I've seen dogs chase and injure a baby deer. I guess you'd say that's nature, also, but that doesn't make it right.

I don't think dogs should be allowed to roam because they are dangerous to people and vehicles. Yes, if I agreed with them being free to roam then I would agree with them killing large wildlife. Maybe not - there are less of them available to kill (here at least) so it makes more impact.

I take back what I said. Situations are different for different people, different locations. My cats have a great life, and I don't think I've ruined their lives by keeping them healthy and happy.

Dogs CAN be trained to not leave the yard. Zeke, may he rest in peace, knew exactly what his boundaries were and never got near leaving those boundaries...even to chase things.

Try training a cat to not wander in front of a semi.

I don't recall where I saw the numbers or if they're even verifiable but if you think about how easy it is for a cat to grab birds at the feeder it gives you pause. Wanted to type paws so badly but will hide pun here.

The guilty animal was found. He is a permanent resident near the lake who started to wander a couple years ago during a divorce deal, apparently neither owner wanted responsibility for him. We know both parties to the divorce, but don't know why the dog is back on the street after settling down for so long.

We forget the real victims of divorce: the pets. Oh, yeah, and the children.

Poor thing is probably hungry if they've abandoned him.

I'm trying not to think about the consequences for the kids... they're in the same custody as the dog.

Oh lord...are you sure the kids didn't kill some of the chickens?

Feral children do have a certain independent streak I admire.

There was my laugh out loud for the day.

I'm sad because our Grand Pier has burned down. Monday the townn awoke to the smell of burning and noise of sirens and all we could do was watch while it took two hours for the entire pavilion to be ungulfed and entirely destroyed. I hope the picutres will upload.

Sadly, the rain came too late to help and all of the pavilion is lost. The underlying metal structure though is apparantly ok, and hopefully in good enough shape to be built on. What didn't help was the tide being out and the firefighters having virtually no water, they couldn't drive their tanker up the pier. I was carried up the pier as a babe in arms and was only there the day before this happened. It's what we do here, walk up the pier in the evening.

Lots of sad looking people around town at present.:(

What about the small dogs? Are they a "danger to humans?" I think no moreso than a cat.

A well trained pet, be it a cat, a dog or whatever is no danger to anyone. Its the peopleidiots who buy animals and don't train them that are the problem.

That sad CZ - sorry.

Thanks C, and I meant 'engulfed' of course!

This is a bad hit on a small traditonal English seaside town whose annual influx of summer visitors funds very many small businesses. Hotels, caravan parks, bars, restaraunts etc.

Monday was day one of the summer holiday season and coachloads of people arrived to find the central attraction ablaze. Ironically they stayed and ate ice cream and Fish n' Chips but once the novelty has worn off and the pier has stopped smoking, we face a grim summer, cancellations have already started.

And of course - it's raining!

Wow. That sucks. I'm sorry.