Saturday, September 5, 2015

The Unfortunate British Pet Purge...!

Wartime makes some folks, especially in government, come up with some pretty scary ideas. We had our share during the WW1 and WW2 years, but one idea pushed by the British was perhaps the cruelest of them all.

Hopefully the folks that came up with it meant well, but it is still a scary thought.

The British pet purge


animals purgeCredit: Fred Morley/Fox Photos/Getty Images

In 1939, the British government circulated a pamphlet about how to care for household pets during wartime. Along with offering advice on first aid and instructing people to evacuate their animals from cities, the memo also suggested that owners consider having their pets “painlessly destroyed.” Fearing possible food shortages and roving packs of starved dogs, thousands complied. In the span of only one week, as many as 750,000 pets were euthanized by their owners or by animal shelters. The London Zoo, meanwhile, had all of its poisonous animals killed to prevent them from escaping in the event of a bomb attack. The pet cull continued after the beginning of the Blitz, but humane societies later stepped in to assist with care and evacuation. One London shelter, the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, took in as many as 145,000 animals over the course of the war.

While I can understand a few of the reasons behind this thinking, I'm afraid I would not support the wholesale euthanization of animals, especially out of fear.

Coffee out on the patio this morning!

9 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

Some bridges are best crossed when encountered, not "before."

Chickenmom said...

Nope - couldn't or wouldn't do it.

Navy91 said...

Not a chance in hades. And woe be unto anyone that tried to do it for me.

Dizzy-Dick said...

Our pups are part of the family. They are more like children than pets. Could never, ever do that!! It would be over my dead body!!

Anonymous said...

I can understand the poisonous animal thing but not the pets. It would be like killing my own family! I would rather go myself :-)

Have a great day!
Christer.

JO said...

Yes the poisonous animals was a good call. But not the pets. There is no way I could do that with my little goof ball who runs around the house being silly and keeping me laughing.

Pouring like crazy here again sure glad I live up high.

HermitJim said...

Hey Gorges...
Boy, how true that is! Decisions made in fear usually are not the best.
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Phyllis...
I certainly hear ya on that!
Thanks for coming over today!


Hey Navy91...
I think most of us feel the same way! I know I do.
Thanks for the visit this morning!


Hey Dizzy...
They would have a fight on their hands trying to remove your pups, I'll bet!
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Christer...
Kinda what I was thinking myself.
Thanks, my friend, for dropping by today!


Hey Jo...
Hard enough to lose one to illness, but to destroy them in case of maybe? I don't think so!
Thanks, sweetie, for stopping by today!

Sixbears said...

Disturbing how many people will listen and obey government's cruel suggestions.

HermitJim said...

Hey Sixbears... Many are ready to "drink the kool-aid" at the slightest suggestion.
Hey, thanks for coming over today!