The Problem With Pet Ownership
That’s right. I believe that owning a dog is wrong.
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The other day, I got asked what was my most unpopular opinion. My date probably expected something lighthearted such as ‘pineapple belongs on pizza’ or ‘Nickelback isn’t that bad’ (which is kind of true — they made one song that I like!). Instead, I said without even thinking about it twice:
“I believe that people shouldn’t own pets!”
I know for a fact that this is my most unpopular opinion because I don’t know a single person that would agree with me. As long as I’m aware, the only people pushing this idea are the members of PETA.
And so, because I don’t have anyone to talk to about this, I am writing about it.
Let’s set the scene first
First of all, I am not here to shame you for choosing to keep a pet. And no, I don’t hate all pet owners. I am very much aware that it is the societal norm today and I am the odd one out when it comes to my world view. This article only exists to detail my thoughts on the topic, and to maybe provoke some thoughts.
Also, I will be only talking about pets, and my definition of a pet is an animal we choose to keep despite having no use from it apart from our pleasure. So yes, I know that the animals we keep, kill, and eat have it worse and I don’t support that either. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about today.
I am also going to exclude “working” animals such as police and guide dogs. While I don’t think that forcing animals to do our labor is ethical, they have a purpose in our society and I am okay with them fulfilling that role until they are replaced with technology, similar to what happened with horses when we invented cars.
The Tiger King paradox
Have you seen the Netflix sensation called Tiger King? I probably don’t even have to ask, everyone has seen it by now. And most people can also agree that the treatment of animals in that documentary was messed up and disgusting. The general consensus is that the likes of Joe Exotic shouldn’t be able to own and breed tigers.
The documentary makes a point that big cats born in captivity can never be returned to the wilderness of their natural habitat and live the life of freedom they deserve. And again, most people who watch the series agree with that premise and finish the documentary convinced that tigers don’t belong in cages in Oklahoma.
A portion of those people will then follow that train of thought to its logical conclusion and recognize that there is no ethical way to keep a tiger. But only a very small percentage of viewers will take it even further and realize that owning a tiger is not all too different from owning a dog or a cat.
Just like tigers, domestic cats and dogs are also predators whose instincts are being suppressed by humans. They are also often being confined to unnaturally small spaces such as cages or tiny city apartments. They, too, are often forcefully bred with mates that are chosen for them. And they are absolutely not able to return to their natural habitat because as of today, they don’t really have one.
So, just like the old argument of “Why do we take care of this animal but eat this one?”, I present to you the question:
Why do we acknowledge that it is not ethical to own tigers and keep them in captivity, but we think it’s totally OK when it comes to other animals?
The obvious answer is that the tiger is a wild animal while a cat is a domestic animal. Unlike tigers, they are genetically programmed to live with humans, right? It’s not that simple. An animal being domesticated doesn’t and shouldn’t automatically strip them of their autonomy, take away their freedom, and reduce them to property.
Nobody actually needs a pet
Here is the number one reason for someone getting a pet — they want one.
Maybe it’s because they’re lonely and longing for a companion. Maybe they want to fulfill their nurturing instincts by taking care of something other than a child. Maybe it’s because they want to teach their kid about responsibility. Maybe they just need a new hobby.
But whatever the reasoning behind the want is, it doesn’t change the fact that having an animal is not a necessity for anyone. It is a selfish, self-indulgent, one-sided desire for possession of another living being without taking the other party’s consent in regard because, well, they can’t talk.
I don’t want to use the slavery comparison but here we go — animal ownership is de-facto slavery. An argument “but I love them and feed them and take good care of them” wouldn’t fly if we were talking about humans. Yet it is applauded when it comes to keeping non-human beings for no other purpose apart from having something to cuddle with.
Purchasing a real-life hamster is the exact same process as purchasing a plush toy one. Does nobody see an issue with the fact that we can buy a life the same way we can buy a product?
Unconditional love or Stockholm syndrome?
Many pet owners, especially those who keep more expressive animals such as dogs or cats, often say how great their pets are because they love them unconditionally. But when you dissect that statement, it‘s a bit ridiculous. As a rule of thumb, any sentient being you have to keep on a leash for them to stay with you at all probably doesn’t really love you.
