Thanks to reporter David Boyce for this in-depth and well-balanced article.

Relatedly, people should be aware that California Education Code 60042 mandates that "humane education and kindness to animals" be taught in the public schools, K-12. On May 3 of this year, the California State Assembly voted 73:0 on House Resolution 28 to re-affirm that mandate.

Pig scrambles--indeed, most of rodeo--are the direct antithesis of that mandate. Most of these animals are already en route to slaughter. Must we therefore torment, terrorize and sometimes cripple and kill them before we eat them, all in the name of "sport" and "entertainment"? What does this say about us as a society, pray?

I do know what Gandhi said: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." By that standard, we need some SERIOUS work. Woodside can do better.

Let the Town Council hear from you: council.members@woodsidetown.org

Sincerely,

Eric Mills, coordinator
ACTION FOR ANIMALS
Oakland
email - afa@mcn.org

Barbaric, distasteful "tradition".
You would not do this to your dog or cat, why put the pigs through this so-called-fun?
Make this stop!

There is absolutely no reason for a pig scramble.
This event puts baby pigs in a fenced off ring to be chased, caught, dragged, and traumatized.
Puts children who know that animal abuse is wrong in a situation where they must abuse a baby pig.
Puts their parents who hopefully taught their children to be kind people in a place where they cheer as their children traumatized a baby pig.
Makes the Town of Woodside look like a town that permits animal abuse.
Why is this permitted???

Ellie Wiesels recent death brought to the fore the role of silence in the face of atrocity. How is it that individuals that directed town activities enabled torture of baby animals as "legacy"?

The protesters are deserving of great praise for confronting this part of the whole that contributes to increasingly more brutality and violence worldwide.

I see sometimes a more compassionate society must be fought for or violence is perpetuated

We are appalled and shocked at the callousness reflected by those who cannot see what they are doing to these babies. The “pig scramble” has NEVER been a part of any “Western tradition.” Does the Mounted Patrol captain just make stuff up as he wants? If 250 willing children want to stuff the pigs in a barrel, is that wholesome fun also? and not to be denied? The inane comments (“fed by hand” means anything goes?) indicate a severely lacking mental capacity.
The Planning Commissioner, Aydan Kutay, got it right. Not only do we now know Woodside is a backwoods town, but also that it’s lacking in common sense, decency and humanity to animals. Someone needs some serious training in Penal Code 597, and the sheriff and animal control, along with veterinarians need to enforce the laws.