<div>Donovan et. al.</div>
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<div>There have been periods I have avoided eating pig meat, when I still ate chicken or fish, based on the scientific fact that pigs are rather intelligent animals. Not that I justify cruelty or mistreatment of animals of lower intelligence. After all, pain may not be a perception that requires high intelligence to experience, nor "person hood" either (just had to sneak that in given the abortion debate is back on Vision2020).
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<div>I know this may sound laugable to many because pigs are thought of as such, well, dirty and "piggy" animals, and we call people "pigs" when we mean to be mean. Too bad for the real pigs, who are smart animals.
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<div>Donovan has an important point about pigs and intelligence regarding how we treat them as food animals.</div>
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<div>However, his implication that Megan should focus instead on opposing abuse of pigs served as food in Moscow, seems an attempt to de-legitimize her focus on foie gras. No one can take on every cause! </div>
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<div>If we think it reasonable to give more humane treatment to animals of higher intelligence (many regard harming primates and dolphins to be far worse than harming a cow or a chicken due to the scientific basis that dolphins and primates are much higher in intelligence) based on these qualities, then pigs are "mistreated" as a food animal in a manner that seems to indicate their intelligence is not given proper respect. We don't serve dog or cat at restaurants. Why? Pigs are very bit as deserving of respect for their emotional and intellectual faculties as dogs or cats are, and if not, it is only an irrational emotional attachment (or maybe it's the cuddly fur, which pigs do not possess. or the unique behavior patterns of dogs and cats that fit human needs) to some animals as "pets" that justifies humane treatment of dogs and cats while pigs are treated terribly:
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<div><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://extension.oregonstate.edu/oap/story.php?S_No=138&storyType=oap&cmd=pf" target="_blank">http://extension.oregonstate.edu/oap/story.php?S_No=138&storyType=oap&cmd=pf
</a></div>
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<div>As a bioethicist, Croney teaches and conducts research focusing on the ethical treatment of animals. She came to OSU in 2001, a few years after completing her groundbreaking dissertation research on the cognitive capacity of pigs.
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<p>"This research was unique in that the subjects of the study were a common farm animal," said Croney. "Up to that time, the subjects of these kinds of studies were usually non-human primates or monkeys."
</p>
<p>Croney's research examined the problem-solving abilities of pigs. She demonstrated that pigs could learn tasks that required them to use computers and joysticks to identify specific onscreen targets. </p>
<p>"As a result of the study I gained a new appreciation for the intelligence of pigs," she said. "They were able to learn tasks that dogs and even some very young children could not do." </p>
<p>The study launched Croney's career in behavior research using agricultural production animals. </p>
<p>"Up to the time of the study, almost no one in this country was studying farm animal cognition and mentality and the impact of these characteristics on animal well-being," Croney said. "What we learn about the intelligence of animals ought to help us understand what really matters to them, as opposed to what we think should matter, in regard to their quality of life."
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<p>More on the intelligence of pigs from a pro-vegan site:</p>
<p><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.goveg.com/f-hiddenlivespigs_experts.asp" target="_blank">http://www.goveg.com/f-hiddenlivespigs_experts.asp</a></p>
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<p>Ted Moffett</p></div>
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<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 8/25/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Donovan Arnold</b> <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com" target="_blank">donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com
</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">
<div>Maybe the Newspaper and/or Megan has misunderstood what Mr. Foucachon said. I bet that is the case. <br><br>My question is why Megan would protest the mistreatment of birds when pigs are mistreated and served everywhere in Moscow. Sounds to me like they are just making things up to protest about because the restaurant is connect to NSA.
<br><br>Best,<br><br>_DJA</div>
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