I Own a Dog and Now I Am Against the Idea of Pets
Owning a pet can be a purely selfish deed
We adopted a dog four months back. Her name is Tiara, and she’ s an Indie. She’s 6 months old, hyperactive, and super-naughty. Well, we love her and she seems to love us back. We just love having her, shes always happily running around or chewing on something. Overall she is a happy little dog.
But ever since shes on heat, I have started doubting if we are the best she can have as owners, I mean what if she was a stray dog and we just fed her? Would that not be a better option?
I might sound a bit absurd, but I have my reasons to genuinely think so…
She can’t roam around freely
She is a dog and she loves being on her own. She loves to sniff and walk around without a leash, and once she’s done with her exploration she usually comes back. But, ever since we moved to the hometown we are controlling her freedom. Mainly because the environment is new to her and it is not safe for dogs to just walk around. Roads are not busy, hence the vehicles that pass by are faster than normal. So, we keep her inside locked gates.
She runs out when we take her out for a walk. I understand why. Its a dog!
But no, I can’t allow that, what if she gets hit by some car and what if she lost her way and what if stray dogs attack her? So for the sake of her safety, we hamper her freedom.
As a person, freedom means the most to me, and being a pet owner I make sure my dog does not enjoy any. If that’s not hypocrisy I do not know what is. I hate doing it. I understand that she can be hurt but aren’t they born with better instincts than us? Were they not born capable enough to take care of themselves?
She should not be pregnant
Who decides that? We do on her behalf. Well, as a pet parent I know what’s good for my dog and what’s not. Do you have opinions? Well, talk to my dog she doesn’t think otherwise!
The problem is obvious, we do not want to take care of her kids if she gets pregnant. And even if we do take care of her kids once, what about the coming years? She can be pregnant every year and she might as well. Given how she attracts other male dogs in the area, the chances for this are quite high. So we have decided to get her surgery done. Yes, we get to decide on her behalf!
Got justifications? Decreased risk of diseases and avoiding the trouble of being pregnant every year? Well, honestly how would any of us feel if our reproductive organs were removed because of the possible health risks of having sex/ babies? That too without consent?
We have not decided what to do with her surgery. But the answer is most likely a yes. I hate to admit that I feel helpless regarding this. But I cannot think of another alternative that doesn’t harm anyone.
It’s about all pets and not just dogs
We often decide on their behalf, be it a cat or a cow or a duck. We humans get to decide how often they should have babies or sex. We control their freedom. All in the name of giving them love and care? We very well dislike the idea of caged birds, thanks to the numerous poets and their sense of freedom. But how different are we treating other pet animals?
I just want to be honest and accept that I was not up for it and I am still not up for it. I do not want to control how a dog runs her life. I can feed her, take care of her and give her a home. But I do not want to own her freedom or sexuality. At the sake of protection, I do not want to restrain her world.
I regret my decision of owning a pet, not because of my dog, but because of what we do to her. She deserves better, she deserves freedom and choice. I do not want to be selfish and own an animal as a companion and control its life…
They know better and they will do just fine if we are compassionate enough to feed or care for them when in need. We need to stop acting like gods to other living beings!
“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men.” ― Alice Walker
