Sticking to His Guns
We were in the car listening to the radio when the host starts talking to a vet about administering animal first aid (BBC Radio 2, in case you’re wondering- they cover a lot of things unrelated to music) She explains that many dogs are injured or killed each year by people throwing sticks for them to fetch, as the sticks can splinter and injure their mouth and/or throat. She recommended a dog toy instead. The boyfriend immediately goes off on one, saying dogs have chased sticks for millions of years and that no dog has ever died from it. I point out that the vet on the radio just described several instances where dogs had died. He continued shouting about “political correctness gone mad”. I said again that she’s a vet, she’s clearly seen these injuries enough times to notice a pattern and warn people about stick danger. He decided it was a “conspiracy” designed to sell dog toys rather than good old-fashioned, low-cost sticks. I pointed out that vets can charge a lot more for life-saving stick removal surgery than a dog toy, and that the vet hadn’t even recommended a specific brand. Nope- sticks are great for playing fetch and all dog owners should throw sticks. He was SO ANGRY. We didn’t even have a dog.