Monday, May 12, 2014

Lutheran determination.






A dog show in a local village. Not many dogs but a large table covered in wine bottles. An appreciative, if slightly inebriated, crowd. While Angus heads off to look for a parking spot, 'the font' heads off to see the hunting dogs. 

We'd always agreed that the sensible thing to do when living abroad is ignore the non-Anglo-Saxon attitude to animals. France is better than Italy in this respect. Most of the hunting dogs are well cared for. But not all. Two of the dogs are squabbling. A man in a mock hunting costume 'loses it' and starts beating the dogs with a whip. He then picks the dogs up by the back of their necks and throws them across their cage. One dog is left badly bleeding. 'The font' forgets the prudent vow of silence. France and Sweden come into conflict. The Frenchman doesn't like being told to stop. The Swede doesn't like his rejoinder. The conversation develops. The men ( he's been joined by others ) finally ( and heatedly ) storm off. 

Angus and the PON's, having finally found a parking spot, are oblivious to all this. When reunited we do however recognize the symptoms of Lutheran determination. The hunting dog saga, as far as 'the font' is concerned, is not yet settled. The mayor of the dog show village is about to get a visit.





26 comments:

fleurlilian said...

Great, I compeletly agree with your wife, some things cannot be ignored. Well done. Love from Southern Italy Susanne, Daisy, Kiri and Dandy

WFT Nobby said...

I am intrigued by the form of the 'dog show'. Is there a show ring, or dog the dogs just sit in their crates while the humans enjoy the wine?
Best of luck to the font - do let us know how she gets on.
Cheers, Gail.

Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers said...

Well done !!!! Apathy allows it to go on

Anonymous said...

I hope she made them feel suitably ashamed.
Teena & Merlin

Anonymous said...

Catherine from Sydney - I might be French but this time I side with Sweden. There is never any excuse for cruelty to animals. And anyway, a bleeding, limping dog never gets any prize. But may be some people see callousness as a sign of masculinity!!!!!!

Julie said...

If the Font needs back up, I'll be there !
No excuse ever for mistreating animals

Anonymous said...

I'm with Julie - and the font! Very well done for speaking up. Never nice to get into a confrontation - I'm sure it spoiled the day for the font, who was no doubt looking forward to a nice doggy day out - but so worth doing. I hope M. le Maire also speaks up and berates the dog owner, in public. How would the farmer like to have a whip taken to him, I wonder? He should be ashamed.

Unknown said...

je suis de votre avis.chaque fois que j'assiste a des scénes de cruauté envers les animaux cela me rend malade.il y a trois ans j'ai perdue une chienne griffon nivernais qui venait d'un'refuge du sud 'ouest une merveilleuse chienne elle était traumatisée par la betise de l'homme.nous avons vécue une belle histoire toute les deux.je milite a font pour le respect des animaux.

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

GO, font! They need to be told.

XXXOOO Bella & Roxy

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

A standing applause for 'the font' from my corner of Virginia!! I hope you'll let us know how the visit goes with the mayor of the dog show village.

Anonymous said...

Thanks to "the font" for refusing to ignore such cruelty. Causing an animal or a human to bleed is not acceptable behaviour. I've got your back.

Heda said...

Vive la Font!

Susan said...

HOORAY !!! for the Font
& much love from Missy D, Samuel & the rest of the gang

10NISNE1 said...

No water for the panting dogs in the hot sun? Animal cruelty and neglect make my blood boil!
Empathic people like"the font" make this world a much better place!

Whispering Walls said...

Three cheers for the Font!

Jake of Florida said...

Good job, Mme. La Font!!! Some people should not be entrusted with dogs and I'm glad you spoke up to this cruel coward.

Is that a wirey lad I see in the corner of one photo?

Anonymous said...

I'd offer to be back up,(Lutheran and a dog person) but it sounds like the Font has everything covered! Hoping the dog abuser gets reprimanded by the mayor of the dog show. If he does such a thing in public, dare we ask how he treats the dogs when no one is looking?

Emm said...

My money's on the Swede, and my sympathies are with all the other comments above. No excuse for cruelty, especially to dogs, who have been loyal through the centuries, although sometimes you have to wonder why.

Kari said...

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmumd Burke

Cruelty and excessive alcohol go hand and hand.

Never underestimate an angered Swede. Never.....ever.

Three cheers for the Font.

MrsDuncanMahogany said...

Three cheers for 'the font'. I too would not tolerate that at all.

rottrover said...

Thank you, 'font.'

The Life of Riley said...

Good on "The Font" for doing something, and going to see the mayor. No animal should be treated that way. Perhaps also a quick email to the SPA might result in the dog's owner and the dog show organizers rethinking how they treat animals.

The SPA website (http://www.spa.asso.fr/ ) says:

"Signalement MaltraitanceVous êtes témoin de mauvais traitement ou d'actes de cruauté sur des animaux (chat, chien, équidé, etc...), vous pouvez contacter le service Enquêtes en précisant les faits et le lieu.Ecrivez à : enquetes@spa.asso.fr "

Anonymous said...

The font is a woman of courage and the hero of all us who are appalled and enraged by the inhumane, cruel treatment of animals by ignorant, sadistic, heartless, pathetic excuses for human beings........if only there was some way we could all stand with the font........it can be difficult beyond reasonable tolerance to live on the same planet with human scum like that dog owner.......you have to believe in Universal justice to keep from going bonkers....If I had Harry Potter or Hermione powers, that dog owner and his cohorts would be in all sorts of trouble......Thank goodness for the font. ....DBH

Louise said...

I knew I liked the font

Brinley Westie said...

Goodness! My Momma woulda had a fit and prolly grabbed his whip and took it to him! Good thing she wuzn't there, she don't take to kindly to animal abusers!

VirginiaC said...

Imagine what goes on behind closed doors...I too cannot take the sight of people abusing animals.
I once made my dad stop on a busy highway one afternoon on our way home from school to tell a man who was beating a poor tired donkey with a heavy weight on its back to stop it immediately. My father was in shock, he had no idea when I asked him to stop the car that I was going to jump out and confront an older man about his behaviour...I was only 12 years old at the time.
I love the Font even more...she is a good person.
The mayor had better be on his best behaviour when she visits him.
Petition site: Care2.com