r/Ethicalpetownership

Do you consider them a pests or neglected because they're a domesticated animal on their own, akin to feral cats? What is your solution for the issue then? Or, are they not an issue, like feral pigeons?

And I'm not talking daily baths, I'm talking once a month. Yes I have dogs.

Anyways, for some reason people act like it's weird to bathe your dogs often. People bathing their dogs once or twice a year is WAYYY more common than I thought. I do know its nuanced as to why some people might so that, examples being: the dog has physical issues or behavioural issues making it hard to bathe them often, the owner themselves might ​​​​be struggling physically or mentally and that's why they dont bathe their dog often or the dog thrives on little baths, etc. There are so many more reasons.

But I draw the line when people act like its instantly harmful for the dog to be bathed once a month. I bathe my dog once, sometimes twice (not closely set) a month and his coat is soft and shiny. His skin isn't dry or flaky by any means​. So I do have a problem with people going "bathing your dog monthly is TERRIBLE for their skin!" Because it's not. ​Again, im not gonna shame you if you don't bathe your dog monthly. But I don't think the idea of "bathing them monthly​ is bad" is something that should be going around. I don't mind "bathing monthly doesn't work for some dogs" or something like that. ​​​​​​​

Eta: I meant dog owners implying bathing dogs monthly is bad for ALL dogs in the title. lol my bad​

I just got fed a post from a vegan sub on my for you. It was about a vegan wrestling with whether or not they should get a pet that needs to eat meat.

I was SHOCKED by how many suggested that a cat could be vegan??? Are they not obligate carnivores?? Emphasis on the ‘obligate’? Is this common?

This channel breaks down a lot of the issues with unhealthy selective breeding, thought I'd share a video. Definitely check out the video on pugs and persian cats as well, and he also has videos on livestock breeding. Super informative.

I personally think all brachycephalic cat and dog breeds should be banned, and I believe intentionally breeding deformed and unhealthy dogs should be criminalised. It's gross animal cruelty.

Also this is my personal opinion but brachycephalic cats and dogs are not cute, they look deformed and you can literally see their suffering on their face.

If you have spent more than a day on Reddit, you have probably noticed that people absolutely love their pets. At the same time, you might have also noticed that there is a concerning amount of hatred towards humans accompanying that love.

When love turns into obsession, projection, or treating an animal like a substitute for human relationships, it stops being about what is ethical for the animal and your surrounding. Your surrounding being the most important part here.

It seems like a lot of people have forgotten that ethicalpetownership isn’t just a moral framework created by humans for the benefit of animals. Humans themselves are also part of the equation.

Leashing your dog isn’t something you do just for your dog or for wildlife. You do it for your fellow humans, for people with allergies, people who are afraid of dogs, those or us who simply don’t like them, and most importantly, to prevent your dog from causing harm or distress to others. So your four legged nanny doesn’t make the news for embarking on another toddler.

If you find yourself wishing that dogfree would disappear and you’re about two seconds away from typing an insult that could get your account permanently banned, allow me to introduce you a magic spell that can solve that without terminating your account: practice ethicalpetownership.

You don’t have to bother people, let your dog run up to strangers, or shove your dog in everyone’s face as though you’re attending some Family Guy cosplay convention. Similarly, you don’t need to invent twenty different scenarios explaining how the dog was supposedly “provoked” by the innocent little girl after a mauling. It’s not helpful, and frankly, it’s wildly inappropriate. Imagine doing the same thing with a burglar: No one wants you posting pictures of your favourite burglar and speculating about how the poor guy might have been “provoked” after the shop clerk ends up in the ICU.

Keeping your cat indoors, similarly, isn’t just about protecting wildlife. It’s also about respecting the people who live around you. Your neighbours shouldn’t have to spend hundreds on measures to keep your cat out of their yard, buy endless deterrents, or spend their evenings frantically sprinkling chili powder around the garden like they are seasoning a giant outdoor salad. Nor should they have to spend their days sticking forks in the ground. Their garden is not an outdoor cat buffet.

