DEAR DR. FOX: Why are captive hunting facilities or shooting preserves still allowed? In today’s paper, there was an article about a rancher who cloned giant sheep for shooting preserves. (He was fined and given six months' prison time.) I just don’t understand why, in this day and age, these "canned hunts" are still in operation and haven’t been eliminated via legislation.

Just how sick can one be to shoot a typically semi-tame animal in a fenced area with no escape, all for a trophy? You’ve probably touched on this topic before, but as it was in today’s paper, I’m fired up about it. -- C.D.G., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR C.D.G.: I appreciate your concern. The prosecution of this rancher has been widely publicized, primarily because he illegally imported an endangered species of sheep.

From BBC.com, Oct. 1: "Arthur 'Jack' Schubarth, 81, illegally imported body parts of Marco Polo argali sheep, the world’s largest, from Kyrgyzstan, and sent the genetic material to a lab to create cloned embryos, court documents say. The cloning resulted in a single male, which he named 'Montana Mountain King,' or MMK. MMK was then used to inseminate ewes to be sold to shooting preserves, also known as captive hunting operations."

This venture was certainly expensive, and the money would have been better spent on rewilding indigenous species on ranch-land rather than engaging in this biotechnology purely for hoped-for profit.

"Canned hunts," where animals are in a large fenced area for people to come and shoot with guns or bows and arrows, are an atavistic “sport” and a sad reflection of the mental state of so many trophy and recreational hunters.

In his book “The Art of Happiness,” the Dalai Lama wrote: “Ask a hunter to visualize his favorite hunting dog being shot or caught in a trap to awaken feelings of compassion. Then he may better imagine the suffering of his prey.” Such envisioning is the way to build the bridge of empathy, enabling us to feel for others and to exercise our moral freedom of choice to act responsibly.

To take pleasure in the hunt and the kill, and to enjoy wearing furs from animals that were snared and trapped, are antithetical to the ethics of a subsistence way of life that was sustainable for millennia in our gatherer-hunter past. Now our children are corrupted by the values of consumerism and of treating other sentient beings as objects and commodities rather than as subjects of community.

CATS CAN PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS

Pet ownership does not guarantee mental health benefits, of course, but studies have shown that spending time with cats can relieve anxiety for people who have chronic mental health conditions, says Howard Liu, chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Communications. “Having a cat can help people feel connected and gives them a daily routine that can be helpful for both the person and their pet,” Liu said. (Full story: Good Housekeeping, Oct. 12)

(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.)

DEAR READERS: With the precipitous global decline in wildlife and biodiversity, the hearts of some are hardening with indifference, while others are breaking. The plights of political, economic and environmental refugees grow more dire each day. Many of these peoples are victims of past colonial exploitation, combined with current wars and oppression -- all compounded by the ravages of climate change-driven floods and droughts and consequential famine and disease.

In more affluent countries, rising infertility levels and declining birth rates make the acceptance of immigrants a socioeconomically enlightened decision, in addition to a compassionate one. A leader who understood this was labor organizer and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, who helped many immigrant workers.

Many years ago, I had the honor of sharing a podium with Chavez at a public forum in San Francisco on animal and human rights, and was impressed by his humility, wisdom and passion. This world would be a better place with more leaders like him.

Chavez often spoke about the need to protect animals, and he lived a vegetarian lifestyle due to his deep compassion for them. In a famous statement on the subject, he said: “Kindness and compassion toward all living things is a mark of a civilized society. Conversely, cruelty, whether it is directed against human beings or against animals, is not the exclusive province of any one culture or community of people. Racism, economic deprival, dogfighting, cock-fighting, bullfighting and rodeos are cut from the same fabric: violence. Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well ourselves.”

Now, after decades of experts warning governments about the looming climate crisis, the more affluent countries are facing the devastating impact of an unsustainable, extractive, polluting, fossil-fuel-based economy. The estimated cost to people in the southeastern United States from damage caused by hurricanes Helene and Milton is more than $50 billion.

The only hope is in the implementation of alternative energy sources, such as solar and geothermal, and in forging a global, sustainable, circular economy. As John Donne declared, “Nature is the common law by which God governs us,” and our current path -- unbridled capitalism, corruption, and corporate and militaristic imperialism -- violates this common law. It is ultimately nihilistic.

Is it not ironic that rich nations and corporations are sending costly, polluting rockets into space to find evidence of life in our solar system, and for billionaires to enjoy brief spacewalk thrills, while not taking care of life on Earth? As Albert Schweitzer famously wrote: “Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.”

