The Beloved Family Pet
There's just something about companion animals that appeals to people. As though a family, a home, is not quite complete without the presence of small furry animals. Completely dependent on the goodwill and attention of the people who undertake to provide for them. In exchange for their company, their unqualified love for those who value them and care for them.
Trouble is, too often it's the idea, not the reality of pet ownership that attracts some people.
For these people the pets have another kind of value other than companionship. Status, perhaps, or an indication that they are like everyone else, enjoying the company of a companion animal.
Their commitment is not terribly deep, they tolerate the presence of an animal that is completely dependent on their good graces and the memory that they require daily feeding at a minimum. These are the people who don't take their pets to a veterinarian, or register it with the municipality. Nor see to its safety and daily exercise requirements.
As opposed to the many who become inordinately fond of their dogs and cats, ferrets and rabbits, hamsters and whatever else they may have taken a fancy to - turtles, reptiles. They have a stake in the health and well-being of their pets, because they value them. They reciprocate in a sense the human-centric appreciation of a lower animal species' presence by committing to looking after their needs.
There are many, in fact, who go a whole lot further and become animal missionaries, trying to educate others about the needs of animals and the distinct responsibilities of their owners in caring adequately for them. And those others who found and direct private animal welfare groups, rescue groups. Not to leave behind the importance of others whose mission in life becomes circumscribed by the number of unwanted or abandoned dogs and cats they rescue.
Some, like my daughter, ending up with no fewer than ten dogs, two cats, seven rabbits. Living rurally, and valuing all the wildlife that surrounds her acreage. Putting up feeders for the birds, becoming excited at the presence of deer, ducks, snakes, wild turkeys and an encyclopedia of birds and insect populations.
These people develop a messianic complex, see themselves as saviours of animals in an pet-animal-hostile world.
There is the example of pets abandoned at times of upheaval, both natural and man-made. Dogs and cats and farm animals wandering confused, dazed and lost after hurricanes, wildfires, floods. Awaiting rescue, helpless to make a life for themselves without the protection of human owners.
And then there is the dilemma that real estate agents find themselves in, as a result of the sub-prime mortgage debacle in the United States. Where people, unprepared to face economic reality were walking away from their homes - virtually worthless - their mortgages a greater burden than the value of the houses.
Walking away from a lifestyle they were incapable of supporting under normal circumstances, but were drawn into through a situation where, although their finances did not qualify them for home ownership, they succumbed to assurances given them by unscrupulous realtors endorsing financing schemes doomed to failure.
Through simple greed, wishing to acquire more than they needed, because more is better and big is nicer. Or through simple-mindedness that persuaded them that they were entitled to the same kind of "good life" and all its embellishments that exemplified people earning larger salaries.
Their pets have since become expendable discards. Left in the homes they abandoned, to fend for themselves. Many, as a result, have died of neglect and starvation. In many instances, kindly real estate agents have fed them for the requisite number of weeks until the pets could be turned over to area humane societies; no longer seen as "owned" by those who abandoned them, under the law.
And then there are the humane societies themselves. Some of which honour a "no-kill" policy and strain their resources to find new homes for these abandoned pets.
Others which, although receiving municipal support as a public service, and launching successful charitable appeals among the public enabling them to look after the medical-health and nutritional needs of the animals they take in, feel justified in euthanizing the roughly 50% of dogs and cats they are, in the end, unable to place with new owners.
In the Ottawa area, the humane society, unlike many others in Canada, doesn't recognize the moral utility of a "no-kill" policy. Roughly 60% of dogs are reclaimed by their owners. As opposed to 4% to 7% of cats. What does that say for peoples' humanity? As for the Ottawa Humane Society, they took in 10,500 cats, dogs and other small animals in 2006 - 2007. Homes were found for 4,276 of the animals.
Thousands were euthanized. What does that say about us as a responsible and caring society?
Trouble is, too often it's the idea, not the reality of pet ownership that attracts some people.
For these people the pets have another kind of value other than companionship. Status, perhaps, or an indication that they are like everyone else, enjoying the company of a companion animal.
Their commitment is not terribly deep, they tolerate the presence of an animal that is completely dependent on their good graces and the memory that they require daily feeding at a minimum. These are the people who don't take their pets to a veterinarian, or register it with the municipality. Nor see to its safety and daily exercise requirements.
As opposed to the many who become inordinately fond of their dogs and cats, ferrets and rabbits, hamsters and whatever else they may have taken a fancy to - turtles, reptiles. They have a stake in the health and well-being of their pets, because they value them. They reciprocate in a sense the human-centric appreciation of a lower animal species' presence by committing to looking after their needs.
There are many, in fact, who go a whole lot further and become animal missionaries, trying to educate others about the needs of animals and the distinct responsibilities of their owners in caring adequately for them. And those others who found and direct private animal welfare groups, rescue groups. Not to leave behind the importance of others whose mission in life becomes circumscribed by the number of unwanted or abandoned dogs and cats they rescue.
Some, like my daughter, ending up with no fewer than ten dogs, two cats, seven rabbits. Living rurally, and valuing all the wildlife that surrounds her acreage. Putting up feeders for the birds, becoming excited at the presence of deer, ducks, snakes, wild turkeys and an encyclopedia of birds and insect populations.
These people develop a messianic complex, see themselves as saviours of animals in an pet-animal-hostile world.
There is the example of pets abandoned at times of upheaval, both natural and man-made. Dogs and cats and farm animals wandering confused, dazed and lost after hurricanes, wildfires, floods. Awaiting rescue, helpless to make a life for themselves without the protection of human owners.
And then there is the dilemma that real estate agents find themselves in, as a result of the sub-prime mortgage debacle in the United States. Where people, unprepared to face economic reality were walking away from their homes - virtually worthless - their mortgages a greater burden than the value of the houses.
Walking away from a lifestyle they were incapable of supporting under normal circumstances, but were drawn into through a situation where, although their finances did not qualify them for home ownership, they succumbed to assurances given them by unscrupulous realtors endorsing financing schemes doomed to failure.
Through simple greed, wishing to acquire more than they needed, because more is better and big is nicer. Or through simple-mindedness that persuaded them that they were entitled to the same kind of "good life" and all its embellishments that exemplified people earning larger salaries.
Their pets have since become expendable discards. Left in the homes they abandoned, to fend for themselves. Many, as a result, have died of neglect and starvation. In many instances, kindly real estate agents have fed them for the requisite number of weeks until the pets could be turned over to area humane societies; no longer seen as "owned" by those who abandoned them, under the law.
And then there are the humane societies themselves. Some of which honour a "no-kill" policy and strain their resources to find new homes for these abandoned pets.
Others which, although receiving municipal support as a public service, and launching successful charitable appeals among the public enabling them to look after the medical-health and nutritional needs of the animals they take in, feel justified in euthanizing the roughly 50% of dogs and cats they are, in the end, unable to place with new owners.
In the Ottawa area, the humane society, unlike many others in Canada, doesn't recognize the moral utility of a "no-kill" policy. Roughly 60% of dogs are reclaimed by their owners. As opposed to 4% to 7% of cats. What does that say for peoples' humanity? As for the Ottawa Humane Society, they took in 10,500 cats, dogs and other small animals in 2006 - 2007. Homes were found for 4,276 of the animals.
Thousands were euthanized. What does that say about us as a responsible and caring society?
posted by Pieface | 3:15 PM
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