ASPCA commercials

[Random Axe]

I don't know how many cities and areas air these, but I can't watch them. They upset me every time almost to the point of tears. The local variety shows all these sad looking dogs and cats in cages looking straight into your soul asking for help all the while Sarah McLachlan's Angel song plays. That tune is hauntingly beautiful and sad in it's own right. Add in some dogs that know they are going to be put down, and it's a milkshake made of tears and guilt.

I'm a fairly unemotional guy, even for a man. However, this commercial is disturbingly sad and makes my eyes water. I can watch National Geographic specials and Sally Strothers bits all day long of poor African nations and little bloated-belly kids and feel nothing. Show me a scared and lonely kitten in a cage looking up at you for mercy and love and I break down like a blubbering child. Two of three cats I have are rescue animals so I encourage adopting, but these commercials should be illegal.

Scott

[Mikey]

They don't bother me because I know they're designed to manipulate people.

[AJ Collector]

Funny thing is they never bothered me as much until we picked up our new puppy Cody, now I cringe when I think of that happening to animals like mine....... That’s just what it was meant to do!
Kudos on sentiment targeted marketing!

[Bizarro Amy]

The problem with those commercials are that the people who will be affected by them enough to do something, have already donated to shelters, adopted rescue pets, or found some other way to help. I can't watch those commercials either, because my dog was a rescue that was dropped off by an owner to be euthanized, along with another dog, a bunch of cats, and several birds. My one cat is a stray we took in, and the other is part of a little that was born at my mom's house. His mama was a stray that I took pity on, who turned out to be pregnant.

[Sideshow Spock]

They don't bother me because I know they're designed to manipulate people.

Maybe so (with the sad music and slo-motion), but they're certainly not manipulating or overstating the reality: so many dogs and cats are neglected or abused, and so many need help. My wife and I donate to and visit our local shelter several times a year.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

I'm with you Scott.

[Hector]

They don't bother me because I know they're designed to manipulate people.

Same here.

[Hector]

I have done so much for animals over the years (adoptions, volunteer work, contributions for decades, etc...)...I sleep well at night...

[thunderbolt]

Don't bother me either since I know we've done our part to help. 5 shelter dogs over our 24 years together.

[Mr.Krusher]

Neither of us can watch them...no way...once that music starts, we FLY from the channel. They are probably serving some GOOD, making folks aware, but nope...I cant look at them.

Cripes...now I can hear the first few bars of that song and I have to run in and wake my boys up to hug on them!

(All three of our boys are 'rescues'...one found scrounging the highway covered in black grease and starving, one found on the side on the road in the rain having stones tossed at him by these white trash redneck kids - almost went to jail again that day, I typically dont grab/shake/back-hand 13-year-olds and scream "What the fvck is WRONG with you you sick evil FVCK?!?" in their faces, but in this case I didnt mind a BIT, I figure if by that age you feel its 'OK' to throw rocks at a puppy and laugh like friggin Beavis, you are pretty much useless to society anyhow, lets call it a VERY 'late-term abortion'....and the THIRD I stole by reaching over a fence - Typical scenerio, crap little shack stuffed with drunken meth-heads, yard FULL of dogs, tires, car parts, etc, I did what I could to rescue Mr. Fizzgig, wish I could have saved them ALL...)

I had NEVER seen the levels of animal neglect/abuse that I have seen since being in this part of the country - The strays, the dogs that live outside tier to three feet of rope, etc etc...which is bizarre considering that they are equine obsessed around here. (But even them, the poor horses, are doped-up, medically manipulated, and only live for the purpose of running fast...hell, they have had horses drop DEAD from essentially being roided-out of their minds and having heart attacks!! GO Kentucky Derby - a proud tradition of animal misuse and torture! I know, I know, folks will argue and say that the champs/sires live like KINGS on million-dollar farms, but what of the OTHER horses, the 'losers'??)

[Brad]

I don't like them because I think it is a poor way of reaching out to people for help. We have 5 rescued cats so I have no problem with helping animals but I think the commercials are in poor taste. Way to over the top. Why not just show situations like ours? Often I am laying on my bed watching TV and our cats sitting on and around me. Show stuff like that and point out the happiness that a rescued animal can bring to a family.

Now Maggy is another story. I have to hit the pause button for our DVR and wait until I can fast forward past them. Sometimes during a TV show I have to start yelling LA LA LA LA LA so she doesn't hear what is going on. It happened last night on an episode of the X files. Kids were shooting BB guns at a garter snake. It may sound funny but I do what I must to protect her.

My wife is a bit different. She is a social worker and works with foster kids. When she lived in PA she specialized in working with violently, sexually abused children. I will NOT tell any of the stories she has told me but I could never do that job. I would have just put a bullet in most of those sick pieces of (you-know-what) that harmed these poor children. Maggy was able to desensitize herself so that she could do her job and try to help these kids but she can not hear or watch anything about animal cruelty. She says that everyone is wired a bit different and she's right. Some people can take things that others can't and vice versa.