Mobile Mayhem

Running into Monday. Edit - Nope, it's Tuesday Anyone else lose all sense of time?

Waterloo Regional Pig Patrol got a $5 MILLION budget increase, totaling a 2021 budget of $185 MILLION. Despite annual budget increases for the last 5 years, violent crime has continued to increase in the region. And that is how they like it, or as the Chief said "we have a job to do." ... They have a job to do because they continue to use taxpayers dollars to uphold white supremacy that creates disparities in housing, healthcare, etc that cause people to turn to crime in the first place. They only allotted $250,000 to projects & services that would decrease the need for pigs. And it looks like they blew it on this performative bullshit that isn't just harmful, but will actively endanger people's lives. Please sign the petition to have the Waterloo Region Pig Patrol dismantle this atrocity, but also a detailed report of how much it cost. http://chng.it/JYVRRTzssC

I was in one Facebook/Dogbook group and I got banned for dropping science on some Doodle-lickers. While I love Doodles, I have a zero patience for spreading medical misinformation. Hypoallergenic dogs do not exist, full stop. Anyone who tells you otherwise isn't qualified to disperse medical advice or even dog advice for that matter. "hYpoAlLeRgEnIc mEaNs less likely to cause a reaction." (they said, sending me screenshots of dictionary.com)... Yes it does, for a GROUP of allergy suffers (ie: people with dog allergies), not on an individual basis. Hypoallergenic refers to an avg or pattern not singular cases. So, for a breed of dog to be hypoallergenic they'd have to consistently trigger fewer allergies or less severe allergies/asthma in MOST dog allergy/asthma sufferers. And research by allergy and immunology experts has not shown a pattern of data that supports hypoallergenic dog breeds. While breed is not a factor, environment, diet and behavior did create significant variations between individual dogs. Cosmetics and fabrics are labelled hypoallergenic because they're less or unlikely to cause reactions in large samples of people with those allergies. Why the fuck do I care? Seems like a stupid thing to get fired up about. For starters, it is medical misinformation that is used to make money, which is super gross. Not to mention how wild it is for dog people to think they're equipped to disperse information about human medicine in the first place. Next, allergies and asthma are not just minor annoyances for many people and can seriously compromise health and overall quality of life. Obviously people should do their due diligence before getting a dog and rely on their healthcare provider (not breeders, not Facebook, and not this post!). However, I am sympathetic to the amount of BS people have to wade through and how hope can cloud judgement. This puts people in a position where they bring home a dog under the impression it's hypoallergenic, only to find out they are allergic/asthmatic (or worse, their kid is!). I live with severe allergies/asthma and dogs (by informed choice), so I know that is an unspeakably shitty position to be put in, unknowingly. So if a dog breed works for your allergies, great! But don't tell people they're a hypoallergenic breed. Shout out to Hating doodles isn't a personality trait for the inspo! [Photo Descriptions under each picture]

It is International "Fuck the Patriarchy" Day - the most wonderful time of the year! However, if your feminism doesn't include ALL women; women of color, transwomen, disabled women, fat women, poor women, childless women, LGB+ women You are actually wielding your proximity to the patriarchy to harm other women and that shit isn't feminism. ... The dog training industry may be dominated by women, but it is still ruled by the patriarchy. Just look at the number of women peddling methodologies that are founded in patriarchal ideals, the number of gender traitors who sided with a sex predator; the women led organizations that still have not acknowledged and apologized for how they have harmed trainers of color or remain inaccessible to disabled trainers. We as white women, need to be unpacking our biases that prevent us from fighting for all women in the communities we belong to - that includes ourselves. How the hell can we actually fight a system that holds us back, when we wield it when it is convenient? If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." Lilla Watson (Activist, Academic, Artist; Gangulu woman from Queensland, Australia. [Photo Description - white text on dark purple background. Quote - If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." Lilla Watson]