Consider this…I own him. I can dispose of him anytime I want, and he has to do my bidding (under pain of punishment). So, is he, in effect, a slave?
Suppose these “animal rights/PETA crazies” succeed in getting laws passed about animal "rights’-would I be considered a slaveowner?
My understanding is that there is a radical element to the Animal Rights movement that would describe things exactly that way. ISTR that some PETA pieces have talked about removing domestic animals from their captivity, as a long-term goal.
Having said that, I don’t agree with it.
One of the things that I believe has to be considered is “What’s the alternative?” For domestic dogs, when they go feral they become serious nuisances, and even hazards. The lifespan of feral pets, cats and dogs, are measurably shorter than for pets. And the comfort levels between the two states are such that I really believe there is no comparison.
For dogs, especially, with their arrested emotional development, I don’t think that they can be returned to a natural state all that well. Obviously dingos managed it, though I’ll contend that the dingo root stock was far less domesticated than the average pet canine these days. It’s my impression from my reading that dogs are, emotionally, stuck in behaviors that are considered traits of puppy or adolescent wolves. Which limits how well they can return to the wild. Again, obviously, some dogs do manage it. I have no cite, but I suspect it’s a very small fraction of those former pets which are turned loose to go feral, however.
I think if you were to ask my cats for their opinion, they’d be the first to tell you that they are the masters and I am the slave.
I shovel their poop on a daily basis, wake up at 5am to feed them breakfast (actually, they’re nice enough to act as alarm clocks for this particular chore), ensure that they are constantly entertained by a variety of toys, and provide belly rubs on demand. Do we even need to ask who is the boss here?
The principal justification for slavery was that black people were essentially just animals that could speak. I.e. they were no more advanced mentally and would similarly revert to ferality if set free.
Given that animals really are animals, such usage has been held to be justified by many.
Not exactly a real good image to include in the promotional material, of course.
I am a slave. I must defer to my cats and do their bidding. They hae a complex treaties with dogs that allow us to only think we are their masters. It all balances out in the end.
I must go now, they are summoning me to the kitchen.
Am I a slave to corporate America? I think my dog could fare better without any money than I could.
Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.
No, your dog isn’t a slave. It’s a dog. By definition it can’t be a slave. It’s like the joke:
Q: If you call a tail a leg, how many legs does a dog have?
A: 4. No matter what you call it, a tail isn’t a leg.
I’m owned by two dogs. I consider myself their valet. It seems like I’m always jumping up to either let them inside or out, depending on which side of the door they’re on (usually the wrong side). They also expect their food and water dishes to magically fill themselves. They even expect me to pick up after them. They definitely do have a staff.
All kidding aside, they’re not my slaves. I have few demands, which they willingly fulfill in exchange for food, shelter, medical care and companionship. About all I expect out of them is to be housebroken, come when called, bark as seldom as possible, and provide me with affection. Hardly what you’d call slave labor.
Nope. A slave is a person who is owned; dogs are not people; therefore they are not slaves.
Yes, but that would be a legal definition, which is quite arbitrary. That would no more make a dog a slave or you a slaveowner than the government declaring me 8 feet tall would make me have to duck going through doorways.
Word. blondebear, preach it.
You are the leader of their pack, and there are certain obligations that you have, and that they have. This is natural for a dog. Be happy!
What is it that you make your dog do, exactly, that is slave like? Cooking? General cleaning? Light typing?
A dog is an opportunistic parasite. Scavenging behavior adapted to the fetish behavior of humans to minimize the effort necessary to survive. Cats as well. (the differences are fundamentally only style.)
The ticks, fleas, and associated diseases are along for the ride, having become the “pets” of dogs and cats and gaining the benefit of their adaptation.
Tris
No, your dog is not a slave. You don’t force him or her to work or anything. I think the PETA extremists really have no idea what life is like for pets.
I love my cats and consider them family members. By living with me they get love, pettings, proper medical care, the most nutritious food I can afford to feed them, and someone to wake up with incessant mewings on Saturday mornings. They are not exposed to the dangers of feral living. They don’t have to deal with fleas, mites or ticks. They get to sleep on the bed at night. If this is their idea of abuse I would love to see what they think appropriate treatment should look like!
I would agree with this. When I die, I want to come back as a cat or dog owned by somebody like me who spoils their pets outrageously.
Is it really part of the master/slave relationship for the master to follow the slave around and carry his poop for him?
Calling a dog a slave strikes me as demeaning to people who were held as slaves. You know, kind of like asking whether the mouse I trapped this morning could count as a Holocaust victim.
Your dog is property* under current law. Being a slave would be a promotion.
*Doesn’t mean there can’t be criminal laws that punish you for, say, running your property through a shredder or setting it on fire.
As a note, under the system of chattel slavery, at least, slaves are also property under the law.
What about the containment part, whether it be in a warm house, a fence outside, or a chain? You’re still a prisoner.
We have a couple outdoor cats, I feel guilty when I don’t play with them. But I figure they can run off anytime they want to, so as long as I keep feeding them and they’re happy with the situation, so be it.