Kayaker - The guy down the road from me was a K-9 handler for the local police. When his last dog was ready to retire, he retired, too. In fact, he stayed on despite health issues until the dog was ready to retire because he wanted them to stay together. And my local police force, when they retire a dog, will continue to pay for all it’s expenses for the rest of the dog’s life.
StG
Well, perhaps I’m fucked in the head too, but if someone came up to me and cried about a k-9 dog that died but that they didn’t actually know, I’d think that was weird unless they were a particularly sympathetic person who cried every time they say the obits.
I remember seeing a panhandler panhandlin’ with a dog by his side many years ago. My then girlfriend cried about the sight later, and I remember thinking that it was a little messed up that she could see a thousand marginalized human beings begging, but a homeless dog was enough to cause tears. The bloody dog probably doesn’t even understand the concept of homelessness.
Not a direct comparison to the OP’s experience, but I do cringe every time someone implies a dog is worth more than a human, or somehow more worthy of love.
If you think dogs are mindless, your ignorance is so profound it is pitiable. I’m also trying not be a dick so I won’t say more, although you deserve it.
Police and military K-9s are not only extremely highly trained, they have to possess a very exacting set of personality traits which allow such training to be absolutely reliable. Very few dogs have what it takes. They have to be courageous, discerning, devoted, focused, and highly intelligent. These are exceptional dogs doing life-saving work – and they are perfectly aware of it when they do.
I don’t think the OP is nearly as monstrous as many others apparently do.
I totally get that people close to this dog would be sad and upset. But total strangers? I’d feel weird going to the funeral of a dog I don’t know.
However, if I were in the OP’s situation, I might have said what his co-workers said to his weepy co-worker, but not really mean it.
I cringe every time it becomes a “of course humans are worth more than animals” look-down-on-the-sad-animal-lovers. Because while it’s true that in a fire I’d save my kid before I saved my dog, it doesn’t mean I don’t believe we can’t treat animals with dignity, understand that they are part of the fabric of our social lives and aim a little higher in terms of how we interact with them and our physical environment. I also felt genuinely bad when I read that elephant with the enormous tusks got poached recently even though I didn’t know the elephant “personally.” I’m sorry, but no one needs a tusk other than an elephant-and I think people who actively buy them should be weeded out of the gene pool. Also people who abuse animals and kick puppies in elevators and all that. All low-grade sociopaths, we’d probably be better off as a species with the elephant with the big tusks and the puppy rather than the buyer/kicker who are humans.
Now I admit the OP wasn’t clear about this lady’s relationship with the dog, but I maintain it’s weird to go to the funeral of a dog you do not know, if were the shoe on the other foot, you wouldn’t go to the funeral of their human partner.
I think the reason the deaths of dogs move many people so much, even if they don’t know the dog personally, is really complicated. Dogs are a little like children, they live in the present moment and are innocent, whatever that means. They also possess qualities that we can only aspire to, such as devotion and unconditional love, and in the case of K-9s they also are astonishingly brave, willing to die for their master.
There is something about the combination of all these qualities that is extraordinarily compelling for those who find noble brave loyal innocence a moving thing. The truth is that few dogs are that noble, but K-9s actually are, and that is why they are particularly a focus – they really are that Lassie or Rin Tin Tin romanticized type of dog.
Those who despise animals can’t understand this. I can only imagine this contempt is caused by never having had any deep relationship with an animal, an impoverished state of being that I wouldn’t wish on a dog.
I think in many ways we think of pets, and service animals in a similar way we think of children. Not so much with respect to worth, as in “my dog is just as important as your kid” but in terms of the fact that they are dependent on their care givers, who decide their fate.
The K-9 didn’t choose to be a police officer, he didn’t decide to put himself in danger after weighing his career opportunities and personal interests. He was taken as a puppy, trained to be a cop, and when he’s told to take down the dangerous guy with a knife, he jumps into action, all for the same cookie his pet-destined litter mate gets for waiting until he’s outside to poop.
Not to be a dick or anything, but did you happen to notice that the human died, not the dog?
Now, unless they changed the laws in this country while I wasn’t looking, I didn’t know that dogs had wives. :rolleyes:
One of my favorite “Cops” episodes featured an officer and his K-9 partner who was sitting in the front seat during filming en route to a call. The cameraman apparently leaned forward a little too close to the dog, prompting the beast to turn around and fix the guy with a “what the hell do you think you’re doing, buster?” look).
The cameraman quickly settled back in his seat. 
I’m with you here (although “Arabic” is the language, not the people). This is somewhat insane, and I’m surprised to see so many people here giving you shit for thinking it’s weird that people would want to go to the funeral of a police dog they never even knew. Would they even go to the funeral of a police officer (you know, a human) they never met who didn’t even die on duty? Because that would be weird, too.
Actually, it’s weird to have a funeral for a dog at all, although I can see why a dog owner might want to have a funeral for their own pet. I would expect people who didn’t even know the dog to have a slightly more reasoned reaction, though.
Ever want to be a complete, nonempathic asswipe? Now you can! Call H.H. Inc on the 7-1/2 floor of the Mertin-Flemmer Building.
Stranger
Did you notice that handsomeharry wasn’t talking about the K-9 handler from the other thread, though? He was talking about his personal experience from work.
He couldn’t understand why the woman in his office wanted to go the funeral of a dog, not that of the handler, who was still very much alive.
Yes, however, he took one thread and misrepresented what it said so he could express his rant. Since the cited thread had nothing to do with a dog dying, why this thread?
I see no misrepresentation. The title clearly was about K-9 dogs. He said he was inspired by the other thread, but he made no mention of the handler in his title or his OP. This thread is clearly about K-9 dogs. It was related to the other thread, but it was a tangent from it. I don’t see where your confusion is.
HandsomeHarry is baffled.
Moved to the Pit (from MPSIMS), so y’all can just let loose.
Probably because many people go to funerals to offer support for those still living. I’ve been to many services for people I never met in my life.
OP’s a moron. Forget about him.
Go read this article about The Hero Dog award. It’s got pictures of the eight finalists, including Bretagne, the last known survivor of the dogs who help the 9/11 recovery.
The Hero Dog award is a competition by the American Humane Society to recognize top service dogs and their people from around the country. Here’s the website where you can vote (until September 14) for your favorites.
http://www.herodogawards.org/