hawk, I do agree with the last part of your reply ( about growing up ).
I can definately sympathize about your friends dog ( I have four myself ) The point I was trying to make however, was how arrogant people get when they think a species is in their way or to put it into good ole country "a varmit." If the animal is no benifit to us as humans we want to "take it out."
We claim supreme intelligence over all species, then we pollute our water air and land ( all the things that keep us alive ). Humans dont have to great of a track record when it comes to making sound decisions. ( 200 years ago we thought it was Ok to enslave other humans, because they were "less intelligent" or "inferior") we think its ok to kill millions of people in war.
We think we are intelligent, but in my opinion we have alot to figure out.

As for everyone else on this post about "seals"
Harrasment, as well as killing a listed animal is in violation of federal law, so unless you want to do some serious time ( in a federal prison) I wouldn't be f****ng with the seals!