It’s not even limited to pets! Making shelters more ethical would benefit everyone who adopts from them. Better standards, more transparency, and more responsible practices would mean better outcomes for both animals and the people who take them home. And hey, no more subreddits dedicated to Mr. Worldwide would be an amazing side effect. As devastating as it might be to lose that brand of humour.

Another example is raw feeding. Not cooking your pet’s food can introduce risks that don’t stop at your front door, foodborne pathogens can also pose a risk to the people around you. I think we can all agree that avoiding the next COVID-20 would be a pretty solid addition to the list. Bonuspoints for the pet anti-vaxxers and “vets are secretly in Big Pet Food’s pocket” conspiracy theorists.

Being an ethical pet owner is not about overly loving animals, it is not about putting animals above humans or hating on them. Sometimes, the most ethical choice is not to have a pet at all. Sometimes, the right thing to do is not get an animal you desperately want because you know you can’t provide for it or because you “love” the way it looks.

The willingness to put what is right above what you want is what ethicalpetownership is all about. And that extends beyond the animal, it also means considering the needs, wellbeing, and boundaries of the people around you.

I find it kind of sad watching people become so disillusioned with humanity that they start believing animals are inherently better than people. And I don’t mean that in a “how dare you dislike humans” way.

I can understand having terrible experiences with people and developing a pretty negative view of humanity. But watching that resentment turn into some sort of self-sustaining doom loop is something else entirely! Every bad experience becomes further proof that humans are the worst and every animal is apparently a flawless little angel who can do no wrong.

Meanwhile, Mister Sparklesandbarkles is happily devouring the steaming buffet left behind by another dog before clocking in for his daily barking shift. Clearly, this is the morally superior species! Granny Rita better move aside, Mistersparklesandbarkles has places to be. Children? Grandchildren? Other humans with actual needs? They can wait. After all, he is basically a small child, a beloved family member, and apparently a fully qualified citizen with the same social standing as everyone else.

He has important work to do: barking at absolutely nothing, devouring mystery buffets left by his canine colleagues, conducting extremely thorough buttsniffing inspections, and maintaining diplomatic relations with every dog within a five-mile radius.

Please, try to be understanding. How else would society function without his tireless contributions? Who would stock the stores? Lay the roads? Build the roofs? Manufacture the clothes, phones, furniture, food, and approximately 847 other unnecessary toys he has received?

And who do you think bred and domesticated Mister Sparklesandbarkles in the first place? Oh, right… The same supposedly inferior species that spends its time farming, manufacturing, building infrastructure, providing veterinary care, developing medicine, maintaining electricity and sanitation, and generally keeping civilization running so your dog can spend his afternoon sniffing another dog’s bum and bark at a plastic bag.

On a more serious note, animals should be treated with respect and care. But there are boundaries that, when crossed, turn into obsession and something toxic. People saying they would save their dog over some child’s Granny Rita, and much worse… some child’s parent.

It’s not just ethically bankrupt to put a dog on the same level as a human being, it’s also an incredibly unhealthy place to be mentally and emotionally.

Ethical treatment of animals doesn’t exist in nature. The entire concept is a human moral framework. Nature isn’t concerned with fairness, compassion, or ethical treatment. It’s just survival of the fittest.

People nowadays have this rose-tinted view of dogs because they forget just how deliberately humans have shaped them. Humans have spent thousands of years reshaping wolves to suit our needs, preferences, and lifestyles. So perhaps we should be a little more cautious about romanticizing the “natural” side of dogs or pretending their relationship with us exists independently of human intervention.

Can we really call it “normal” for an animal to require generations of selective breeding for temperament, hours of training, and constant supervision around children simply to ensure it doesn’t seriously injure or maul someone? That’s absurd to me.

You don’t have to like humanity. You don’t even have to like people. But being deeply misanthropic while placing a domesticated animal, literally shaped by thousands of years of human breeding, above humans is a little ironic. It’s almost like hating the artist while worshipping the painting.