| Pets are remarkable creatures. They are:o | | | | baby, adolescent, pubescent, adult, and senior. |
| Masters of life in the moment and in the art of | | | | Although they grow older, the daily demands upon |
| simplicityo Reflections of a world forgotten, | | | | caretakers are not unlike those demanded by an |
| presynthetic, more completeo Reminders of the | | | | infant that never grows up. They must be fed |
| quiet strength and dignity of creation not tinkered | | | | every meal, their dishes must be washed, and |
| witho Keepers of gifts we have lost or never | | | | their potty needs tended to. We must bathe and |
| hado Ambassadors of loyalty, love, forgiveness, | | | | groom them and perhaps contend with fleas, |
| acceptance, fun, and truth that are neither | | | | ticks, and worms. Their nails may need to be |
| measured nor withheldo Recipients of our wonder, | | | | trimmed, their messes cleaned up, and any |
| respect, love-and needful of the care that will | | | | damage they may cause repaired. We must |
| bring them the fullness of health that comes only | | | | respond to their crying, take them to the doctor, |
| from nature obeyed. | | | | and give them almost constant attention. |
| Animals are not best served by imposing all the | | | | Compressed into their years are most of the |
| elements of modern life upon them. All the | | | | things we experience in our own lives. They can |
| principles about genetic context, medical dangers, | | | | be 'good,' they can be 'bad' (in our terms). They |
| and preventive care apply equally well to pets. | | | | can bring joy, sorrow, fear, and love. They will |
| Our choice to live unhealthily is a crime against our | | | | require doctoring (little, however, if things are |
| own person. To impose such unwise decisions | | | | done properly), have accidents, and can succumb |
| upon others-children and pets-who have no real | | | | to disease. We will have to experience their death |
| options, is an even greater crime. | | | | and perhaps be faced with a choice of whether |
| Although pets are often treated like surrogate | | | | to cut their pain short with euthanasia. We will |
| human infants, that is not what they are. If we | | | | suffer greatly at the loss of a wonderful friend. |
| pamper them with modernity we will condemn | | | | Having and properly caring for a pet for its entire |
| them to the cruelty of modern-living diseases. | | | | life is a personal decision because of the |
| Obesity, cancer, allergies, arthritis, dental diseases, | | | | commitment involved. Giving pets as gifts to kids |
| and the like, ravage modern pets just like they do | | | | or friends is therefore presumptuous and |
| their owners. Such preventable conditions are | | | | irresponsible. Sending pets off for long stays at |
| essentially absent in wild populations. | | | | caged boarding facilities (the equivalent of human |
| Pets deserve our understanding and respect. | | | | prisons) is not commitment or responsibility either. |
| They are not what we are. We may be superior | | | | Yes, this may occasionally be necessary, but it |
| in our factories and at our computers, but they | | | | can be a great trauma to pets. They have no |
| are superior in their tool-less senses and intuitive | | | | idea if you will ever return, and their stay in a pen |
| skills to survive in nature. Life for them is meant | | | | or cage is not home no matter how well they are |
| to be challenging and interesting. That cannot | | | | tended to by caretakers. |
| happen at the end of a chain or on a couch. If | | | | If a pet is obtained to teach the kids responsibility, |
| they are to be healthy, they must be allowed as | | | | forget it. No matter how much they plead that |
| much freedom as possible, and we must engage | | | | they will do all the tending, they won't. Figure on |
| with them every day. | | | | about one or two weeks of enthusiasm for the |
| The healthiest place for animals is in their natural | | | | work of pet keeping at best. Afterwards, guess |
| setting. But given that we are not all going to | | | | who gets to take care of the pet. |
| release our pets into what's left of the wild any | | | | The point is, the thrill of getting something new, |
| time soon, the onus is upon us to create for | | | | like a car, television, or coat should not be |
| them as much 'wild' as possible. That would include | | | | transferred to obtaining a pet. They are not low |
| exercise, fresh air, sunshine, real natural food, fun, | | | | maintenance and cannot just be set aside when |
