Well, I definitely side with animals when they fall on the wrong end of a child's affections. Children should be separated from animals until they are old enough to respect the animal.

How do you know if a child is old enough?Or mature enough to know that?

Usually because the child acts old enough, and when you talk to her/him/it, they can verbalize concept like "respect" and "being nice to animals." I've seen toddlers who respected animals enough that I'd be comfortable with them together; I've seen teenagers I wouldn't let touch a stuffed animal, much less a real one.

Meanwhile, in the alternate reality DinoWorld ...

"Let me get this straight ... GreenWar is suing me because they broke into my Utahraptor pens and while attempting to free the clearly-labelled, dangerous carnivores, got eaten, so they are holding me responsible for their lost members .... no pun intended?"

Man, I'd settle just so I could sell the OpNet feed of the break-in.

I have a puppy Er. Awesome thing. He is fun but not smart...Has learned how to stop very well either.

Man, now I want to have a dinosaur again!

You guys are no fun. But I guess a single canine is enough to take care of for now =D

Where was this puppy when I was around?

He was being taken care by a friend. I didn't want make him or you jealous by cuddling with one of you in front of the other.

I read something like this in story by author named Mercedes Lackey.

Very amusing.

The last several posts of this thread half left me rolling!

I totally want a pet Dromiceiomimus to ride to school!

Laughter is good.

Civility is the armor of those who are weak and womanly. They must not offend or else be rent asunder by the strong.

If you cannot stand the occasional insult you should slit your wrists and let your body fall into a garden. Then you would at least serve some purpose.

And what about those of us who happen to be female?

I think that was an insult too.

I disagree. Civility is the privilege, the courtesy, of those who no longer need to fight. One of the founding fathers of the United States said, "I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain." Just because we're trying to move beyond hatred and violence, it doesn't make us weak. It means that we're trying to make the world a better place for each other and for those who follow us.

I would hope you wouldn't sink any lower.

Not only are you a female but you're tainted with animal blood. You're less human than the Turks!

Don't speak to me.

Oh man! That was so mean!

I.. I kind of admire that. Man!

It's a forum, you troll. I'll talk to people if I want to. You don't want to listen, that's your problem.