German Shepherds Forum banner

The ALS "ice bucket" challenge and dogs. Sigh

6K views 57 replies 29 participants last post by  Cheyanna 
#1 ·
Please help spread the word to stop this nonsense, the senseless abuse of our pets in the name of raising $$$ for high profit organizations. Some 80 million has been raised b/c of the "ice bucket" challenge. What % goes to CEO of ALS society and how much goes to research?....maybe we should do an ALS challenge....show us your books and we'll donate if more then 90% goes to actual research for "cure".

Stop senseless fund raising that is hurting our pets (by idjits...not all of us are this stupid but enough are....

look at the face of this dog...:(

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...=a.94886498450.88564.548458450&type=1&fref=nf

if you know of other links, please post
 
#3 ·
Is it really so bad to slowly poured cold water on your dog in this Texas summer heat? I mean i understand throwing a bucket full straight in their face and scaring them, but i poured the remaining ice water from a cooler on my girl the other day and she was waggin and did not seem to have a complaint. I mean I have seen dogs in 3 feet of snow doing just fine so it cant be a temperature issue.
 
#7 ·
Yes dogs in snow are fine, but they are accustomed to it. If it is 90 to 100 degrees out there and suddenly you have something dousing you that is below 32 degrees, it can be a shock to your system. Humans can do what they like, they can prepare themselves for a cold dousing. In fact people up here go and jump in the lake in February, crazy loons, it is usually around 0 here in February. They call the the polar bear plunge.

But you can't prepare a dog to be suddenly doused with ice on a hot day. I think it is sickening. Can it kill a dog? I don't know. But beating it with a stick isn't likely to kill it either. I think I would rather get a few smacks with a stick than a bucket of ice water poured over me.
 
#4 ·
Please help spread the word to stop this nonsense, the senseless abuse of our pets in the name of raising $$$ for high profit organizations. Some 80 million has been raised b/c of the "ice bucket" challenge. What % goes to CEO of ALS society and how much goes to research?....maybe we should do an ALS challenge....show us your books and we'll donate if more then 90% goes to actual research for "cure".

Stop senseless fund raising that is hurting our pets (by idjits...not all of us are this stupid but enough are....

look at the face of this dog...:(

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...=a.94886498450.88564.548458450&type=1&fref=nf

if you know of other links, please post
I agree! :mad: I don't really understand why its necessary to use your dogs during the challenge. I don't even think the challenge has a point. If you wanna donate to ALS THEN DONATE!
 
#9 ·
I'm confused. The photo posted on the FB link was taken in June of 2010.

If you don't want to donate to ALS, don't. The truth is, donations have increased about 1000% since the campaign started.
 
#11 ·
I'm confused. The photo posted on the FB link was taken in June of 2010.

If you don't want to donate to ALS, don't. The truth is, donations have increased about 1000% since the campaign started.

I don't see a date stamp...where did you see 2010. Was that the start date of the FB link for that company or whatever it is?
 
#12 ·
I was suspicious when the photo had no info or credit. I've had my own photos stolen and then posted as memes or clickbait. Not cool. So, I guessed and did a Google image search for "wet puppy". That photo was in the top row of images, so I clicked on it and it brought me to an image called "corgi_cute_puppy" that was posted on June 18, 2010.
 
#14 ·
I was suspicious when the photo had no info or credit. I've had my own photos stolen and then posted as memes or clickbait. Not cool. So, I guessed and did a Google image search for "wet puppy". That photo was in the top row of images, so I clicked on it and it brought me to an image called "corgi_cute_puppy" that was posted on June 18, 2010.
Good sleuthing.
Guess they used pic to promote awareness.

Still shouldn't dunk or douse your dogs folks. Not with freezing cold ice water.
Wasn`t there a thread a couple yrs ago on how to cool down your dog when overheated. It said to place cool wet towels on the under carriage...not dunk the dog in a bucket of ice water
 
#13 ·
I'm doing my ALS challenge on Friday, will be jumping into a lake with my dogs :) They swim regardless; I'm the one that doesn't want to go in!

I have not personally seen any videos of people pouring or dunking dogs in ice.
 
