cut 'em with bolt cutters and then slide in a new J-hook

Lil' Bit, I vaguely recall introducing you to that combination a year or two ago. You beat me to it.

Hunter, Did you see this post?

S Hook Tool

Jonathan

Vicegrips for me here, too. Just clamp em with the vicegrips on teh "back" side (away from the open side), twist the oter side of it sideways a bit with your pliers, slip out the cable. Qucik fast and easy. Once you get the hang of it, doesn't take too long to get them open. One thing though, be careful about reusing them more than once or so, 'cause they'll get soft from bending them, and won't hold as well...be a shame to lose an anmial becasue you tried to reuse a $0.11 or $0.12 cent J-Hook once too many times...
Jeremy

they don't get soft it is actually called work hardening. think of it as a piece of wire you bend it back and forth enough it breaks cause it gets hard