What Animals Have To Say About Our Priorities

My dog's name is Dora.  I love her.  I love her like I love watching reruns of LOST on Netflix.  She is relatively low-cost entertainment.  In my estimation, it costs me about $200 a year to have her.  That's about half as much as it costs me to have internet.  I wouldn't take a bullet for her.  If I couldn't afford her, I wouldn't hesitate to get rid of her.  If there was a famine, I wouldn't hesitate to slaughter and eat her.  Sure, I guess I consider her a part of my family.  But I don't care about her like I care about my wife.  Why?  Because at the end of the day, my dog is an animal.  My wife is a human.  There is a huge difference.  I think the line that separates human and animal is becoming increasingly blurred in the developed world.

I overheard a conversation recently where one person expressed interest in getting a puppy.  The girl she was talking to immediately replied something like this: "I would never get a puppy.  There are far too many dogs out there who need a home.  I think every dog should have a good home before we bring more puppies into the world."  Several thoughts came to mind as she spoke.  Aside from how judgmental and rude this comment was, I thought to myself about how our society came to a place where we care just as much that every dog has a high quality of life as we do about every person having a good home.  What about all the orphans and abused children/spouses/etc. out there?  Making such a big deal about "orphaned" and abused pets seems to be tantamount to fixing the radio in your car when the transmission is bad.  

I've never been so openly criticized by friends and strangers alike as when I got a dog.  When people don't think I use the right collar, leash, ball, toy, food, crate, yard, drugs, etc. they do not hesitate to let me know.  One time, an acquaintance told me I was throwing Dora's ball too high while playing fetch and that it was bad for her teeth.  This happens to be the most this individual has ever said to me.  I've rarely felt as inadequate and guilty as when I don't seem to treat my Dog as if she's my daughter.  

The existence of pet spas and bakeries blows my mind.  Even pet health insurance is a stretch for me when there are so many uninsured humans.  Something's severely wrong with our priorities.  We need to change.