What if you had to choose between a dog that was crawling toward a button that would launch a nuclear weapon, and a baby that might grow up to be Hitler!? Huh!!?? Then what would you do!!!???
In most real-world scenarios, human life trumps non-human life. That’s the way most humans are wired, and I don’t think it’s a bad thing.
I’m living with a very affectionate dog that, when he isn’t leaning on me, nudging me, or putting his paw on my lap, watches my every move. Unless he sees a random stranger with a leash or a pickup truck, in which case he’d happily desert me for adventure on the high road. I’m quite fond of him, but I don’t kid myself that he’s incapable of bonding with anyone else. Maybe some dogs are, but certainly not all.
Except in his real world scenario, he specifically said that any human trumps any pet. If he wants to come along and qualify it, so be it, but as it stands, the dog eats the bullet, not the rapist.
Well, okay. I should have said all things being equal or something. If I know that the human in question is murderous scum, I’ll probably care more about my cats. My absent that knowledge, both my innate impulse and my ethics are to put the human life first.
Total stranger versus my cats? Sorry, I have to choose to save the human’s life first. I’ll feel bad though, but not nearly as bad as I would if I chose either Mrs. W over a person.
I can’t stand dogs and would never own one; therefore I cannot respond to this last on the emotional level you seem to be looking for.
Two of my sisters own dogs; so do my two best friends. I’d risk injury to save their pets from death if I had to, but it would be for my sisters’ and friends’ sake, not for the canines. And if it were anyone else, I’d not risk my own safety, much less life. I’m not saying I’m indifferent to canine suffering: just that I care about my own safety and health much more. If I see a dog in peril or even suffering and can assist it without peril to myself, then I’ll help it.
As for the biological human issue: are you serious? I’m a biological human. Humans are my team. Unless someone does something odious enough to earn my complete contempt (read: murder, torture, or rape), I will always choose their safety over any animals’.
Most of the time it isn’t a vile, serial murderer/rapist versus an animal, though. I mean, usually there aren’t that many either or situations, involving choosing between a person and an animal. And I’m sure there are even fewer where the person is totally evil. Most people fall somewhere in between.
As a better man than I once said, and not too long ago, don’t fight the hypothetical.
But for the sake of the argument, say it’s your neighbors dog who saves your child from the SMR. Which one gets the bullet? Do you shoot the dog to save the man?
Yeah. I was serious, but now you’ve qualified it. I was responding to *any *human vs. *any *pet.