#18 ·
Dogs aside, I have to jump in this one and vent. I lost my husband 4 years ago to ALS at age 48. If people really want to help or feel good about participating, they should donate their time to a family battling this or any other horrific disease - terminal or not. Cut the grass, make a meal, clean bathrooms, walk the dogs, give a caretaker some time off and sit with the patient even for just an hour. My own family couldn't find time during 3 1/2 years to do any of that. Ok. I am finished. Feel better now. Life is good. Not always fair, but good.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App
 
#19 ·
Dogs aside, I have to jump in this one and vent. I lost my husband 4 years ago to ALS at age 48. If people really want to help or feel good about participating, they should donate their time to a family battling this or any other horrific disease - terminal or not. Cut the grass, make a meal, clean bathrooms, walk the dogs, give a caretaker some time off and sit with the patient even for just an hour. My own family couldn't find time during 3 1/2 years to do any of that. Ok. I am finished. Feel better now. Life is good. Not always fair, but good.
I'm so sorry for your loss :hug:
 
#23 ·
Good link, LucyDog.

I am very sorry for your loss igottabecrazy. I am not proud of a time when I was volunteering with my therapy dog for hospice, and they had an ALS patient, and asked if I would be comfortable with that (which is indicative for anyone who has never been around the disease of how difficult it is - they didn't ask that about cancer which is horrific enough). I said that I didn't think it would work well for my dog - because I knew that I could not count on myself to be able to react properly and appropriately with that person.

On that link, their admin expenses are good. They also listed their mission.

Mission
Leading the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy while also empowering people with Lou Gehrig's Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.

Mission Priorities
1. Raise the level of awareness of The ALS Association as the leading voice and most trusted source of information about Lou Gehrig's Disease.

2. Lead, direct and/or collaborate on global research to understand the disease, develop treatments and ultimately find a cure.

3. Provide every person with ALS and their families access to high quality, consistent and compassionate support services.

4. Advance a nationwide advocacy program that increases funding for ALS research, improves patient services and empowers the entire ALS community.

5. Function as one organization with unity of purpose.

6. Operate within a business model designed to ensure stability and promote financial strength.

The UConn Husky did challenge the UGA Bulldog. And if people do want to dunk their dogs, they can get creative with hoses, buckets with warm water, giving their dogs a bath (THE HORROR), etc.
 
#24 ·
We are doing it here at work, on a larger scale. We are challenging other locations. Our company is going to match any and all funds raised.

I'm good with it. Won't be bringing my dogs or horses.
 
#27 ·
We are doing it here at work, on a larger scale. We are challenging other locations. Our company is going to match any and all funds raised.

I'm good with it. Won't be bringing my dogs or horses.
That would annoy me.

I don't want to give $100 to a charity because I was told to, nor do I want to dump a bucket of ice water on my head. I hope it's purely optional.

I do think the entire thing is stupid, though, mostly because it relies on guilt and social pressure.
 
#25 ·
While I know this picture ended up not being true, I do agree that it's not a good thing to involve your dog in that manner. Mine was next to me but that's about it. I couldn't imagine dumping ice water on him.. so I get the idea of this thread.

I have done the challenge and challenged others. I honestly didn't understand it at first, all these people just dumping water on themselves.. then I did the research and how much jsut the awareness alone has gone up.. not even mentioning the amount of money that has been raised. Sure peolpe do stupid things, that with anything in life.. but for the most part this has been a fun way to raise awareness for this disease and raise money for the foundation.
 
#26 ·
Yeah ... no. I am all for benevolent organizations helping others, but when its main focus is research and yet less than 30 percent of their revenue goes to that, I think they need to cut a little fat in their organization.
 
#28 ·
I have not seen any challenges involving dogs other than a friends dog who inadvertently got a bit on it because it happened to be standing near. The horse rider had it coming to do it on horse back. Ice water would make even the calmest horse buck!!!!! I did the challenge and we donated. It was fun and for a good cause but I would never subject my pets to it.
 
#31 ·
If people are getting hassled about it, that has nothing to do with ALS or the ASLA, that's just other people being annoying and rude. Happens all the time, not at all unique to this "challenge".
 
#32 ·
If people are getting hassled about it, that has nothing to do with ALS or the ASLA, that's just other people being annoying and rude. Happens all the time, not at all unique to this "challenge".
No, but I think with a campaign like this one that's caught on so publicly, the unintended guilt trip/social pressure consequences are severely exacerbated.

I also don't see the appeal or effectiveness or merit in, "Here, dump a bucket of ice water on your head." It seems so entirely pointless to me.

