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Barbaro

I have to say I'm kind of bummed out about saying goodbye to Barbaro today. Partly because, like Smarty Jones, he was a hometown horse, and was treated at Penn Vet's New Bolton Center. Maybe because his injury was simply a terrible thing to watch happen. Maybe something else.

But, yeah....

Comments (3)

expediency101:

Me, too - it was a real downer in the middle of an otherwise raucous round of pub trivia last night.

Jeff:

There's something about an animal's suffering that cuts me to the core. I fully understand that animals might not feel pain the same way humans do...and that they don't have the same fears and anxieties we do. But watching an injury like Barbaro's leaves me feeling...helpless...panic stricken...

...I'm totally bummed about it, but I suppose it was probably the most humane thing to do. Maybe they should have euthanized him the day of the injury.

Despite all the acclaims that are being given to Barbaro's owners, I have a hard time thinking that his 8 months of agony was only for their potential financial gain...

I'm totally with you on animals' suffering. It goes right through me in a way that I don't experience with (simulated, cinematic) humans. Something about the dependence and unconditionality of what dogs and horses (for instance) feel for us. Ugh.

But I really feel pretty confident that Barbaro's owners the Jacksons, and his doctor, were first and foremost concerned about what Barbaro was feeling, and whether he was up to it all. I have no doubt they didn't put him "through" anything just because.... Listening to the surgeon in the aftermath settled that for me.

Shit. It just really sucks.

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on 2007-01-29 at 19:44.

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