Pets are family
View(s):The Oxford Dictionary defines a “pet” as “a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure”.With the evolution of pet ownership, pets have now become part of a human family. Surveys reveal that over 90% of pet owners consider their pet as family as they are protective of people, experience separation anxiety, grieve and love their owners.
Dogs were the first recorded pets in history and being Man’s Best Friend, also his oldest. Cats considered as demi-gods in ancient Egypt, became special pets. Goldfish in bowls were common in China from about the 14th century.From centuries ago, vibrantly hued birds were caged as pets. These are the most popular pets; but some keep wild animals as pets, as Dr. Jennifer R. Wolch, of the University of Southern California says, to show their power and strength over wild animals and to reconnect with nature.Many nations prohibit wild animals being raised as pets since their capture impacts on conservation.
Pets have received global legislative and judicial recognition. In a case where a woman was convicted of animal cruelty, the Oregon Supreme Court, ruled that taking blood samples from the dog to gather evidence did not require a search warrant as dogs are not mere property, like containers stashed with drugs. Though the accused argued that drawing blood from her pet dog without a warrant violated her constitutional right to be protected from unreasonable searches of property, the court held that a dog taken for examination and care is similar to a child abuse victim taken for examination and protection. The French Supreme Court has determined that holiday resorts cannot deny access to pets travelling with owners.
Although, unlike children, pets are not a recognized legal category, they have figured in divorce cases, with the pet’s interest being the paramount consideration in deciding custody. A law in Alaska requires courts, in divorce proceedings, to consider an animal’s wellbeing, allowing also joint custody. Michigan State University’s Animal Laws specialist Prof. David Favre says, “For the first time, a State has specifically said that a companion animal has visibility in a divorce proceeding beyond that of property — that the court may award custody on the basis of what is best for the dog, not the human owners.” In Britain, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, determined that a Bolivian immigrant’s deportation would violate his human rights because he was entitled to a private and family life, while also observing that his joint ownership of a pet with his girlfriend was evidence of his full settlement in Britain.
In India, where a resident complained to the New Delhi Consumer Court that the co-op society in which he lived had passed a resolution preventing dogs from using the building’s lifts, opining that the dog was not a consumer and his using the lift could spread disease, the Court, observing that the dog had a valid licence and health certificate, held that a society cannot prohibit a member who was a consumer from having pets and using his facilities for pets.In a murder trial in Michigan, a pet parrot imitating a man’s plea “Don’t shoot” was considered a witness, with that evidence contributing to convicting his wife of his murder.
Some keep pedigreed animals as status symbols, not because they want pets. If you genuinely care for pets, consider adopting an abandoned puppy or kitten from the street and giving it a kind home, rather than buying pedigreed animals bred and displayed in pet shops under horrendous conditions. This will reduce the demand and thereby cruel breeding and display.We have no laws regulating dog breeding or pet shops. Recommendations submitted to the authorities for this purpose by a group of us through the Court of Appeal, are, like the Animal Welfare Bill, gathering dust for many years, due to political indifference and bureaucratic lethargy.
Animal hoarders keep dozens of animals as pets, although unable to give them even the basic care, yet denying this inability. Gary Patronek, Tufts University’s Director of the Center for Animals and Public Policy states that hoarding is pathological human behaviour involving a compulsive need to obtain and control animals, but failing to recognize their suffering. Compulsive hoarding is characterised as a symptom of mental disorder.
Some euthanize or abandon pets, when migrating or because the animal becomes disabled, sick or costly to maintain or even when a baby joins the family. Euthanizing or abandoning pets for the owner’s convenience is heartless. Some dump the litters of pets in public places, exposing puppies and kittens to immense dangers. Some keep dogs merely for their protection, chaining and caging them to make them ferocious. Caging pets give children a negative message that depriving animals of their freedom for our benefit is acceptable.
Sri Lanka’s Apartment Ownership Law of 1973, permits apartment owners to keep animals or birds in their units or in common parts of the property only with the written consent of the chief occupants of all other units.
“Responsible Pet Ownership” is vital. One’s pet should not become a nuisance to others. Pet owners have rights, but they have duties too. As Anjali Sharma, Legal Advisor to India’s Animal Welfare Board states, “These rights come with duties. Pet owners must earn the goodwill of neighbours by keeping their dogs on leash while in common areas and cleaning up after them if they soil the place. Be reasonable. Ensure that their vaccinations are up to date.” Responsible pet ownership guidelines refer not only to the need to provide food, water, veterinary care, companionship and controlling re-production through spaying, but even including pets in evacuation plans during emergencies.
A decision to keep a pet should be well considered. It is a lifelong commitment of caring – to a sentient being who like its owner, has feelings and a right to a safe environment.