Pet food recall expansions

So it seems that Diamond Pet Foods makes food for a bunch of folks. The following are all recalling products made in the same plant as the previously recalled Diamond foods:

Wellpet LLC

Apex Pet Foods

Natural Balance Pet Foods

Oh dear.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis has introduced a bill that would make it a misdemeanor to subject a dog, cat or other companion animal to piercings, tattoos and unnecessary appearance-altering surgeries.

Yeah, this isn't the state in which I live, and doesn't affect me directly. However, I would like to point out that at no place in this article is there mention of exemption for tattoos done by a veterinarian. Many people are not aware of this, but I tattoo animals at least weekly. Nothing as elaborate as the dog pictured for this article, but I put tattoos in ears and on abdomens to 1: identify individual animals (this is usually livestock, but rabbits are often ID-tattooed, as are horses. This is becoming less common with increasing use of microchip ID, but is still widely done.)
2: ear tattoos make it clear that feral cats have been neutered
3: abdominal tattoos mark female cats (feral or outdoor pet/barn) as spayed

I'm gonna be mighty pissy if I start getting charged with misdemeanors for every feral cat I tattoo. That tattoo may prevent unnecessary anesthetic and/or surgical procedures in the future. Do you have ANY idea how frustrating it is to re-open a cat that's already been spayed? I call bullshit on statements like this: "There's no reason to pierce or tattoo a dog or cat. It should be illegal."

I can't say as I've ever pierced a dog or cat...but I put ear piercings in cattle regularly, and goats and sheep on occasion. These are usually ID tags, marking them as tested for or vaccinated against certain diseases, but there are also several medication-impregnated ear tags in common use for range animals that can't be caught and medicated daily.

Bills like this piss me off-this is NOT a real problem. Focus on shit like ear cropping and tail docking if you are worried about wide-spread unnecessary cosmetic procedures, not tattoos that are 1: uncommonly done by lay persons and 2: may have valid medical reasons. This politician really wants to help animals? She should focus on supporting neuter and vaccinations programs, and requirements for animal identification to decrease the number of unclaimed strays. Instead, she's floating this ridiculous bill, and using it to smear her opponent as an animal hater. Fucking politics.

James and the Giant Peach

I just got around to reading this Roald Dahl book. Yes, I realize it's shocking that I'd never read it. But now I have, so you can stop being shocked. I am uncertain how well I liked it... I feel like it was a reasonably good book, but I'm still disappointed and that may be because I had over-high expectations, because it is such a classic? Not sure... also I feel sorry for all the seagulls left trailing silk ropes around their necks indefinitely. But maybe I'm weird?