1. Treat Dispenser. This would make Batman a) look like a wuss, b) get hurt, since attack dogs are trained to kill and probably will not stop for treats, and c) clash with the gritty style Nolan was going for. I mean, really – what is this? Sixties Adam West era Batman?

2. Tranquilizer Gun. It wouldn’t have worked at all, wouldn’t have worked, because as PlutosDad said, the animal doesn’t drop right away. I’ve seen more than enough of those animal cops episodes on Animal Planet to know that. Besides, then PETA would be all up in arms over the fact that the dogs had been shot. Think – would you rather see a dog get hit or a dog get shot at? I don’t know about you, but I’d rather see them get hit.

Furthermore, those dogs (in the film universe) were trained to be mean. PETA should be criticizing the original owner of those dogs for the cruelty that resulted in the dogs being mean in the first place. And might I mention that the dogs went into the possession of the Joker after their original owner was thrown out of power in his gang? The Joker, a man who murdered hundreds of people without stopping to breathe, has pets now. Do you honestly think that he’s gonna treat those dogs any better? But no – apparently a mass-murdering psychopath in clown make-up is a much better person than a man in a bat suit who fights crime and punches dogs out of self defense. Hmm.

By the way, the Joker heartily endorses your puppy-killing, PETA. Please continue.

I know for a fact, however, that were I in a situation like that, I’d be doing everything I could to get those dogs away from me. I refuse to let an animal rip my face off and eat my throat because I’m afraid PETA would cry over me hurting them. Sorry, kids, it ain’t gonna happen.

I think part of the reason is that when humans get hurt in movies, no matter how realistic – it is not realistic at all. No screaming, crying for their mothers etc. When they are shot they fall in a heap and are dead, no bleeding out and taking minutes to die like in real life.

Contrast that with dogs getting hurt in movies, for one it’s just harder to tell what’s realistic. But also they make the dogs yelp and cry out. This makes it more real to us.

Plus we have this genetic instinct to protect cute things like kids and dogs. This doesn’t apply as much to adults.

Nolan did a good job though, nothing uncomfortable or painful to sit through. Even the violence against humans occurred off camera. That is a real rarity nowadays with so much blood and gore in movies.

The charge that he didn’t use a tranquilizer is silly, people think tranquilizers are like magic, they hit and the animal falls to sleep instantly.

I suppose maybe part of the reason people think that is movies and tv teach us. Just like it teaches guns either kill people instantly and painlessly, or can be used to make trick shots to stop someone without killing them. None of that is true, but it’s how tv and movies work, so people start thinking that way.

Which is why the speciesist charge has some weight.

I understand that people may think we are overreacting when we say that dogs should not be portrayed chained and attacking.

The problem is not the breed, it is the image of dogs chained and attacking. I think as “bully breed” owners we are more sensitive. I NEVER let my dog off her leash in public, not because she is a pit bull but because she is a dog! It is rude and careless to let any dog off leash…that includes the dogs that are in the purse at a restaurant-NASTY! My dog doesn’t even go in my backyard unsupervised. They all (little purse ones too) and who knows what might trigger any dog.

I agree it is just a movie, but the message that some ignorant person will get is, “I’m gonna chain up a Rott to guard my house” and what will follow will be an angry aggressive dog that will eventually attack something/someone. Sad to say but some people really do learn their social skills from media hype.

My dog Clover from Bad Rap. Somebody decided she needed to be mean so they set her on fire.

I’m the blogger from Feminocracy who wrote the post about “The Dark Knight.”

I definitely do not condone cruelty towards animals. But I also know that there are rules regarding the treatment of animals, and therefore the dogs used in this film were not beaten or abused. I also know that dogs can, in fact, be vicious. Not all of them. But when I was a kid, some neighborhood dogs attacked me unprovoked. They attacked several neighborhood children, one of which had to be taken to the ER. So it’s not like the filmmakers were making an outrageous statement against dogs. Some dogs, perhaps those owned by criminals, may be raised to have violent tendencies. Imagine that!

I also have serious issues with PETA. Whether it’s destroying somebody else’s private property, or the way they objectify women in their ads, they never fail to lose credibility with me. They don’t seem to have much respect for human life . . .