But that's just my opinion. :)
 
#33 ·
There have been several articles on financial blogs about how much LESS money other charities will receive due to the Ice Bucket Challenge. It's really interesting. ALS hits a little close to home for me (a childhood friend was recently diagnosed), but I have already given my allotted charitable donations for the year to another organization (the American Porphyria Foundation).

The whole concept of "branding" is interesting for fundraising. Think about breast cancer awareness- it's a HUGE marketing thing, and a lot of companies profit from it (pink yogurt lids! Pink t-shirts!). Nobody gives a hoot about lungs or hearts, the things that kill the most women (or prostates, the things that kill the most men), because they're not as catchy and marketable as breasts :p I can't wait to hear a marketing slogan for saving the prostates...
 
#34 ·
I thought this was an interesting article - a bit old... Does it matter what the CEO of a charity is paid? - MoneySense
I get people are tired of donating - if I see one more go-fund-me on facebook, I will scream! However, I am a paid member of a board of directors for a not for profit and just getting people engaged, or willing to volunteer is incredibly difficult, so if a CEO or President can come up with ideas that engage people, raise money and awareness, they are worth just as much as a CEO working in the private sector.
It was a very tense 2 weeks while we waited last year for the results of the testing which would tell us if my father in law had ALS or which form of Parkinsons he had, if it hadn't been for ALS Canada's website, I don't think anyone in the family would have made it through. The help the family receives from the Parkinson's Society is invaluable.
I'm glad people are donating, this challenge actually started last year, but only caught on this summer. I wrote a cheque last year.
My husband and I do a lot of charitable work and donate to many organizations - if anyone thinks my annual salary is too much for what I do, I welcome them to come walk a day with me, because I have 3 jobs and the one for the not for profit is the most demanding, the lowest paid and the greatest infringement on my time. It is on average 5-6 hours a day, 7 days a week, events are far higher time commitments. If I add my time up, a sweatshop pays more.
 
#36 ·
I was nominated Tuesday and haven't done it yet. No one has seemed to notice or pressure me into doing it. I guess my point is if people are feeling burdened by the guilt and pressure, why not just block those people from your FB wall or feed? Why bother?
 
#37 ·
I was nominated Tuesday and haven't done it yet. No one has seemed to notice or pressure me into doing it. I guess my point is if people are feeling burdened by the guilt and pressure, why not just block those people from your FB wall or feed? Why bother?
That's what I would do; I'm not on Facebook, so I haven't been nominated. I have no problem telling people nicely to go blank themselves, though. It's just the principle that annoys me - nobody tells me what to do unless they pay my salary!
 
#39 ·
Gremlins! Now that's funny:)
 
#40 ·
#41 ·
Well the whole thing irritates me. Governor Brown had
his Corgi 'stand in' for him for the challenge. Makes no
sense wasting ANY amount of water in this entire state.
And after all, the gist of the challenge originally was either
donate OR dump the water on your head, not both. Is
there anybody out there who thinks all these celebrity
types aren't donating? OPRAH? Not a chance.

I've known about ALS since I was a young woman. But
it's not as common as other things we should be donating
more to, Alzheimer's and Lupus to name just two.

As far as where your money goes, that's one of the primary
reasons I started regularly donating blood, because they
pretty much have to give it to a human being, they can't
put it in their yachts.

Harumph!
 
#42 ·
The rules are that if your challenged you are suppose to take the challenge and donate or not take the challenge and donate $100. Either way your suppose to donate. Key words are suppose to.
 
#43 · (Edited)
Whoa. ALS is a horrible thing. I'm delighted that my friend who supports the cause does an annual bike ride fund-raiser instead of ice bucket deal. I'm happy that the organization's fundraising has skyrocketed. My friend's brother died from the disease several years ago. The organization was very helpful for the family.

As to the dog deal: An icebucket doesn't hold that much, my dogs have thick coats, I doubt that an icebucket dump would have harmed them at all - esp. considering they were game for attacking the hose this week. They got soaked through with the hose and loved it - an ice bucket dump would have been much shorter and much less penetrating.

I suspect that if everyone in the state of california refrained from the icebucket challenge it wouldn't make a whits worth of difference in the water shortage. You would need to conserve several ice buckets of water day after day. Let's try and be a little real.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top