Rawtastic: Pets

I love running; it is a very relaxing and stress reducing activity for me. It’s the only time that I can feel free and not have a care in the world. It’s a freeing activity. As I was running I passed by several houses that had dogs. Some of the houses had their animals inside, so you can hear them bark through the screen door. Other households had the animals in the front yard, contained inside by the gate. We often watch the news, infomercials, or just by word of mouth that animal cruelty is on the rise. We often think of animal cruelty in the form of farm animals, slaughter houses, or shelters. However, I was thinking that having a pet is a sugar-coated way of animal cruelty. The main difference here is that, hopefully, the animals are taken care of and are loved by their owners.

As I passed each of the homes, every single dog barked at me. Some were violent and defensive barks--it’s seemed if there was no barrier containing the dog then there is a chance that it would eat me alive. Other barks were more delicate and playful. The majority were defensive. That’s when I started to contemplate the reason that these dogs were barking. I wondered if it was just their natural instinct to bark and want to run with me. That they anticipated freedom and wanted to follow their true animalistic instinct and run and be free. Also, I pondered if the dogs that had the defensive barks felt a sense of oppression and wanted to take their anger out on anyone around them.

All these thoughts came to mind. It makes you change your opinion on the simplicity of existing. These dogs, as well as all animals experience a strong sense of stress. The stress of being confined into a society that they are not naturally part of. The stress of having limited freedom to move about as well as the stress not to be in control of their day. All this adds up and builds tension for these animals which cause them to rebel and attack or become vicious with everyone around them.

On a side note, imagine that you were constrained into a building for your whole life. You were only allowed to eat when someone would remember to feed you. Imagine being separated from your family, not knowing or being aware that you had ancestors. Imagine only being able to go outside and walk around when someone made time to take you for a walk, even then you were not free to move as you please. You were still strained to the speed/mobility/direction that your owner decided to take you. You didn’t have the ability to decide what you wanted to eat and when you wanted to eat. If you were cold, you had to deal with it because if your owners didn't want you in the house, you had to stake it outside. If you were dirty, you better be good when they wash you up, because you may get in trouble for "misbehaving" or as I say, following your natural instinct.

As we see, animals are constraint to live unnatural lives unless if they are released into the wild. Many state the fact of overpopulation as a problem; however, the only problem is that WE are breading too many animals for the diminishing wild to sustain because the human population likes to have mascots in their life.Humans like to be in control, they normally can't control the lives of other humans so they happen to control animals--cats, dogs, fish, iguanas, hamsters, etc.

Now the question is: are pets considered animal cruelty?

Breakfast: Grapes, 4 oranges, ½ peach and 6 cuties