As a result of centuries of selective breeding, domestic animals are genetically predisposed to tolerate humans. But do they love us? We don’t know. It’s not like we can ask them. Most likely not. In most probability, they love what we provide for them because they are born and raised in captivity and don’t know any better.
Imagine keeping a pet in a house with the doors and windows always wide open. Most likely, at some point, the animal will run away. When given a chance, they almost always choose freedom.
And even if they stay or they come back — it’s not like there haven’t been cases of human victims of kidnapping rushing back to their abusers. Is it too outrageous to assume that this could happen with animals, too?
Breeding is just plain weird
My mother is really into dogs. And I mean that — she is probably the biggest dog fanatic you will ever meet. And she truly does love her dogs, probably more than she loves her children. But her care for dogs is, in my opinion, inherently skewed and selfish.
To me, loving dogs would mean volunteering for the local shelter, taking care of the animals there, and maybe choosing to adopt one to give them a chance for a better life. Maybe even rescuing one from the streets. But that’s far from what my mom does.
She keeps, breeds, and trains pure-blooded dachshunds. She then also competes with them in dog pageants and takes them hunting. Not being a professional gamekeeper, her participation in the hunt is also a hobby, not a necessity.
I think the problems I have with that are quite obvious to see.
- By breeding, she’s actively participating in dog eugenics to ensure that the bloodline continues and more award-winning, sausage-resembling champions are born, thus bringing more dogs into this world and further saturating the, already oversaturated, pet market.
- By hunting, she’s perpetuating the idea of her dogs somehow having a superior right to live than other animals.
Despite her efforts to provide the best care for her dogs, they have a suspiciously high injury rate. One was run over by a car, and another one became mysteriously paralyzed. Even the best, most loving pet owner can cause harm to their animals and take no accountability for it.
Also, the breeding process is just plain weird and frankly, gross. My mom only keeps male dogs and basically what happens is that female dog keepers hit her up when it’s time for their bitches to mate, they come to my mom’s house, and then a group of adults proceeds to watch and cheer on two animals having sex.
And because nature does not wait, this IRL dog porn can happen any day, any hour — even on Christmas Eve. True story.
Because the owner of the female dog gets to keep and sell the puppies, they pay a fee to my mom for her dog’s “services”. And though I know that my mom doesn’t do it for the money, I don’t see how anyone can think that this whole process is completely fine and ethical.
Breeding dogs solely for profit, usually in bad conditions and without any regard for the animals’ well-being, is called a puppy mill, and everyone in this world agrees that it’s a form of animal abuse. But how do we distinguish where the so-called ethical breeding ends and the puppy mill begins? The people within the dachshund community seem to not be sure either, as they always accuse one another of unethical breeding tactics anyways.
So, what can we do?
Sadly, nobody has the exact answer to this question yet. Humans have been keeping, breeding, and using animals as pets for centuries and our existences are intertwined. Domesticated pets typically can’t survive in nature and the solution to ending animal slavery is unfortunately not as simple as releasing them all at once and letting them live their lives.
Here are some things I would personally advocate for when it comes to animal ownership. These are just my opinions and anyone is entitled to disagree with me on them.
- Adopt, don’t shop. This is an obvious one. If you feel like you have to have an animal, why not help to rescue one that needs it?
- Consider volunteering at your local shelter or wildlife rescue station instead of buying a pet. This goes especially to people who can’t afford to adopt a pet or live in conditions that don’t allow them to have one. Nature will thank you.
- Stop excessive, for-profit, selective breeding, and the obsession with purebred animals. If the dogs don’t care which “race” they’re shagging, why should we? I feel like we should start dismantling the domestication process instead of further encouraging it.
- Companionship instead of ownership. In the ideal world, there would be no leashes, cages, and stables. Animals would be free to roam wild and if they choose to live with people who will welcome them, they would be free to do so as well as they would be free to leave. Obviously, we still have a long way to get there, but a good start is moving away from buying and selling animals as property.
- Watch animals in the wild. I will always advocate for finding more ethical ways of interacting with animals that do not involve captivity. Seek out wildlife experiences that support animal conservation, such as safari or whale watching. And if those are not geographically viable options for you, there are surely some animals to watch for free in your area. Go feed swans on the river. Go snorkeling in the ocean. Take a trip to the forest and maybe spot a deer. It is possible to be connected to animals without putting them in cages for life.
Because as humans, we should have the ability to love and admire something without feeling the need to own it.