| excitement, and companionship. If we choose to | | | | the excitement wanes. |
| have a pet, maintaining its life and health is a | | | | Now then, if you personally decide to shoulder the |
| moral duty. | | | | responsibility, save a life at the same time by |
| Dogs and cats are carnivores, retaining all the wild | | | | getting a pet from the local humane or animal |
| skills we have forgotten. They are intelligent | | | | shelter. These facilities are usually filled to |
| because that's what they have to be to catch | | | | overflowing from discarded pets dropped off by |
| prey. If that is not evident, leave your clothes and | | | | people who did not put thought before emotion. |
| provisions behind and set out into the woods for | | | | (How people can abandon the family pet to such |
| a couple weeks' stay. See if it's easy to catch the | | | | a facility is incomprehensible. It's like putting an |
| food your pet could easily catch if released into | | | | innocent person in prison to be executed.) |
| the same setting. Their intelligence is one of the | | | | Demand should not be placed on breeders until |
| things attracting us to them, but it is also | | | | there are no shelter pets left. There is already a |
| something that places demands upon us. | | | | pet overpopulation problem, so why not help |
| Imprisoning people is a severe punishment | | | | solve it rather than contribute to it? |
| because of the intellectual and social needs of | | | | It is also better and kinder for everyone involved |
| humans. Imprisoning animals as pets is also a | | | | to have two pets. This will decrease the demands |
| punishment unless we modify their prison with the | | | | to occupy their time since they will enjoy one |
| appurtenances they naturally need. | | | | another's company. It is arguably inhumane (should |
| The right to have pets doesn't mean we should, | | | | be illegal) to imprison in solitary confinement a |
| anymore than our right to have children means | | | | creature designed for the freedom of the wild. A |
| we should. We should not bite off more than we | | | | pet left alone in a cage, in the house, or on a |
| can responsibly chew. A pet is not a toy, | | | | chain for extended periods while we go about our |
| appliance, or piece of wood to whittle. We don't | | | | interesting work and social life is hardly fair. |
| have the 'right' to carve them to our liking with | | | | Pets are a responsibility, a burden, a worry and a |
| spaying, castrating, declawing, defanging, | | | | lot of trouble at times. But what they return in |
| vegetarianizing, ear cropping, dewclaw removing, | | | | guileless love and devotion, and health benefits for |
| and tail docking. (This is not to say that the pet | | | | their owners, makes the costs one of the best |
| population problem we create may not require a | | | | bargains in life. |
| remedy such as neutering surgeries.) | | | | What we get out of it aside, pet keeping is a |
| They are not disposable things to obtain on a | | | | serious responsibility that extends far beyond the |
| whim and then cast aside when the novelty | | | | euphoria of watching the antics of a kitten or |
| wears off or when they become inconvenient or | | | | puppy. It requires serious commitment as well as |
| burdensome. This doesn't just apply to dogs and | | | | the circumstances and knowledge to care for |
| cats, but to all creatures including horses confined | | | | them properly for their lifetime. If that is not |
| to pens where every bit of sod is trodden to | | | | possible, then vent the affection for animals by |
| dust, and goldfish purchased in a baggy as a | | | | helping at the local shelter or humane society, pet |
| surprise 'for the kids.' Just because an animal is | | | | sitting, or volunteering at the zoo. |
| different from us is not an excuse for abuse or | | | | Another option is to think of animals in terms |
| negligence. How we treat fellow creatures is a | | | | other than as 'pet.' Possessing animals is not the |
| direct reflection of what we are inside. Gandhi | | | | only way to show affection and concern for |
| wisely said, "The greatness of a nation and its | | | | them. Become active in environmental actions |
| moral progress, can be judged by the way its | | | | that restore and protect natural animal habitats. |
| animals are treated." | | | | Just observing animals in the wild and respecting |
| Dogs and cats are a 15-20 year commitment. In | | | | them for what they are is love too. |
| that span we are responsible for the needs of a | | | | |