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 2-year-old dachshund who loves to sit up and beg constantly. I’ve been told that this posture is detrimental to her back and that she should never do it. She is also not supposed to jump on or off the couch.

Is there a supplement to give her to strengthen her back, or an exercise that might help, like going up and down steps? Maybe a particular food that could help her? -- D.H., Cleveland, Ohio

DEAR D.H.: This is a lamentable habit in this spirited but deformed breed, many of which end up in a sling/walker or having costly spinal surgery. Selectively breeding dachshunds with shorter backs is long overdue.

It is imperative to not let dachshunds become overweight, and to prevent them from negotiating steep stairs and high jumps off of beds and furniture. Regular exercise, including swimming, to build up strong muscles when young is essential. Short bursts of running and playing should be preceded by a brisk walk or a slow jog on-leash.

My massage therapy book “The Healing Touch for Dogs” has helped dogs with a variety of such conditions. Supplements, such as Cosequin for dogs and Nordic Naturals’ marine algae, can also help. Shockwave therapy (also known as extracorporeal shockwave therapy) is a noninvasive treatment that can help with back pain in dogs; other veterinarians use laser therapy or acupuncture. Consult with your regular veterinarian regarding the best approach for your dog.

In the interim, get a chest harness with a handle so you can give your dog some support while walking. Some mild physical activity is important to help maintain muscle tone.

(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.)

DEAR READERS: This is another excerpt from my work-in-progress book, “PAN: People, Animals and Nature -- Restoring Our Sacred Connections.”

We have been at war -- with our own kind, with other species and with starvation and disease -- since the beginning of our presence and multiplication on planet Earth. The ultimate war is within ourselves, as we are fearful of breaking out of the chrysalis of selfishness and anthropocentrism.

The first step toward peace is to break out and emerge as a fully mature imago: an empathic, intelligent and beautiful life-form. Such a compassionate life-form is mindful of the life within and the lives around, preventing famine, pestilence and pandemics, and dedicated to planetary CPR: the conservation, protection and restoration of clean air and water, endangered plant and animal species and biodiversity. This calls for several actions, including a swift reduction in the consumption of produce from factory-farmed animals. The land used to feed these billions of animals is taken from the last of the wild, spurring species extinctions and climate change.

Through Nature, and what some call the Creator or God, we learn about wholeness, interdependence and mutual symbiosis; how different beings help each other, like the bees that pollinate flowers and the mushrooms that feed trees. A deep understanding of, and respect for, these laws of nature form the ethical basis of a truly humane and self-sufficient society, culture and world community. Otherwise, the world will be neither just, with respect to other living beings, nor viable in the long term.

Any creature that has the power and stupidity to harm other beings and destroy its environment will bring injustice and violence upon its own kind and ultimately destroy itself.

INSIDE THE WORLD OF WILDLIFE-KILLING CONTESTS

Millions of dollars have been doled out in wildlife-killing competitions across the United States, in which hundreds of animals -- gray and red foxes, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons and other wildlife -- are shot for prizes and “entertainment.”

These carnivores play a major role in public health by keeping rodent populations under control. Small rodents in Texas can carry several diseases transmissible to humans, including hantavirus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, murine typhus, plague, Lyme disease and rat-bite fever. It is therefore in the public interest to prohibit these killing contests, as well as the currently licensed shooting and trapping of small carnivores across the U.S.

Find out how you can help stop this depraved “sport,” which I regard as psychopathic, by going to projectcoyote.org. And see the Rolling Stone article by Britta Lokting that brought me to my knees here: rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/wildlife-predator-killing-contests-1235128129.

DEAR DR. FOX: I just read your column about fruits and vegetables for dogs and cats in my local paper. I was alarmed and astonished to discover you failed to warn your readers about the extreme dangers posed to dogs from eating grapes. Your column could have been an opportunity to underscore the risks of grapes to dogs, and your omission implied a general endorsement of all fruits.

You owe it to your readers to publish a clarification. -- E.L.S., Santa Rosa, California

DEAR E.L.S.: My intention was to highlight what dogs enjoy and can benefit from, rather than add on warnings about what fruits and vegetables to avoid. But to clarify, the following should never be given to dogs: raisins, grapes, currants, garlic, onions, macadamia nuts, rhubarb, potatoes that have turned green, unripe tomatoes, avocados and, of course, chocolate.

Likewise, do not allow any sweets with xylitol or other artificial sweeteners. Cannabis products, especially those high in THC, must be kept out of animals’ reach.

(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.)