Can I beat my friend with a shovel?

Have you tried to explain to her that hearing about the snake being killed for you is the same as if someone were to brag to her that their pet grizzly bear caught, mauled and killed some dogs and cats and how proud they were of that.

Perhaps putting some perspective on it will get her to understand that you feel just as passionately about your pet snakes and it upsets you to hear stories of harmless snakes being needlessly killed, as it would upset her to hear a similar story of dogs and cats being needlessly killed.

My response: "Really? That's awesome. The other day, this guy let his cat out, and it started stalking this snake, and suddenly the cat just jumps up in the air, and runs off--it was dead in like 3 hours. Cottonmouth got it! Score one for the snakie!"

Yeah it's pretty wrong how often people think killing animals is something funny or enjoyable. There are times you need to control populations, or cull an animal that shouldnt have been born, or you need/want to hunt for food. But joking around about animal death/murder/etc is pretty wrong, no matter when.

But that's just me and I dont really find death to be funny in any of it's forms (well... okay, some times it is funny when a person leads themselves to their own demise due to a series of blunders, but that's people).

It's funny when it's a clown.

I have to remind my self daily that it is still illegal to kill stoopid people. haha.

I had a guy who would happily regale me about whatever latest dead snake story he'd encountered, whether it was running one over, killing it with a shovel, whatever. I finally listened to him tell me about the dead snake of the week, then laughed with him, and told him how I'd seen this puppy run into the road and get hit.. then it flopped all over while squeeling until a second car ran it over.

He was properly horrified and asked me why I'd think that was funny AT ALL!?! And I calmly told him I figured he'd get a kick out of a story about a puppy getting killed, since he kept telling me stories about MY pet of choice getting killed and laughing about it. Went on with the "snakes are animals too, they just don't have legs or fur" type thing.

I honestly think people hear that you deal with snakes, and the human thing to do is to relate TO you by telling you about their personal snake story. The thing is, they don't think about their story having to do with killing the same animal that you love and keep. They just think "Snake story = snake story" and so they blabber on without realizing it. Once the guy realized how horrified I was at his dead snake stories, he stopped it, and even said he was sorry.

That won't be the case all the time. Some people think it's funny to kill animals, even if it's something they KNOW you love and keep as a pet. I personally don't talk to those people, and if they try to talk TO me, I just walk away or tell them I don't wish to speak with them at all, and to please leave. If you give them an audience, whether you keep your mouth shut(seen as agreeing with them) or you act horrified about it(giving them attention and a reaction) you are encouraging them to continue telling you all about dead snakes.

It's your choice to listen. If you've made the effort to educate, and they don't care, and won't change, then stop interacting with them. Just because they live next door, doesn't mean you have to interact with them. I don't even know my neighbors on either side by name.. or even by face. I only can recognize about 4 people in my neighborhood as far as knowing which house they belong to even.

Oh.. and the puppy-hit-killed story? Never actually happened.. and if it had happened in front of me, I would have been horrified. But it definitely made the point to the idiot, who valued his dog greatly, but figured snakes were worthless.

Just my $0.02

Oddly this topic is reminding me of why I started loving snakes, and it involved having a snake killed... Copperhead in a dried creak bed which I was exploring, started chasing me down and I had nothing to go against it wish, so I had to scream for my uncle. After that terror I felt while being chased by it I just fell in love with snakes. Similar story with no death for why I fell in love with canadian geese.

the short answer: Yes
the long Answer: i honestly think it wont make them any smarter or compassionate but it would be pretty funny and make you feel better.
:rolleye2:<-----your friend after said shovel

I do think she feels compelled to tell me these things to "relate" to me, as wolfy-hound said.
She just doesn't get it, nor will she ever. She is a co-worker and quasi friend, she's nice enough but not all there. It's not like we are great buds but, at some level, she does amuse me.
She lives next door to her parents and believes everything her father says to be fact. Once he has spoken there is no other view. Sort of sad really, she doesn't/can't think for herself. I could not make her see that letting the dogs and cat (and her/her dad) kill snakes is wrong any more than I could make you guys think it's right. I've tried many different ways, but Dad says they are to be killed!! That's just the way she is and I know I have to deal with it.
She does understand that I don't like it when she tells me about it, she understands I like them like she likes her cat and I understand that she has absolutely no filters. She can't help it. She just can't stop herself. I usually just tell her I don't want to hear it and walk away. But then it happens again and she tells me again...
I really just needed to vent (and wanted permission to smack her upside the head)!

Read this post by BG. It's saved on my computer because I thought it was a genious idea.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...35&postcount=1