Fur installation, legal readings

Today I set up my fur installation in a tree in my backyard. I'm pretty pleased with the way it came out. I think I am going to take a photo of it once a week to document what happens to it from the weather and animals. 

I've been reading some of the articles from Hauser, Cushman and Kamen, eds., People, Property, or Pets? (2006) The articles have been really interesting because it's as if the articles were written for court cases. The articles discuss different legal standpoints of animals being considered property, or their own individual beings with legal rights, and the pros and cons of each. If animals react according to their desires, are they not able to govern their own lives? Do they have the ability to think through their actions? Should owners be held 100% accountable for their pets actions or should the punishment be completely on the pet?


I was discussing the "cute" factor with John McVey and dogs as fads. Dog commercials have always  been using purebred "cute" dogs to promote there brands. For my next smaller project I am going to go to local pet stores and write down the prices of pet supplies. I think it's such a disappointment when reading descriptions of why an animal was given up and the reason is along the lines of "the owner was unable to care for/able to afford the pet". It's such a disappointment because it can be so easily prevented. A person wouldn't even have to get off the couch to figure out if they could afford a pet. They could go to pet store websites and write down the costs of things. I think I'm going to design a small brochure-type hand out that includes the initial cost of adopting a cat, dog, bird, reptile etc and what it will add up to be yearly.


Here are two examples of dog food commercials using the "cute" factor to sell their brand.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hANeIYvk3VE


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puzqVlyNxxE (This video link proves the point exactly because if you scroll down to the comments, currently the first one says,"Omg!!! What kind of dog is that cuase i want it!!! lol. Someone pllaaaeessseeee tell me!! :)")


And last, this is from a website talking about overpopulation in California and a brief overview of the proposed California pet microchip legislation.

"Yes she's a beautiful Dalmatian, but Dalmatians are so retro. I mean golly, I might as well be seen with my last year's Golden Retriever. Stinko! I saw an ad for a Pressa Canaria. Such a hunk! And they come in fawn."