SAVE HOMER

[longshanks]

Dear all
Its time for all pooch lovers to stand up and be counted in defence of my good friend Nick McB's dog Homer (secks y'all).

On this very forum there has been a suggestion that he be destroyed !!!

Here's a poll so you too can offer your support for the wee mutt.

Long Walks (canine supporter by choice)

[spiderman]

Why don't we adopt Homer as our Seil Chat mascot, enrol him as a guest Member, give him an avatar, let him open fetes and local events, put him on the Community Council and take turns of looking after him as required (everyone but the dreaded 7th Seil, that is!)? Treat him as a local senior celebrity and make his last days and years happy and fulfilling ones.

[Pentlandpirate]

Treat him as a local senior celebrity and make his last days and years happy and fulfilling ones.

Great idea. We could try doing the same thing for the old folks abandoned in nursing homes too. Give them a bit of dignity too, and when it all gets a bit messy and painful with cancer or dimentia, just give them a jab in the bottom and let them drift off to sleep for one never ending dream. Strangely these are double standards the opposite way round to what you would expect.

[spiderman]

Haven't we already got old folk with dementia opening fetes and on the Community Council?

You're dead right about our double standards though. To be frank, I'd personally prefer to be treated, if sick, like a local dog than as a human (even a superhuman!).

[khartoumteddy]

your right about the old folk with denentia on the community council

maybe Nomer Mc B would be an improvement

TEDDY

[novus ordo seclorum]

Not often I visit this forum these days but I was so shocked with Seventh's suggestion that Mona Lot's dog should be put down I felt I had to post.
Just wait till Swarm hears about the threat to the family dog!
Seventh....be ashamed.

[tinkerbell]

poor homer!

[Seventhseil]

I meant no malice towards Homer or NickB..... just thought it would be the most humane,economic and long term solution that would allow Nick unfettered sailing.

[Mona Lott]

Excuse me? You meant no malice to him in saying "I suggest you put him down"? God help anyone you DO mean malice to!!

[Eric the Viking]

Bit disturbing though that NickB's trying to palm the pooch off on us?

How many elderly relatives has he farmed out in their twilight years to dodgy piss smelling retirement homes absolving yourself of responsibility.

Ah - it's a dog's life??

[sleepy]

Alas poor Homer, I knew him well!

It's the Korean holiday for me where he can become a useful culilary delight before or after being stuffed and mounted - in either order -and returned to his native heath to adorn the golf course ( latest Seileachan, back page) like Greyfriars Bobby!

Perhaps he could be placed on a spot on the course where all dogs and their owners could gravitate to in order to deposit their defecations.

(Seriously for a moment, I thought dogs were not allowed on golf courses for the very reason stated in the Seileachan)

Perhaps 7th also could also erect an obilisk where those of a certain disposition could gather to avail themselves of his talents.

Nick, could we have an emoticon of a dog please - maybe Homer would suffice?

[longshanks]

"just thought it would be the most humane,economic and long term solution"

My dear Seventh; have you been reading Mein Kampf again?

And; Nick McB, me old chum, won't SmallPaws take Homer for a few days. Cost could be funded by putting an Amazon link on this site for The Iliad or The Odyssey.

Long Book (bibliophile by choice)

[NickB]

.
SmallPaws is for cats . . . it would be a tricky disguise. I did hear a rumour that they might be putting in some doggy accommodation though, in which case it would be an excellent solution.

- NickB

[khartoumteddy]

OK GUYS

LEAVE THE POOR DOG ALONE

WHY NOT RESERVE THE CURRY POT FOR
ANY CAT

cats are a curse on society

and they make a reasonable curry


TEDDY

[NickB]

.

I thought dogs were not allowed on golf courses

We live is a somewhat over-regulated world, but I believe this directive has yet to emerge from Brussels . . .

We haven't received our Seilachan yet, so I don't know what is being referred to, but I can guess. We take Homer round the golf course most days, taking care to keep well out of the way of golfers and to not impionge on their enjoyment of the ir game in any way. I have to say that I never see any d/s on the course - although the state of the verges on the road up past Cnoc Mhor is another matter.

I haven't noticed any conflict between golfers and dog walkers personally, but perhaps those who allow their dog to foul the roadside are equally inconsiderate when they encounter golfers using the course for its intended purpose. It would be a shame if an uncaring minority spoiled things for the majority of considerate dog owners. Anyway, I will no doubt be fully enlightened when my Seilachan arrives. (On which subject - I notice that I have not been very diligent in putting a copy of the Seilachan on this site in recent months. I will try to ensure that there is a PDF version every month as soon as we receive our paper copy)

- NickMcB

[DonnieC]

Nick, I think that golf clubs in general try to discourage the prescence of dogs on golf courses as they do cause problems by interfering with play and by their fouling.

Many years ago the problem caused serious rifts with the local club committee in that it was split as to whether it should allow dogs on the course at all.

It followed on from some very unpleasant situations where d/s was covered up by bits of slate on the fairways. Sometimes it was picked up but then deposited in the tee boxes or in the normal refuse bin - imagine what that smelt like in the height of summer!

On one occasion a deposit was found on one of the greens! D/s in the rough was considered - wrongly - to be acceptable, but it then covered the cutting equipment, machinery and strimmers, which then had to be cleaned.

As one who used to cut the course these instances were reported frequently. On many occasions there were more dogs on the course than golfers and sometimes there would only be dogs running freely without owners in sight.

