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We kill the dog because by the time it becomes a threat to human life it's easier to kill the dog than to socialize it properly. Of course, the same thing is true of the owners, and we don't kill them.
We kill the dog because by the time it becomes a threat to human life it's easier to kill the dog than to socialize it properly. Of course, the same thing is true of the owners, and we don't kill them.
I live in western Canada and occasionally someone will come into contact with a bear when hunting or hiking. If it's a mother bear with cubs nearby, the bear will sometimes attack. These bears are then hunted down and shot. What really bothers me is they shoot the cubs too. They will do this with cougars, wolves, and coyotes too. Is it morally right to kill them for acting like animals?
Humans are extremely retributive by nature and this shows in the punishments we administer to both animals and one another. This vengeful streak is arguably a large part of what earned humanity their role as Earth's top predator (top predator for the time being anyway ) but is now a fairly useless trait.
A simple way to understand this is by example of a wasp sting. If a wasp stings you and tries to fly off, the automatic human reaction is to try and kill it. We earn nothing from the wasp's death, but it appeals to our retributive nature. We apply this same rule to all creatures (including humans) though with larger, more advanced creatures we dress up our mean streak with laws.
Very few punishments dished out by humans actually seek to solve a problem, they seek to punish for the sake of punishment. Putting down a dog does not undo the fact that a person was attacked, it doesn't compensate the victim in any way and it isn't as if killing the dog is the only way to prevent future attacks.
Humans need to at least attempt to understand the animals they share the planet with (if Humans can be said to share the planet at all...) instead of simply resorting to their own bloodlust to deal with any problems they may have. If you own an animal with lots of sharp teeth, make sure you treat it with the proper respect.
If it was a vicious attack and severe damage was inflicted or even death, killing the animal should be looked at as preventative action for the safety of others in the future, not retribution.
In the case where a dog was chained, the parents who allowed their child to enter the dog's territory should have been punished, not the animal.
If you climb into a lions den at the zoo, who made the mistake?
Both the lion and me. I made the obvious mistake of trying to cuddle with a lion. The lion made the mistake of not getting any taste meat sauce to go along.
I can understand for killing an attacking bear in order to save oneself or another person. However, if the cubs are doing nothing harmful, in fact if they're fearful for their lives, killing them is not something one should be proud of because the animal was a baby, helpless and wasn't posing any threat. I think it's just a sign of trying to be macho by saying "look, I got a fur coat, it was from a bear" and people are amazed that they killed a bear. Of course, the fact it was a baby doesn't matter.
These are rangers or police that hunt the animal down afterwords and destroy them. It's policy.
Pass the A-1!
If I clobbered the thing on the snout (regardless of how effective it would be), how do the rangers know that the bear in sight is the same bear?
Also, when the rangers go to kill the bear, if it was an adult that attacked, then do the rangers also go and kill any of the harmless bear baby cubs or do they only kill the adult?
Humans can't even consider all other humans equals yet (maybe someday we'll get there). Therefore, dogs, being a psychological outgroup, do not benefit from the same moral consideration as humans. Also, it is very hard to get a dog who has become aggressive to refrain from repeating. Many dog's are agressive due to mental illness, and we have only scratched the surface on human mental illness, so dogs sadly have to wait in line before we can help them with their head problems. I don't necessarily agree with it, in fact I don't agree with it, but I haven't thought of a better solution yet that is practical to implement. The sad thing is that barring mental illness, almost all dogs who bite have been poorly socialized by a carless or ignorant human companion. I find it very sad.
It may lie in the human psyche but it's not what I'm referring to because killing the flees on a dog is an act to protect the dog and others. The issue I'm referring to is after the dog has attacked and after the attack, others order the dog to be killed. After the attack, some time has passed whereby the person is no longer in harms way but for the dog-flees interaction, the flees remain there.
Okay, but someone could argue that killing fleas to protect the dog is unfair to the fleas who are following their natural instincts.
Around here, they do not put dogs down because they have bitten a person only once ... it would be required after a dog mauled a human or has viciously bitten more than just one innocent person (innocent meaning someone not purposely riling up the dog). Then, how could this even be an issue to argue? You defend protecting the dog from fleas but ... hmmmm.
What you say ... after they bite someone one time, they are automatically ordered to be put down ... I have never heard of it being required.
What really amazes me is how ppl can sit here and compare dogs to being on the same level as children or other humans BEING. I appreciated the loyalty of companionship and have enjoyed the playfulness of the dogs that I have had in the past, even I have felt a bit more secure by their presence .. but NEVER could I equate that to the love and importance that I place on my sons or others of my family and friends. I can not marvel at a dog learning and growing with a sense of wonder in what it is we are in here on this planet, that being Life. Their loyalty is not comparable to the curiosity for life that already is displayed by my sons that will one day ultimately lead them to go out into the world and hopefully contribute to making it a better place for others than it is now.
I am sometimes sure that pets are loved more than (or even equally to) humans only by those who are disconnected from reality in some way
I would say those were extraordinary circumstances. The parents should have been charged with the child's death. Still, when the attack is bad enough to cause death I would say that is well beyond a bite.Not so. Several years ago in my town there was a 2y/o that was bitten, and consequently died, by the family Pit. The Pit was not only put down, but used to spearhead a city ban on all Pit Bulls. NOW...the 2y/o was outside, alone, at 6am while her parents slept, and the dog, which according to several extended family members was abused by the parents, was chained up outside. I ask...who was really to blame for the death of that little girl. I don't for one second believe it was the Pit. The blame lay squarely with the parents and it was they who should have suffered at least legal charges instead of the dog serving a death sentence as well as leading to the deaths of other Pits in the city as they were nearly hunted in this town for a while after the ban first went into place. I hate BSL.
This shows a sense of arrogance in that you don't care why someone may value a dog more than humans, you think no matter what, they're disconnected and that you're right.
My dog is part of my family. He rides with me in my truck and sits up like a human.
At lunch time, we go through a drive thru window and he gets a meal just like me.
I worry some times about the emotional attachment I have to this dog.
If someone was to shoot my dog, I would have a hard time not crossing the line and doing something stupid.
The thing is, as much as I love this animal, I need to remain grounded and realize that I could not defend him like I could a human. Someone could shoot him right in front of me and I could not respond with deadly force.
Animals do not have the same rights as humans.
Thank you for putting yourself on a pedestle and showing how you believe your way of viewing this is correct while others who view it differently are disconnected. This shows a sense of arrogance in that you don't care why someone may value a dog more than humans, you think no matter what, they're disconnected and that you're right.
The thing is, as much as I love this animal, I need to remain grounded and realize that I could not defend him like I could a human. Someone could shoot him right in front of me and I could not respond with deadly force.
Animals do not have the same rights as humans.
What really amazes me is how ppl can sit here and compare dogs to being on the same level as children or other humans BEING. I appreciated the loyalty of companionship and have enjoyed the playfulness of the dogs that I have had in the past, even I have felt a bit more secure by their presence .. but NEVER could I equate that to the love and importance that I place on my sons or others of my family and friends. I can not marvel at a dog learning and growing with a sense of wonder in what it is we are in here on this planet, that being Life. Their loyalty is not comparable to the curiosity for life that already is displayed by my sons that will one day ultimately lead them to go out into the world and hopefully contribute to making it a better place for others than it is now.
I am sometimes sure that pets are loved more than (or even equally to) humans only by those who are disconnected from reality in some way ... I can't understand it being otherwise. :sorry1: