Animal Welfare A problem that really irritates me...

[PiggleLove2013]

Something I've noticed after my time and research with pigs is how much people underestimate smaller animals. A dog gets abused or abandoned and it's SUPER depressing, but small creatures are abused, bred, forced to lay in their waste, and constantly neglected and nobody gives a darn. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that dogs and large animals are not abused and treated unfairly just as much or that I don't feel bad for them (whatever species, all life should be treated with love and care), but it seems as if mankind judges intelligence and worth by size. If it is a horse and it's starved, that is really sad, everyone wants it to stop. But when it's a gerbil that's thrown at a wall, it's just a stupid rat that doesn't have feelings, no one cares. I can't be the only that really has grinded gears over this, right?

 

[mdodge]

I think it's a shame as well. not just domestic but wild animals as well.I see people all the time driving and purposely swerve to hit something crossing the road.I've always tried to teach my kids that life is precious no matter what and for their pets they rely on you for everything.food ,care,affection, put yourself in their shoes.

 

[pinky]

It probably has more to do with the huge numbers of small pets and how quickly they breed if they're caged together. Another thing is that some people eat guinea pigs and rabbits or use them as lab animals so they're not always pets.

 

[oldnewie]

We are supposedly the most intelligent creatures on the planet, yet are the cruellest & most dangerous, exercising mindless behavior & thoughtless attitudes towards all animals without humanity & respect.
Why?
Thank God for those who do care.

 

[mdodge]

Mindless and selfish. as a society we've learned it's ok to use, abuse and blame things on someone or thing else. I'm a ff/ emt were I live I remember being on an accident call.the girl swerved because a rabbit ran out in front.one of the other emts told her it's ok to hit them their God's speed bumps needles to say it ticked me off

 

[BaconAndEggs]

It makes me so mad when I hear these things. Just because it's a big animal. Nobody gives a thought to things like rats, mice, guinea pigs, ect.
I hear people say stuff like, "Oh, poor dog. Look at how its owner yanks it on it's leash." But tell me, does anyone ever hear, "That poor guinea pig! Look at how small its cage is." Instead, there's usually, "Oh, it's just a stupid rodent. It'll live in a small cage." Don't get me wrong, I really care for all animals, but stuff like this just ticks me off.

People think an animal's size shows its worth, but it really doesn't. A horse is just as important as a Chinchilla, which by the way are a bit rare why? Because humans think they're just rodents, so they can take their fur. It's funny how most of the time groups for extinction focus on the bigger animals that are becoming extinct, but hardly ever smaller ones?

 

[lunarminx]

I have always said let the human race die off so the animals can live in peace.

 

[Lady Merridell]

That's a mite harsh, don't you think? But I absolutely understand your frustrations, I have seen horrors. I believe we should be grateful that there are people who care. Maybe it's not such a bad thing humans exist if we can give a paralyzed guinea pig hid legs to walk?

I don't mean to preach there at all or try to sound smart, but I am trying to lighten the mood a bit. At least we can do something about all of this. I believe that in the end the little darlings will be okay and all will be put right, but for now I'm glad I'm not the only one willing to care for these guys. You people are amazing!

 

[PiggleLove2013]

I totally agree with you all. Like you said @oldnewie, we consider ourselves the most intelligent species when really we tend to make way dumber decisions (not all of us, just the majority) than animals. It's true that we have made many amazing things and advances in technology, but let's face it, it's pretty bad on our part when we judge emotional capacity by size, or importance by recognition. Many people think they're superior to animals for the strangest reasons. We do have higher advantage, but that is a good reason why we should support the life that cannot defend itself as well as we can.

 

[surlypiggy]

We are supposedly the most intelligent creatures on the planet, yet are the cruellest & most dangerous, exercising mindless behavior & thoughtless attitudes towards all animals without humanity & respect.
Why?
Thank God for those who do care.

Why do people do these things? Because they can.

 

[mufasa]

It frustrates me to no end that people put small animals like guinea pigs into a different category than cats and dogs despite the fact that piggies feel happiness, pain, etc. and have just as much right to a good life. But they're looked on as starter pets, and if they're abused or killed, oh well. It shocks the heck out of people to come to my house and see the girls in the pet room running around in their nice, big swimming pool. They're also shocked at how much personality guinea pigs have when they're kept properly and allowed to shine (Amy and Quinn always come over to meet anyone new and are happy to show off how they can sit up and beg for a treat). All my animals are equal and get the same attention paid to their food, accommodations, and vet care, despite size or species. I refuse to devalue an animal because of society's viewpoint.

 

[PeanutnCookie]

It makes me so mad when I hear these things. Just because it's a big animal. Nobody gives a thought to things like rats, mice, guinea pigs, ect.
I hear people say stuff like, "Oh, poor dog. Look at how its owner yanks it on it's leash." But tell me, does anyone ever hear, "That poor guinea pig! Look at how small its cage is." Instead, there's usually, "Oh, it's just a stupid rodent. It'll live in a small cage."

I DID THAT! There were two guinea pigs on craigslist and the cage was big enough for an igloo and for them to walk around it. I was tempted to get them just to give them more room. This really makes me mad, though!!

 

[BaconAndEggs]

I DID THAT! There were two guinea pigs on craigslist and the cage was big enough for an igloo and for them to walk around it. I was tempted to get them just to give them more room. This really makes me mad, though!!

I agree. When my boys were in their tiny store bought cage, even my friend (who had NEVER owned guinea pigs in her LIFE) said, "That's a really small cage." And I'm glad she said that, because it got me thinking, and now here I am, with a cage people claim is "huge". It isn't even the preferred size for two boars! A 2x3.5! (Working on expanding, though) Anyway, yes, that happens a lot. I am usually very passive, but get on my bad side and I will hurt you without a further thought. lol ESPECIALLY when it's about animals.

 

[BaconAndEggs]

And, applause to all of us who care! Applause to all the people in the world who have ever seen an animal and not judged it, just because it can't speak. Human's ARE animals, yet we consider ourselves higher than our own kind. At the top of the food chain! Well, the animals on top of the food chain are just as important as the ones on the bottom. At this day and age, humans don't care how animals feel. There are several baffling theories that animals don't have feelings! Ha! If you think animals have no feelings, then tell me, why do they squeak or yelp or squeal in pain? Why do they pick and choose their favorite types of veggies, dog food, hay, cat food, fish food? Why do they curl up on their owner's lap when either feels sad, or hiss or bark or purr in anger or annoyance when someone or something is doing something they don't like? Tell me why, if you believe animals are just mindless objects that have no control over themselves whatsoever. I believe that all animals deserve a good life, just like humans do. Mice and rats are judged because they are "gross" and "carry diseases". But where do they get half of those diseases from? Garbage, mold, rotten things. What do those things come from? Us! In fact, some animals can do things us humans would never be able to, such as having a great sense of smell, flying, running just as fast as a car!
Animals have helped us greatly in many of our advances in technology, and what do we do? We treat them like garbage, disposable objects that we can abuse or hate whenever we want to.
Sorry for the rant, there were things that needed to be said. lol