Response to "People Who Look Like Their Dogs."

Response #16

In Becky's blog, she talks about the theory of developmental attraction and the reward-theory of attraction. She brought up the point that humans are attracted to the things that reward us most. She used the example of how people who have the same views stick together because it is comforting and rewarding to know someone is on the same level as you. This also effects dog ownership because people choose animals that relate to them most. Becky said it is a proven fact that people choose dogs they tend to look like. There are over a hundred different dog breeds and people choose their pets based on a number of reasons; how they look, how active they are, how big or small, how long their lifespan is, if they do well with children, and so on. Becky asks, "If you own a dog, what made you choose that breed? Also, do you think you look like your dog?"

I worked at a veterinary clinic for two years so I saw a lot of different breeds of dogs. I found that most owners seemed to resemble their pets and the ones that resembled them the most had the greatest amount of love and respect towards their animal. My family owns a Pomeranian (not my choice). I look nothing like a Pomeranian (thank you very much) but he technically isn't my dog. If I were to choose a dog breed, I would own a Siberian Husky because their active and playful, free-spirited, an d beautiful. I also have a soft spot for West Highland White Terriers. They are just too adorable. Working with all different kinds of dogs made me realize something; mixed breeds and shelter dogs are generally much better animals. Every purebred dog has a certain genetic problem but they tend to be valued more. The dogs rescued and brought to the vets were usually "mutts" but they were the kindest and most deserving animals. They just wanted a home. The purebreds I worked with were much more testy and mean but the mixed breed dogs were just the opposite. If I were recommending a new dog to a person, I would say it is best to go to a shelter and rescue a mixed-breed dog because they are the ones that seem to appreciate life much more than any sole breed does. But this is just my experience.

Another interesting idea I have thought about while daydreaming at the vets is how everyone truly does resemble a certain breed of dog. Based on how the dog looks and acts, every person in my life seems to have a dog counterpart. Something else I have learned is the stereotype pit-bulls and rottweilers have of being viscous animals is false. I knew the kindest rottweiler pair and a handful of other kind pit-bulls but I always thought they were scary animals. I think the way the media portrays these dogs is really negative. Any dog can be mean if his or her owner trains it that way or treats it poorly. Another topic about the treatment of animals is how people dress up their dogs to make them look like miniature humans. Pet stores have a huge variety of clothing for dogs but I wonder if this crosses a line of some sort. Animals aren't meant to be fashion statements. Do we dress up dogs to make them more human-like or to humiliate/torture them in the name of cuteness? I personally would never dress up a dog with human clothing but I want to know how you feel about the idea.

My question to you is: Is there a line being crossed when pet owners dress up their dogs to look like miniature humans? Is it wrong and unnatural to do this or is it just an innocent act, in your opinion? Why or why not?

Cute or just plain cruel?

Buying vs. Adopting

When a person goes to buy a dog, he or she has many options. That person can choose to rescue a dog from a shelter, buy a dog from a breeder, or buy the animal from a store. Clare Palmer, in chapter 77 of the reading, stated that 6 to 10 million dogs and 7 to 10 million cats were killed in pet shelters in the U.S. in 1990. Because of the massive amounts of breeding done in puppy mills and pet owners' failure to spay and neuter their pets has created an overpopulation of homeless and caged dogs and cats. If a person wants a certain breed of puppy and can't find it in a shelter even though twenty percent of animals in shelters are purebred, I see nothing wrong with going to a reputable breeder for the right dog. Because there are so many neglected animals in shelters, I encourage all pet owners to seek animals from these shelters before going to a breeder.

When I worked at the Veterinary Clinic in High School, there were a couple breeders in town who's dogs the Vet cared for. The puppies were treated well and given proper medical attention. If a person feels like spending hundreds of dollars on a certain breed then there is nothing wrong with going to a breeder of that dog. However, because of how unethical and cruel puppy mills are, I do not condone buying dogs from pet stores. Many people are oblivious as to what their puppy has gone through. It's important that a person knows who he or she is getting the dog from and what kind of life that dog previously lived.

