Bugs Bunny and potatoes

Toby is a rabbit. \nToby has furry ears. \nToby likes to eat carrots. \nToby is going to die. \nIf you go to the Web site www.Savetoby.com, you can learn all about this cute rabbit, which, unless his owner is paid $50,000 by June 30, will be "[taken] to a butcher and slaughtered."\nDonations are to be made either by credit card on the Web site or by purchasing bunny-killing merchandise, such as a "Save Toby" thong.\nThe Web site sadistically preys off of people's emotions for materialistic gain. On the site, there are various pictures of the frightened rabbit, many of him sitting in a large pressure cooker. The man responsible has also posted recipes, the first ingredient for many of which is simply "Toby."\nYep, I no longer have faith in the human race.\nThis is repulsive. If you replace that bunny with an American hostage and the webmasters with al-Qaida, you've got nothing more than furry terrorism. \nYet despite American non-negotiation policy, people from all across the United States have already donated, adding to a total of $24,515.62 as of Tuesday. And although the donations seem like a humane gesture, I can't help but wonder: What's next? A cat? A horse? A poodle?\nYou'd better believe if someone tried to kill my dog, I'd kick him so hard in the money spot, he'd be sneezing out of his vas deferens. \nAlthough some people have speculated the Web site might in fact be a prank, I fail to see the humor in this grotesque stunt.\nWhat this man is doing is sick, and unfortunately he is not alone. \nEarlier this month, two farm owners from Ashwork, Ariz. were accused of caging and starving more than 100 dogs, cats, chickens and pigeons, according to KPHO-TV, a CBS affiliate. Similarly, The Arizona Republic recently reported a story on abused animals, including Thomas, a cat that was shot twice and sealed alive in an airtight bag. \nThese instances help emphasize the fact that stunts like www.Savetoby.com are potentially as realistically violent as they are nauseating.\nWhile it's obvious these maniacs are a couple of slammers short of a Pog collection, to find a similar example of abuse, one need look no further than this University.\nLast semester, a group of students threw a guinea pig out of a Briscoe window with a parachute strapped to its back.\nThe parachute was made out of a garbage bag, duct tape, floss and dumbass.\nAlthough the garbage bag they used was Hefty, the fine they were given, comparatively, was anything but: $500. Apparently, their morals went out with the pig.\nSome more subtle forms of abuse occur with ordinary pet owners, too. Many people leave their dogs outside to shiver in a rickety, doorless doghouse. Then, once the dogs are inside, they are forced to eat food from a 20-pound bag, the likes of which taste like a mix of cardboard and colonoscopy. \nWhether it's blatantly torturing their pets or simply making them eat torturous food, animal abuse is prolific. \nIt's quite ironic, though: By abusing these creatures, we are becoming increasingly animalistic ourselves. As the elite species in the food chain, we must remember to maintain a balance and respect for the lower creatures of the mammal hierarchy, if for no other reason than the fact that our Lord and Savior could very well end up being a German shepherd. After all, we all know what God is spelled backward. Thus, our placement in the afterlife could depend on our treatment of animals here on Earth. Saving the animals would in turn save our immortal souls. \nI can only hope that Toby is saved as well. However, I won't be clutching my lucky rabbit's foot.