My wife and I spend most of our time in our home. We haven’t been alone. Our rescued border collie/basenji/whatever mix has been our constant companion. He places his trust in us to feed him, walk him, and protect him. He returns unlimited love. He oscillates between us. He senses when one of us is upset and cuddles up. As I type, he is lying beside me at my desk.
Could I whip him or hit him or burn him or cut him? Just saying the words sickens me. I can’t imagine doing such things.
But some people do. Or they train them for dog fights on which money is wagered. Or they force them to live in cramped crates. Or on a lesser cruelty scale they make dogs, even small ones, live in back yards.
When greyhound racing was in vogue, the large dogs spent more than 20 hours per day in their small crates. The sole purpose of these wonderful animals was, for certain people, to move fast and make owners and trainers money. I do think the dogs loved the running—until they were injured. I was able to observe them at the starting gate and they couldn’t wait to get moving. We rescued four over several years and they still liked to run. But they didn’t return to a crate.
And they lived for 11 to 14 years. Early on the racers often didn’t. Their work was over at age three or four, and then they were euthanized! Can you believe that? Fortunately, rescue groups emerged, and the dogs were saved and became loving pets. But how can you deliberately kill a four-year-old life just because it’s inconvenient to have it continue?
Why do humans think they have the right to be cruel to “lesser” beings? And we are. It’s not just dogs.
Imagine training roosters to fight. As a sport! A money sport.
Imagine hunting, not for food but for the pleasure of killing an animal. Theodore Roosevelt had many fine attributes, but his desire to kill big game wasn’t one of them. Now our “brave” hunters often face their poor enemy with assault rifles! So it’s no longer even possible to pretend it’s a sport.
Imagine the fox hunt where people on steeds accompanied by trained dogs chase a released and terrified fox with the sole goal of killing it.
Imagine taking a wild beast built to roam the forest and enclosing him in a cage for the enjoyment of circus or zoo attendees. Most zoos, finally, are taking a more humane approach and allowing further movement. But it’s still only acres, at most, rather than square miles.
Imagine being willing to cause the extinction of any number of species in order to build homes on environmentally sensitive lands resulting from sweet deals between legislators and developers.
We humans think we’re so superior to all the wonderful species that inhabit our planet (fewer and fewer every year). That means we don’t appreciate the amazing characteristics they possess from the smallest insect to the largest mammal.
In all fairness I have to admit I’m a bit of a hypocrite because I eat poultry and fish. PETA would not approve. But I approve of PETA. Not always with their methods, but with the desire to protect animals from human superiority and cruelty.
My wife just came through our front door, so our dog, tail wagging, has trotted off to welcome her.
We both love him and will always do our best to care for him, to let him have a happy life. I think he does. I hope he does.
Could I whip him or hit him or burn him or cut him? Just saying the words sickens me. I can’t imagine doing such things.
But some people do. Or they train them for dog fights on which money is wagered. Or they force them to live in cramped crates. Or on a lesser cruelty scale they make dogs, even small ones, live in back yards.
When greyhound racing was in vogue, the large dogs spent more than 20 hours per day in their small crates. The sole purpose of these wonderful animals was, for certain people, to move fast and make owners and trainers money. I do think the dogs loved the running—until they were injured. I was able to observe them at the starting gate and they couldn’t wait to get moving. We rescued four over several years and they still liked to run. But they didn’t return to a crate.
And they lived for 11 to 14 years. Early on the racers often didn’t. Their work was over at age three or four, and then they were euthanized! Can you believe that? Fortunately, rescue groups emerged, and the dogs were saved and became loving pets. But how can you deliberately kill a four-year-old life just because it’s inconvenient to have it continue?
Why do humans think they have the right to be cruel to “lesser” beings? And we are. It’s not just dogs.
Imagine training roosters to fight. As a sport! A money sport.
Imagine hunting, not for food but for the pleasure of killing an animal. Theodore Roosevelt had many fine attributes, but his desire to kill big game wasn’t one of them. Now our “brave” hunters often face their poor enemy with assault rifles! So it’s no longer even possible to pretend it’s a sport.
Imagine the fox hunt where people on steeds accompanied by trained dogs chase a released and terrified fox with the sole goal of killing it.
Imagine taking a wild beast built to roam the forest and enclosing him in a cage for the enjoyment of circus or zoo attendees. Most zoos, finally, are taking a more humane approach and allowing further movement. But it’s still only acres, at most, rather than square miles.
Imagine being willing to cause the extinction of any number of species in order to build homes on environmentally sensitive lands resulting from sweet deals between legislators and developers.
We humans think we’re so superior to all the wonderful species that inhabit our planet (fewer and fewer every year). That means we don’t appreciate the amazing characteristics they possess from the smallest insect to the largest mammal.
In all fairness I have to admit I’m a bit of a hypocrite because I eat poultry and fish. PETA would not approve. But I approve of PETA. Not always with their methods, but with the desire to protect animals from human superiority and cruelty.
My wife just came through our front door, so our dog, tail wagging, has trotted off to welcome her.
We both love him and will always do our best to care for him, to let him have a happy life. I think he does. I hope he does.
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