DEAR READERS: Thanks to Michael Hill with the Associated Press for updating readers on the outcome of the writ of habeas corpus filed by advocates at the Nonhuman Rights Project (Star Tribune, June 15) to have the elephant named Happy released from confinement at the Bronx Zoo.
The New York State Court of Appeals decided that liberating Happy on the grounds of her personhood "would have an enormous destabilizing impact on modern society." The same reasoning was applied to blocking the abolition of human slavery in America's not-so-distant past. Democracy fails when monetary interests trump the Golden Rule. But there is a grain of hope for Happy, in that two judges wrote separate dissents "saying the fact that Happy is an animal does not prevent her from having rights."
In my opinion as a veterinarian and ethologist with experience working on wild and captive elephant issues in India (see "India's Animals: Helping the Sacred and the Suffering" by my wife, Deanna L. Krantz, and myself), this entire case was too narrowly framed. The plaintiffs should have argued in their writ that the personhood of elephants recognizes their sentience, empathy, sapience, inherent value, interests and rights, as ecologists and conservationists recognize their extrinsic environmental value. Further, holding them in captivity in zoos, circuses and forest and other labor camps is a violation of their rights, as is capturing them in the wild and "breaking" them into service.
Those elephants in America's zoos and circuses should be socially rehabilitated with their own kind and put into sanctuaries such as The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, with appropriate veterinary care and birth control as needed. Reintroduction into native habitat calls for more environmental protection and restoration. Be they captive or wild, African or Asian, recognizing the rights, if not the personhood, of these incredible pachyderms -- along with their ancient relatives, the great whales and all creatures great and small -- and protecting them under the rule of law are bioethical imperatives long overdue.
DEAR DR. FOX: My vet says that my dog, Harlow, has elevated liver enzymes. He said the level is not at a critical stage, but that if there is a problem, it would be best to catch it early. He is recommending I schedule an ultrasound and biopsy.
My concern is the cost. In my area, I can expect to pay $900 for the ultrasound and $500 for the biopsy. Harlow is a 12-year-old Cairn terrier.
She recently had four teeth pulled and was suffering from gingivitis. Based on her last two blood tests (which I am sending to you), can you advise me what I should do? -- P.P., Cape Coral, Florida
DEAR P.P.: I have reviewed the veterinary tests conducted on your dog and note the elevation of liver enzymes and cholesterol. Your dog is not young, and has gone through a major health issue with dental problems. The bacteria and toxins from the oral cavity could have affected other organs in the body, the liver in particular. Often the kidneys and heart are affected. Endotoxins and adulterants in many manufactured pet foods put further stress on the detoxifying liver, as do topical and oral insecticides to prevent fleas, ticks, heartworm and other internal parasites.
I do not see the point in more tests other than to make money, since I doubt the test results would significantly change treatment protocols based on the initial blood readings.
I would advise you to transition your dog onto my home-prepared dog food as posted on my website (drfoxonehealth.com). With food, give your dog 250 mg of milk thistle/silymarin to support the liver, and a half-teaspoon of brewer's yeast or a 250 mg B-complex vitamin. Give both twice daily, for at least four weeks.
To ward off fleas and mosquitoes and avoid having to use toxic insecticides, check my article "Preventing Fleas, Ticks and Mosquitoes" on my website.
(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.
Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)