No matter the animal, he or she does need a home, but buying him or her from a store supports the puppy mill business. Puppy mills are the same as factory farms for dogs. They are also called "commercial breeders" and their only purpose is to make a profit. Female dogs are bred over and over again and puppies are crammed into small cages all of the time. Although puppy mills are legal for licensed breeders, they allow the breeder to own several hundred or even a thousand dogs. All animals are kept in small cages and dogs are bred as much as possible in order to produce an enormous amount of puppies. The standards of puppy mills are set forth by the government but are not meant to ensure a good life for the dogs. They are set as bare minimum requirements for the animals. Puppy mill's breed about 4 million dogs a year. I know one person's choice to adopt instead of to buy a puppy will not make a difference and if everyone starts to do this, the puppies in the mills will be left without a home.

My question to you is: How can the problem of domestic animal overpopulation, ignorance of breeding, and the cruelty in puppy mills come to an end? Do you ever see this happening?

Response to "Wild Animals in Captivity."

Response #15

In Nicole's blog, she talks about her experience at a petting zoo and how she wondered in what ways the exotic animals reacted to their initial confinement. What was it like to be watched all day while everyone on the outside is looking in, Nicole asked. Farm animals and other domestic breeds are more likely to react positively to confinement since they already are. However, exotic wild animals get their complete freedom taken away from them. They are not meant to be behind bars. I'm not saying domestic animals are either but they react much better to losing the freedoms they once had since those freedoms were much smaller than the freedom wild animals are born into. Nicole talks about seeing baboons looking on desperately for a way out, owls and other birds not being able to fly, and wolves hiding in the corner while hundreds of people walked by. These animals seemed very bored and uncomfortable in their new unnatural habitat. Nicole says these animals are just not meant to be caged up. There is no way to find contentment for these locked up animals. Even though some would say these animals are safer locked up because predators can not get to them, in the wild, at least they would be able to act naturally and run or fly away if need be.

Then, Nicole relates this confinement with feminism, saying how women used to be seen as their husband's property a hundred years ago. Women were seen as passive things who "needed" protection and care. However, this would not fly nowadays, Nicole points out. Women fought this stereotypical idea of the passive female and refused to be locked up in the home when they could be making their own living. With freedom comes responsibility, but I can all humans and animals have a right to fend and protect themselves in all situations. Finally, Nicole asks, "Do you think filming animals in the wild is a breach of their privacy or is that just a human concept which non-humans do not care about?"

I think filming animals is better than keeping them locked up in zoos. It is impossible to really know what a non-human animal is thinking so invading their privacy may or may not be noticed by them, we really can't know. To me, zoos are like prisons. When people break the law, they get locked up. The worse the illegal act they performed, the more years they get sentenced. However, animals never do anything to deserve such treatment. When we go to zoos, people do not think the animals must have done something terrible to be locked away because they haven't. We don't really question the ethics of zoos; we just wonder through like the rest of the tourists. I think, because our society is so technologically advanced, it would be a great idea to create these zoo animals and make them as natural and real as we possibly can so no one can tell the difference. Of course, people would know because word would get out but at least they would be able to see these animals without really confining them. Another alternative is having people go through safari like replications or reserves where wild animals roam free. Or, placing cameras in the wild where animals may be could give humans an idea of how animals really act in the wild. I am not opposed to cameras in the wild as long as this stops zoos from confining animals. Filming anyone against their knowing is a breach to privacy but it is a much better alternative to zoos because no harm is done to the animals. There would need to be people in charge of monitoring and maintaining these cameras but it really could work, in my opinion.

My questions are: Why are people generally oblivious to the cruelty of confining animals in zoos and cages (like I was as a child and even before this class)? Do you think people are actually aware but choose to ignore when cruelty is taking place? Also, why don't people put themselves in the animals' situation more often? A lot would change.

Here is a picture I took at the zoo quite a few years back. Then, I didn't even take notice to how sad and desperate this animal looks. I was just excited about seeing animals I had only heard and read about. Now it's impossible to ignore how unhappy this animal is... like a prisoner.