran Outback Animal bikkies, a soy candle made especially for RadGroc, some Rawganic mint chocolate, and some other yummeries and sneaky things.

And in return ... ! I opened my care package on my birthday (my TDay) and was truly astonished by the generosity and yumminess coming my way. Check these out and drool in glorious envy!



A cookbook, raw sweeties Larabars, two (!) dark truffle (!) blocks from Trader Joes ...




... treats for Sam, mushroom-based Primal Strips (what a name eh!) ...



...marshmallows, crnaberries, lemon chilli almonds, and Swedish Fish!



And oh, those marshies were good. And finally - an item that combines our shared interests in animals, snark, and badges:



My TDay was also celebrated with cake - except awesomer. A 1.5 litre tub of soy flavours form Casa Del Gelato - the grown-up vgena version of a SaraLee icecream cake.

Here is Miss T Junior attempting a lick:



... and here is my cake. Sick to the power of rad!



Thankyou, Zuzu, for a generous, thoughtful and yummy gift that I am sure will make me and tummy very happy!