Some dog owners considered it their right to walk their dogs on the course. Simply not true!

A committee agreed to put up signs stating that owners should have their dogs while walking on the course on a lead and under control at all times.

With one exception I can say this was ignored and the same situation prevailed even to the extent that committee members were ignoring the signs and took their free running dogs onto the course while playing a round.

There was an instance where a committee members dog bit another committee member!

Sadly Nick, I would have to opine that it is not a minority of dog owners that are causing this problem. If the golf club committee have raised this issue then it has become a serious concern as some of those on the present committee were responsible for the original signs going up.

As I tried to point out at the time of my employment with the golf club I wondered how these dog owners would feel if I were to come along to their place of work for an unceremonious 'dump!'

Hope you get your Seileachan soon.

[NickB]

As I tried to point out at the time of my employment with the golf club I wondered how these dog owners would feel if I were to come along to their place of work for an unceremonious 'dump!'

I completely agree Donnie.

We have a friend who is a dog warden in Aberdeenshire who was over for a week looking after the dog while we went sailing. She was out walking Homer one day when she saw a woman's dog take a dump . . . the woman walked on. The conversation went something like this:

"Excuse me, I think you've forgotten something"

"Sorry - what do you mean?"

"Your dog has just had a poo - you need to pick it up"

"Oh, I don't think that was my dog"

"Yes it was. I watched it do it. You need to pick it up"

Our friend stood and looked - obviously she wasn't going to let the matter drop, and so shamefaced and muttering, the woman picked up her dog's droppings. She had her doggy bags with her, she just couldn't be bothered.

People need to be made aware of how thoroughly socially unacceptable it is to leave d/s lying around; not everyone has the brass neck of Big Jill the dog warden fae Aberdeenshire, but maybe if more people were prepared to publicly remind irresponsible dog owners it would help.

Having said that, I stick to my contention that in recent months I have not personally come across any d/s on the golf course itself . . . I am guessing (Seilachan still not here) that this has not been everyone's experience however. If the council could be persuaded to back up the single 'no fouling' notice in Balvicar with a couple more and a few strategically placed doggie bins it might help. Perhaps the CC could pass this on to Argyll and Bute. In the meantime I shall continue to walk my dog responsibly on the golf course until such time as the committee decide they have to ban dogs - which will be a shame for the dogs and for the responsible owners, whatever percentage of dog owners they may represent.

- NickB

[DonnieC]

Nick,

I'm not having a go at you or poor Homer who seems to need a few friends on this forum!

Risking a few possible fatuous comments I seem to have an unfortunate forte of becoming involved in commenting on matters of an evacuatory nature - be it dogs or shellfish

[Pentlandpirate]

Just a thought, but why is d/s less socially acceptable than cow, sheep or horse sh1t? When are farmers going to have to start poop scooping?

Can DonnieC tell us if one type of sh1t is more disease ridden than another.

[NickB]

Just a thought, but why is d/s less socially acceptable than cow, sheep or horse sh1t? When are farmers going to have to start poop scooping?

Can DonnieC tell us if one type of sh1t is more disease ridden than another.

Well, I can have a go . . .

Dogs are carnivores and carnivore s*it is generally less pleasant than herbivore s*it. Cows and sheep are ruminants, and the waste they produce is pretty much just grass with all the goodness taken out. It is used as fuel in many parts of the world. Also, by and large cows and sheep don't leave their waste on pavements, the public highway and verges or on golf courses!! I don't know of any diseases that are spread to humans by cow and sheep droppings, but I am sure someone can elighten me if I am wrong.

D/s is a different matter though. Apart from the fact that it smells disgusting it is also a vector for the spread of the following diseases, bacteria, and protozoa:

Tapeworm
An estimated 35% of the indoor animals that contract tapeworm are thought to get it from infected s*it brought into the home on the shoes of humans who have stepped in it. Tapeworm is a parasite that needs fleas to fulfill its lifecycle, but s*it is crucial to the process.

Roundworm
One worm of this class, Toxocarisis, is transmitted to humans through infected animal s*it. It can cause rash, fever, and a loss of vision.

Cryptosporidium
These protozoa cause diarrhea in dogs, cats, and humans. According to some health professionals, many of us may have had it without knowing it -- it can go undetected two out of the three times it has been contracted.

Salmonellosis
This nasty little bacterium causes fever, vomiting, diarrhea and headaches that leave both pets and people weak and sometimes unable to recover for months. Although most often associated with uncooked chicken, this bacterium can be brought into your home -- with devastating results in the young and elderly -- by, once again, simply walking through infected d/s

Giardia
This single-celled organism causes flatulence, diarrhea, and overall digestive disorder. It can live outside of the host for vast periods of time, which is why it easily and successfully spreads via infected d/s.

E. Coli
This bacterium produces a toxin that injures the epithelial cells of our digestive tract, which can lead to severe bleeding and even permanent kidney damage.

Parvovirus
This small, single DNA-stranded virus is species-specific, not xenotransferable, but there are many types of it. In dogs, the virus capsule -- which, unlike some viruses, is not composed of fat which means disinfectants can't kill it as easily -- affects quick-splitting cells like those of bone marrow, the lymph system, and the intestinal tract. Its initial symptoms include Rover vomiting and diarrhea-ing, which is why those symptoms should always be treated with medical attention, especially in puppies and adolescent dogs.

So - all in all it is better picked up . . . PP, have you never trodden on a barker's egg? How can you compare it with the inoffensive remains of our ruminant friends?

- NickB