How to love animals (not pets) the right way

Pets. You either love them or you do. Various studies prove that interacting with these domesticated animals reduces stress. More often than not, people perceive their furry companions as peers or family members rather than being a property. While there is an upside to keeping pets at home, such as health benefits, there is a growing concern over the idea of pet ownership today. Several animal rights activists and ethicists, especially in the UK, believe that pet-keeping is unjust as it entails manipulation of animals’ bodies, behaviors, and emotions. Throughout history, dogs, cats, horses, and rabbits have been bred, their bodies shaped to suit human fancies, which often results to considerable physical harm. There are painful and fatal genetic defects involved in the body manipulation for canines. A researcher in the US found that animals have all the basic emotions. Mother rats, for instance, experience extreme distress when their babies are taken away from them. In view of these facts, pet ownership is very problematic as it denies animals the right to self-determination. There are a significant number of people who are being awakened by the fact that animals, whether rodents, fish, or mammals, have feelings too.

A lot of countries have changed the legal status of animals. Six years ago, the government of New Zealand recognized animals as sentient beings, which meant they were no longer simple properties. Domesticated animals, by social hierarchy, cannot be equal to humans. And while man is at the top of the food chain, pets remain a consistent feature in human social life. The pursuit for future breeding of animals for comfort and entertainment may be unethical, which is also why we are obligated to protect, and care for them. It is fantastic news that humans are gaining a good grasp of the reality of pet-ownership. Individuals are advised to go vegan or to stick to plant-based diets. Many animal lovers are advocating against the purchase of pets. "Adopt, Don’t Shop" is now a battle cry. Government as well as businesses are going under more and more pleasure to make policies and system changes that are pro-animals.

The pursuit for future breeding of animals for comfort and entertainment may be unethical, which is also why we are obligated to protect, and care for them.

But it will take a significant amount of time before all animals (man included) get to live in perfect harmony. Meanwhile, if you have pets at home, the best you can do is to love them as much as you can and to treat them well, most important of all, with respect.