The proper etiquette is "hanging the dog by his neck, slitting his throat and stoning him to death."

As Jesus Commanded, I'm sure...

But I still believe
And I will rise up with fists!!

Well, years ago, I was working on a farm in Alabama when I was called out late in the evening to dispatch a cow that had been hit by a car and had two broken hind legs. Fortunately, a State Trooper did the deed... So, pragmatically speaking, it might make sense to dispatch a wounded or dangerous animal with a gun since a more humane way might not be available.

However, no one suggested that we string the suffering cow up and slit it's throat before shooting it. Only a psychopathic shit-head would consider such a thing.

Normally, we do what needs doing around here. Calling the police in an emergency is ok, but it usually takes them about an hour to respond. The animal control officer or game warden generally takes much longer. It would be cruel to wait if there is an accident involving an animal and it's clear that treatment would either be ineffective or not an option. Besides, law enforcement and other public employees are stretched thinly. So, I haven't shot an animal in such circumstances, but my neighbor did shoot a moose with two broken legs in the roadside ditch a few years ago and a woman with whom I used to work shot a rabid raccoon in her yard. I do not know anyone who has criticized either act. I know of no hit stray dogs or wild canids that have been similarly dispatched, but that is because stray dogs are rare and wild canids are careful.

The accepted way to deal with a dangerous or destructive animal depends on the circumstances. On the question of whether or not shooting is considered humane, my vet told me that he got into trouble going into Canada because he forgot about the pistol he keeps in his kit when he tried to cross the border in his work truck. So I know that is an option that he finds acceptable on at least some occasions, however it is unlikely to be applicable to putting down a dog. As to the question of whether or not this is necessary, the general opinion is that sometimes it is but the less said the better.

In the Florida Panhandle if you are in one of the rural areas, there is no one but you to take care of the problems.

If you are near a town or city you can call animal control, but if you encounter a wild animal [coyote, fox, raccoon or 'possum] that isn't afraid of you, it is probably rabid, and should be shot and the carcass burned to prevent the spread of the disease.

As for a domesticated animal, if it isn't threatening, there's no point. It's probably legal, as you can shoot people on your property if you think they are threat [we have strange laws in Florida] so shooting a dog or cat probably isn't illegal.

You can't shoot alligators, they are protected, unlike people.

Normally you just chase things off with a blank 12 gauge round.

If the animal is sick or wounded and can be approached, I have an excellent wild animal vet who enjoys the challenge [he was featured on Animal Planet for some of his work]. If they can't be approached, a shot is a mercy, because they will be preyed upon.

if they are injured, and you shoot them out of self-defense if they are rabid. Letting rabies -- for which there is no cure, and which takes animals to a singularly ugly death -- spread unchecked is a crime against every animal your inaction exposes.

... for the pot conviction, then. Sigh.

We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan

every bit as bad as Michael Vick, and should be treated accordingly.

I need to post on this. How about the details here:

In 1998, Huckabee was among two boys fired from a Boy Scout camp after a stray dog was killed after wandering onto camp property. Huckabee, 17 at the time, said the dog appeared ill

Colorably a "mercy killing"? (By Boy Scout counsellors??)

We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan

No, Lambert. That isn't a "mercy killing."
That's not even a youthful indiscretion.
That's torture and murder.
Violation of the Scout law as a minimum, but among other things apparently what they did was take advantage of a helpless animal for their own sadistic pleasure.
There were witnesses.
There IS a coverup.
Kinky Friedman (and I'm no friend of his because if he'd stayed out of the race Texas might not still be suffering from Perry) had an account of this on the website for his animal sanctuary *a long time ago*.

The Huckabees have raised at least one kid who ignores the Scout Oath and the Scout Law while employed as a Scout counsellor at a Scout camp. Can there be a better instance of "setting a poor example"?

Blog it. Flog it. It needs to be as big a chain around Huckabee's neck as the incident of the brown liquid needs to be around Romney's.

By the way: a mercy killing is done with an eye to ending the animal's suffering quickly. This was not that.

Assume that the Kinky Friedman "hanging/slitting/stoning" quote was out of the picture.

Could this possibly be a "mercy killing" then, based on the pure detail about the killing itself? (Leaving aside any possible arguments about cover up. That I can handle; it's cultural issue of what a mercy killing is and when it's justifiable that I'm curious about.)

I'm very willing to flog this, believe me, but I want to get all the arguments lined up.

We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan

since I'm just using what the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette published.

Huckabee fils : DO NOT WANT.
Ergo, Huckabee pere: MUST BE STOPPED.