WARNING! RANT AHEAD!!
People love their dog but I ask you - purse carriers? dog jogging strollers? dog car seats? doggie day care - we're not talking overnight boarding, we're talking a fun place to take your dog to play while you are at work. Or a dog hotel ... or a doggie spa?
I also hate it when people call their dogs their kids, and say that dogs are people too. Maybe I'm stepping on toes but when Psalm 8 talks about all the things God created man is the only thing that is created "a little lower than the heavenly beings". People have souls and poodles don't.
I get that some people want a low maintenance - co-dependent relationship but what really made me furious was when I saw a sticker on someones window that said
really! you want a fireman to risk his life for your dog??? and bring him to the hospital of your choice????
Of course, I have nothing against pets, in fact, Zak has been asking for a dog and Phillip and I are considering it (don't tell him). We love pets- as pets, not as people. We love people as people who are made in God's image, and for whom God sent His Son. I think it is very important to keep things in perspective (and I know most of you do)
Ahhh ... I feel so much better now. I apologize if I hurt your feelings. Maybe you can change my mind about this and make me eat my words and print a lengthy and heartfelt apology and retraction.
4 comments:
This post made me chuckle.
I'm really not a pet person. Anytime someone acts surprised that we have no pets, I tell them, "we have kids, not pets." The last thing I need is an animal to look after!
Ultimately animals ARE God's creation and handiwork so I think they should be appreciated, respected and cared for. I miss my dog I had growing up (may Dolly rest in peace), and I always wished I had a horse. :)
Will WE ever have pets? Living in the city, probably not. If we ever decide we want to live out in the country, and my kids are old enough to take care of them, MAybe. And they'll be outside pets. My kids love dogs (okay Biniam SOMETIMES loves dogs) and cats, and it's always so special when they get to play with my mom and dad's cats, or Andy and Jeannett's dogs (who have the utmost patience I must say!)
Okay, obviously we are pet people. We have two large dogs. We love them. They go on vacation with us (camping...but then again we can't afford Hawaii...and no, they wouldn't go!)...Having our dogs has been fun and it's been a kick to watch them and Henry and the bond that continues to grow between the three of them. I will ball my eyes out when one of them dies.
BUT, I don't believe they have souls and they will never be sent to any kind of "spa" or other such nonsense. I buy them tennis balls from time to time and at Christmas they do get a stocking with a rawhide in it...not because I think they have any clue what is going on, but because I'm dorky like that (remember the village?!).
As for the firefighter thing though...we dont' have one of those stickers, but I don't know that firefighters would risk their lives for a dog (maybe some would), but it's more of a comment that "hey, we have a dog, if you see it cowering in a corner, please grab it". Or at least that's how I've always thought of it. Granted, I'm sure plenty of folks would really expect more...
Well, you have to realize that for many adults who cannot have children, a pet can often fill that void, even in a small way.
And as far as that window sticker goes...i'm sure you must know that many people rely on dogs just to make it through daily life - seeing eye dogs, for example. To them, yes, the dog definitely has a soul and they would devastated if anything happened to it.
It may be silly to spend money on spas and what not, but if someone has the extra money, why not? I can think of more than a few people that would choose a well-mannered, well-trained dog over a loud, obnoxious child, any day of the week.
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