There is no good reason to hold this event, and so many good reasons to abolish it. If we want children to treat their fellow humans with respect, thoughtfulness and kindness, we begin by teaching them to respect their fellow species.

This is the time for the Woodside Town Council to hear from the community. Please let the Council know if you want the Mounted Patrol to remove the pig scramble from their yearly junior rodeo. The event may have been improved, but it is still abusive to the pigs. Many rodeos have already stopped holding pig scrambles. In some states, pig scrambles are illegal. Our Town Council is already looking at the issue. Let them know it is time to stop the pig scramble. There will be a Council meeting July 12. You can email them. If anyone has the Council email info, please post that.

I just watched the Channel 5 News coverage of the scramble. Please take a look at it:Web Link The children are clearly trying to grab the pigs by their back legs. I am astonished that in this educated community, that the town of Woodside has not banned this event already. The veterinarian that the Mounted Patrol uses to support the scramble is a MEMBER of the Mounted Patrol! Terry Welcome is worried about losing a part of Western tradition? If that tradition includes cruelty to baby animals, then it is time to find new traditions!

I watched the news coverage of this event on KPIX 5 on Tuesday. The pig scramble absolutely sends the wrong message about animals to children. At one point a very young woman (who looks like she is still a teenager) says that children can differentiate between a pig and the family dog, and that they will realize that you shouldn't do this to your family dog, but it's ok to do this to a pig you have never met.
This is a perfect example of the wrong message. If it's not ok to treat your family dog this way, then it's not ok to treat a pig this way. Pigs feel pain and fear just as deeply as a dog would.
Just as disturbing is her comment that it's ok to do this to a pig who you have never met. Since when is it ok to treat an animal you have never met differently from one you already know? Talk about a scrambled message.
If this young woman is so confused, just imagine how this must affect the young children. Let's send the children the right message and discontinue this event.
Here is the link so you can see for your self:
Web Link