In Nicole's blog, she questions whether it is moral to keep pets. She mentions a song where the lyrics talk about locking pets up because they are beautiful and controllable. The song makes the listener feel like it is directed towards him or her. It makes the listener question how a dog or cat feels as the pet. If a person locked up another human, he or she would be very unhappy and this would be seen as morally wrong and in most cases illegal. However, this is what we do to animals so Nicole questions how this can be better justified. Usually, 'owners' love their pets and most households feel incomplete without them. Nicole wonders when the pets get a say as to how they live their lives. A lot of animals are treated well as pets and given some freedoms, but many are not and are often abused or abandoned. However, if an animal had the chance to run or fly away from their 'owner', then I don't really see how keeping it alright if it is against the will of the animal. Then Nicole brings up the topic of zoos. She asks, "Do you think there is any defense to be made for zoos and keeping animals in cages?"
My answer is: Not really. What Nicole mentioned about protecting endangered animals or giving them a home if they are abandoned is about the only reasons for having zoos in the first place. Zoos can also be educational because people actually get to see the animals and learn about them at the same time. It is exciting for a child and even adults to see an elephant or tiger in person. The animals kept in zoos are given substantial food and shelter; they are provided for. However, this takes away from their natural abilities to fend for themselves. Often, cages are dirty and animals should not be taken out of their natural habitats. This is a violation of their natural rights to be free (well, they should have the natural right to be free).
When I think of zoos, I think of Big Brother (the reality TV show) where cameras surround the people all day and night. They are constantly being watched, just like animals in zoos. Many of the animals may not pay any attention to the onlookers or may be used to it since it is a daily ritual, but it is still kind of creepy. I know I wouldn't want my every move observed, that's for sure. We can never fully know how animals feel behind glass/bars, but if it is anything like how humans would feel, then they must think they are in a prison. This comes back to my previous post about how much space an animal has the right to. Wild animals should not be put in cages. They should not be tamed just for human entertainment. Having pets (such as dogs and cats) is acceptable, in my opinion, as long as humans give them a lot of living space and freedoms. My cats are free to come inside or go outside and eat when they are hungry. My dog roams the back yard although he is fenced in. I do not agree with keeping birds and other caged pets like hamsters because they are so greatly contained and birds are meant to be able to fly. If a human is unable to care for the pet and has to put it in a cage half of the time, then they should not be a pet owner. No one deserves to be locked in a cage.
My question to you is: Do you think zoos will always exist or will they be done away with if more people see the ethical dilemma of keeping animals confined to certain spaces and having them on display for all the world to see?
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