# PETA: No guide dogs? No Pets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2004, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-no-guide-dogs-no-pets/254097 "2004-07-08T13:10:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-no-guide-dogs-no-pets/254097/21 "2004-07-09T00:04:30Z")
> [@Skopo](#): > > When you consider that PeTA sees no ethical differences between animals and human beings, then it makes sense that they would be opposed to even guide dogs. The thing I don’t understand about PETA’s equalizing humans and animals is that if we’re all equal, why can animals eat other animals and humans be expected to rise above it? If a lion kills a person, shouldn’t that lion then go to jail? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-no-guide-dogs-no-pets/254097/22 "2004-07-09T00:40:13Z")
It is so telling that she uses a laughably childish, made up word like _ **speciesist** _. In other words, we freed the blacks, gave women the vote, are outlawing discrimination against gays, now its the animals turn! This woman watched Bambi too many times. It’d almost be funny if so many people didn’t take her seriously. What really annoys me is that she is dead wrong in terms of it being unhealthy emotionally to dogs & cats to be owned as pets. It is not inheirently abusive at all, its completely healthy and nurturing. As long as they’re not _truely_ abused dogs _like_ being subservient to humans. Its what they were born to do, support the pack leader. The human/dog bond fits perfectly into their genetic makeup. Cats too, only more as an equal. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-no-guide-dogs-no-pets/254097/23 "2004-07-09T01:03:10Z")
> [@Skopo](#): > > When you consider that PeTA sees no ethical differences between animals and human beings, then it makes sense that they would be opposed to even guide dogs. From PeTA’s perspective, for a blind person to use a dog as a guide is no different that using a guide-midget. If the midget is willing to do the work, and free to refuse to do it if he/she doesn’t want to do it, what would be wrong with it? And make no mistake about it, guide dogs ARE free to refuse to do the work. Guiding a blind person isn’t a task a dog can be coerced into doing. It requires a great deal of independent initative on the part of the dog, and there’s no way you can use force to make the animal safely perform the task. Guide dogs actually have to enjoy their work if they’re to be reliable enough to entrust a blind person’s safety to. The relationship between a blind person and his/her guide dog is the very opposite of abusive. The people running PETA are nuts. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-no-guide-dogs-no-pets/254097/24 "2004-07-09T01:28:04Z")
This thread has given me a mental picture of John Bryant (whom I’ve never heard of before, BTW), staggering around mad-scientist style, rubbing his hands together and cackling, “Your pathetic version of the cat must cease to exist… Ha ha ha ha…” The whole thing is a fine example of what happens when people take a good idea (it is surely a good idea to treat all living creatures with respect) and take it too damned far. Try a little moderation people! Of course, what do I know – I have two purebred human children and one more-or-less purebred fox terrier. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-no-guide-dogs-no-pets/254097/25 "2004-07-09T01:43:45Z")
> [@paperclip](#): > > From the PETA website > > PETA believes that animals deserve the most basic rights—consideration of their own best interests regardless of whether they are useful to humans. Like you, they are capable of suffering and have interests in leading their own lives; therefore, they are not ours to use—for food, clothing, entertainment, or experimentation, or for any other reason. > > I think that answers your question. So, are we to turn our pets, zoo animals, farm animals, etc. loose to fend for themselves as best they can? Maybe PETA will embark on getting govrnment (Our IRS Taxes) money to provide a food for “Free Animals” subsistence program which they can administer. Free the animals, never mind the conseuences! ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-no-guide-dogs-no-pets/254097/26 "2004-07-09T03:03:38Z")
As someone who has a sister that uses a seeing eye dog and having spent a little bit of time around SAR, corpse, and rescue dogs, I have to say that PETA is comprised of some pretty stupid people. I had never seen a dog so happy as when a SAR dog succeeded in locating a victim. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-no-guide-dogs-no-pets/254097.md?page=1)