actually wild mice and rats are not that under the protection of animal welfare
but mice or rats breed as pets
even the law says, that you may not have only one pet rat, at least you must have two, as they need society of their own race

but I never said, that I would be happy, if I had mice or rats over-run my home, did I

don't think so

happily that never was happens
anyway, the problem of rats is rather happens in cities?

but however, did you ever hear of live catch traps?
available over here

so no problem to catch them alive and let them running free again out in the nature, where they belong to

Malpeki , if you are quoting me,please make sure you do it accurately. You missed out a lot of my post,which completely changed the context. I was saying that dogs are very situational,not condoning or condemning what they do. I am a committed vegetarian and feed raw so I can try to feed ethically. Dogs will be dogs, they will chase and kill,even if it's only a toy!
Alys

But they are still wildlife, and you said

Yes I have heard of live catch traps - and they are available over here as well. So you catch a mouse, take it out in the fields and release it - do you think that is the end of it? For every mouse you see, or trap, there are probably another hundred in your home or store.

It is impossible [and extremely unhealthy] to hermetically seal your home, and if there is a hole or a crack big enough to poke a pencil through, a mouse can get in.

My old dog lives with my mum on the countryside. They live in a farm house with no neighbours and no streets around, just one mud path to the house. They have 3 cats and now one dog left.
Because it's the countryside there are a lot of mice around who would go into the house and eat anything they can get and poop in their food, as mice do. So the cats and the dog chase and eat those mice.
Do you think that's cruel? It's one of the main reason people got cats and little dogs. Terriers, especially Jack Russells, were originally bred to chase rats and mice. It's their purpose, just as much as a pointer or a retriever has a hunting purpose.
I understand what you mean and I certainly don't agree with people letting their dogs chase and eat any wildlife they see, but it happens and on the countryside it happens more and I don't think it's that big a deal. And for me, an animal that grew up in the wild and got killed and eaten by a dog is still more lucky than one raised for slaughter, no matter how ethical the farming was.
Yes, we are civilised (or we think we are) but our dogs aren't. They are domesticated, so they're not like their wild counterparts. However, they are still animals. Some of them bred by humans to do a certain job (hunting, getting rid of pests etc), shaped into a way and with an increased drive to do just that.
I'm just saying that I find it strange that you're shocked at certain animals (dogs) killing other animals while kind of justifying other animals (humans, who are supposed to have reason and be civilised) killing animals for food.

Some people let their dogs hunt and eat rabbits/mice/rats where there are loads of them and they are not protected because they are not endangered.
Other people go to the supermarked and buy dog food that is made out of animals farmed and slaughtered for that purpose (or to the butcher, but the animals were still killed by humans and then given to dogs).

Which of the two is more natural for dogs and for the prey?

Well said!

I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Malpeki here. Encouraging dogs to kill or destroy wildlife is kind of... EHHHH... in my book. Standing by and watching a dog destroy something is also EHHH. Jade has gotten a few possums trapped in her outdoor enclosure.

She never goes straight in for the kill, but rather... corners the animal, terrorizing it. When we used to hear a distinctive type of growling/barking we knew she had another one cornered.

I always rushed out to save the animal, and most of them were saved from death. Go into the enclosure, leash Jade and drag her out then take a broom etc. and encourage the animal to leave her cage.

She did rush in and snatch one and violently shook it to death once before I could do anything (so, so sad, I nearly cried)... but the rest I was able to save. This has happened at least 10 times. Not really sure why they go in there, or how they get in there.

THIS:



Is cruel and ridiculous... IMO. The dog was bitten and everything. He's saying "Don't distract it?" WHY NOT?? No need to let the dog torture and kill the poor thing...

of course the will (some but certainly not every dog)
...if you let them chase

some dogs are aggressive towards other dogs
totally natural, at all at males, they wanna make up who's the stronger one and to defend their territory

totally natural for dogs
so you let do them so?
or would you hold them back?

a female dog in heat and a male dog comes along
if the female agree, they just will meet

totally natural for dogs
so would you just let them meet?
or wouldn't you?

No? why not? that all is just natural for dogs or not?

well, just too easy to turn the page of which side you wanna see it

so all of these arguments of "that's just natural for dogs" are without rhyme and reason

yes, they are, but they belong to the list of pests
that's the difference

and if it's at you like you said:
"For every mouse you see, or trap, there are probably another hundred in your home or store"

certainly then I would not just count on my dog chasing them (though for sure I never again had to buy food for my dog )
I certainly would call a vermin exterminator!

I just had done the same like you!

and so nice to see, that there are still out peeps which are thinking the same like me and also care for wildlife

maybe these possums you saved were already killed and eaten as well, but then of other animals which are dependent on for to survive
but not by our pampered pets

Did I miss the post where you stated you are vegan? Where did I say I would just let anything that is natural to a dog just happen? I just live in the real world,where my dogs are allowed to be free in my garden and pigeons are chased off! My ex - battery hens safe because I trained my dogs to leave them. A dog is a predator,I try not to harm anything but dogs chase and kill. You don't have to watch but the animal you feed YOUR dog had to be killed too! To accept nature is not to enjoy the cruelty of it. Just don't misquote me!