Lucky Jack Update

Lucky Jack, the unfortunate dog who was shot in the head with a blade tipped hunting arrow is on the mend and scheduled for surgery:

Here are photos taken of “Lucky Jack” on November 13, 2007 at Dr. Bob’s clinic. Thanks to all of you who gave so generously to help Lucky Jack, he has been scheduled for surgery at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine where they will perform this delicate and complicated surgery to remove the arrow from Jack’s head.

The sad part is, the arrow in the head isn’t Lucky Jack’s only issue:

Jack’s surgery has been further complicated by the fact that he has Heartworms and suffers from Ehrlichia (tick disease) that can affect his reaction to anesthesia. The medical team at LSU will perform an echo scan of Jack’s heart to see if anesthesia can be administered, or if his Heartworm and Ehrlichia must first be treated before the surgery can be performed. The emergency room veterinarians at LSU have treated many dogs who have these conditions, which will give Jack the benefit of their experience and sophisticated medical facilities.

You know, it’s easy to be a heartless bastard and do the economical thing and just put this dog to sleep. I mean, is it not wasteful to have so many people (like myself) sending in money for the expensive treatment of this animal? Could that money not be spent to improve the lives of more animals, or in some other cause like dying babies or clubbed seals or the bring back the nice Rosie O’Donnell campaign?

I never believed in the either/or argument. I do believe in free markets. Causes, like products, have to compete for consumers and a dollar spent on one cause is not a dollar stolen from another cause, any more than one purchased puppy = one dead shelter dog. Luck Jack got my $ because some news man was smart enough to let Lucky Jack bounce around on camera and sell me on saving his life.

There are two ways to gain customers, you steal market share and you grow the market. Too often people spend too much time trying to steal market share instead of growing the market.

Really, that’s what the Border Collie Wars are about. It’s also what the feud between the different factions of the animal shelter / welfare / rights / no-kill movements is made of. There’s room for everyone only if the market is growing. If it’s not, then one group’s gain is another’s loss. And that’s the way it should be. An informed public can make decisions and it’s even better than a democracy, because it’s not tyranny of the majority, it’s free expression.

Sure, you need some combination of time, money, effort, or will to freely express, but those are hardly burdens that we should not expect anyone to be able to overcome. No one can do your activism for you for free.

A little honest advertising — like a happy puppy seemingly unjaded by being shot in the head — is a good thing when it’s promoting a good product.

Update: Here’s some video of Lucky Jack and his Vet discussing his treatment.

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