A Note From Patrick: June 2020

“Cruelty cannot stand the spotlight.” That was the tagline for The Ark Trust, an organization which awarded the media for reporting on animal issues. I have been thinking about those words a lot lately. I am buoyed by recent events bringing so much injustice to light — while deeply saddened that these injustices exist. I feel optimistic that a powerful awakening is coming.

MUTTS readers have an abundance of empathy and a deep sense of justice. We are all in this together to make a stronger, more peaceful world for all.

***

MUTTS NEWS SPOILER ALERT: If you’d rather be surprised with a new twist in the world of MUTTS, please don’t read the following two paragraphs until after June 16.

Friends, I’ve made two longstanding promises with my MUTTS strip. The first: someday Guard Dog will be freed. (Yes, this will happen before too long.) The second: Butchie and his Fatty Snax Deli would go veggie. With a two-week storyline starting Sunday, Butchie will finally see the light.

As a vegetarian for over 30 years and a vegan since 2012, I’ve always felt a little strange drawing the cheeses and salamis that hang over Butchie’s head. I’m feeling better because they will now be plant-based and cruelty-free.

With the pandemic, and understanding the cruelties of raising and processing “meat,” it’s more important than ever to rethink how we treat the animals — and people — on this planet. Going plant-based is a win-win. It’s good for your own health, the health of the planet, and obviously the billions of suffering, factory farmed animals.

Going veggie gets easier and easier. (Millions have already discovered new, delicious meat substitutes.) I ask everyone to do what you can. Even observing Meatless Mondays can save a billion animals each year in the United States alone. If Butchie can do it, so can you.

***

Last month we posted two comic strips that I drew for the MUTTS blog, which were pandemic-themed and written by my friend, author Glen David Gold. Glen suggested that we auction off one of the strips for charity, and I am happy that we can, and will, make this happen. I’ve watercolored the original artwork for this purpose and Heritage Auctions has agreed to host the auction. We’ll keep you updated as this process unfolds.

Stay safe. Stay well. Stay kind.

— Patrick

— Patrick McDonnell
Tagged: News & Events, People

Comments (208)

You are an inspiration. And boy are we in need of that. Thank you for your brilliant strip. Every line you draw and write is perfect!

Rita Oakes

This is a wonderful twist you’ve created. I’m just hoping you don’t advocate going vegetarian/vegan for our dog and cats. They are carnivores and can suffer health issues by not feeding them meat. Thanks again for a wonderful story line and a great comic strip

Jeff

Love the new plant based deli! Such a wonderful thing! Thank you, Patrick! <3

Abbbe Funk

Dear Patrick, I am a huge fan of Mutts, especially now since we’ve adopted a stray tortie that someone shamelessly dumped on our property last summer. We learned from our veterinarian that cats are obligate carnivores (must eat meat to survive). While your new strip about the conversion of Fatty Snax to a non-meat deli is terrific, it may lead some readers to believe that dear little Mooch can go vegetarian like pal Earl. Can you work in somewhere the message that Mooch needs meat to survive?

Thanks a ton — your loyal reader,
CT Rybka

C.T. Rybka

“For the sake of our own health” — For many, eating plants has led to metabolic syndrome which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands who could not fight off COVID 19. For many more, quality of life was diminished due to oxalate poisoning. Testing our early ancestors’ bones shows very high levels of Nitrogen 15, indicating they were carnivores.

“For the sake of all the animals” — Well, except for the bugs killed by pesticides, and the rabbits, groundhogs/gophers and other small animals killed because they eat vegetables, and the birds because they eat the fruit. The plain truth is more animals are killed to support mono-crop farms than are killed to feed humans.

“For the sake of the well-being of the entire planet” — So, all the fuel burned shipping plant matter from around the world to our local grocery store is not a problem. Oh, right, it’s the climate alarmists that are concerned about that! Well let’ talk instead about the water consumed. The Ogallala Aquifer occupies the High Plains of the United States, extending northward from western Texas to South Dakota. The Ogallala Aquifer is being both depleted and polluted. Irrigation withdraws much groundwater, yet little of it is replaced by recharge. Since large-scale irrigation began in the 1940s, water levels have declined more than 30 meters (100 feet) in parts of Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. In the 1980s and 1990s, the rate of groundwater mining , or overdraft, lessened, but still averaged approximately 82 centimeters (2.7 feet) per year. Read more: http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Ogallala-Aquifer.html#ixzz6PuGpK0Mv The water is being drawn off to support crops, not animals.

Ron

To me, this comic strip isn’t about what the animals eat, it is about what people eat – we have a conscious choice at every meal. It is also about how Butchie earns his living – about how his awareness grows when he looks into the eyes of other creatures, and he moves toward a right livelihood – and very importantly, how there is no recriminations, no guilt. As Maya Angelou said, ’When we know better, we do better." Eating animal products are not necessary for good health- science shows that. If anything, our heavy meat diet contributes to our ills.

Kat Grausso

I LOVE MUTTS.I can not wait to get up each day,and see what is going on.PATRICK Brings to light the cruelty of animals.EVIL cannot stand the LIGHT,and THANK you Patrick FOR BRINGING THE LIGHT.Keep up the good work,and never give up because we are here,and let us fee the poor guard dog.

DONALD BURNS

Hi Anon-E-Mouse. Thanks for your response. Any dog owner would be well advised to discuss their dog’s nutritional needs with their veterinarian before imposing a plant-based diet on their canine. Humans should not force their version of ethics on a carnivore which is designed to consume animal protein.

Kimberly

I’m very pleased to see the change to the plant-based diet. I agree that at this time it is appropriate and appreciate that you have made this change. Thank you for a happy inspiring comic strip.

Nancy Palmateer

Patrick, PLEASE listen to everyone here asking you to address the issue of cats being obligate carnivores. I was very concerned by Mooch’s enthusiasm for the new deli format in a recent strip. Mooch’s human dad having visited the deli provides an opening for a discussion back at home about this, at the very least. Our domesticated felines cannot make their own choices about what they eat, so it’s up to us humans to provide what they need. To do otherwise is the animal cruelty vegans claim they’re against, so any vegan who doesn’t feel prepared to feed domesticated obligate carnivores properly should not be owned by cats in the first place.

Also, as a longtime fan of this comic, I don’t care what dietary choices you make for yourself, so long as you can do so healthily, but don’t judge others who make different choices or who cannot go meatless – they’re allowed their own choices too and humans evolved to the extent they did as omnivores, no matter what choices they make today. I’ve been put off somewhat by how heavy-handed and repetitive the last couple of weeks of strips have been and now, reading this blog post, wonder why you ever created the deli if you felt that way.

Happier as an Omnivore