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A frequent and indeed inevitable topic of discussion is the rights of pet owners vs. non-pet owners in public facilities. Some consider it the rights of domesticated animals as opposed to the rights of people. The increasing use of Emotional Support Animals, or ESA's, as opposed to true service dogs. This is a particular problem because ESA's don't require or have any special certification. For a dog to become a true service animal extensive training and testing are required. Most dogs do not pass "seeing eye" training for example. They have a somewhat easier time becoming a therapy dog but even there the population is limited.
By contrast, to some extent most pets are "ESA's." Being greeted by a wagging tail on coming home from school or work melts most people's hearts. Or even having a cat rub against your leg. It is pure, unconditional love. Even a spouse or children may not always give such a greeting but pets don't have "rough days." So the proliferation of ESA's raises issues.
Should a third-grader be able to say, in order to go to school, "I need my doggie-woggie, I'll cry without him/her"?
Are animal rights on an equal footing with people's rights? On one side animals undoubtedly have feelings. They feel pain, sadness and a whole panoply of human-like emotions, though that is a matter of some controversy. See Which Emotions Do Dogs Actually Experience? Dogs have co-evolved with people to the point where they look at us, with their eyes, for solutions to problems. They live for us, we live for them. See We Didn't Domesticate Dogs. They Domesticated Us.
On the other hand, dogs can bite, especially if in stressful situations such as airplanes where there's no ready escape. See Southwest Airlines passenger bitten by an emotional-support dog. There are many people allergic to dogs. Others are downright scared of dogs. And if two people bring dogs onto a plane and the animals don't get along things can get messy. Also, dogs add to the cacophony of other noises such as cellphones and babies crying. Dogs may take an interest in food of other passengers and being served on the airplane.
Courts don't always agree on the issue. Compare Can You Take a Chimp to Court? to Chimpanzees are not 'persons,' appeals court says. In my view, humans are "keystone species" and must make the decision for animals, not the other way around. While animals must be protected from unnecessary cruelty people's rights must prevail.
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This is frequently an issue in everyday life. See these typical exchanges:
The people are arguing that the convenience of the pet or the pet owner overrides that of everyone else.
No, I'm arguing that the free market overrides everything. The airlines allow pets. If you don't like that you have the choice of either a) convincing the airline to no longer allow pets, b) not fly that airline, or c) start your own pet-free airline. It's that simple.
Quite the contrary. During most of my childhood I could not have a pet because of my mother's allergies. I love dogs and some cats. I would call myself an animal lover.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ringwise
No, I'm arguing that the free market overrides everything. The airlines allow pets. If you don't like that you have the choice of either a) convincing the airline to no longer allow pets, b) not fly that airline, or c) start your own pet-free airline. It's that simple.
The airlines allow pets for PC reasons. Airplanes are confined, stressful places for animals. Also, there are people who are allergic to or scared of animals. An airplane is not a zoo.
No, I'm arguing that the free market overrides everything. The airlines allow pets. If you don't like that you have the choice of either a) convincing the airline to no longer allow pets, b) not fly that airline, or c) start your own pet-free airline. It's that simple.
I get it, you're a pet hater.
Aren't these pets usually in the storage or wtv area and not with passengers? The exception being let's for handicap that need them. Let's aren't inherently bad. The bad thing are filthy, inconsiderate, entitled wankers who think because they're in the mood to have their dog slobber all over them that everyone else is. And this doesn't even factor in people who are allergic. They were born that way, but you demand they suffer for you? Yeah right.
Human >>>>>>>>>> Animal.
Quite the contrary. During most of my childhood I could not have a pet because of my mother's allergies. I love dogs and some cats. I would call myself an animal lover. The airlines allow pets for PC reasons. Airplanes are confined, stressful places for animals. Also, there are people who are allergic to or scared of animals. An airplane is not a zoo.
And my dog is not a wild animal on display. Airlines are also not daycares, but kids can fly, often for free.
Airlines allow pets because there is a market for allowing them. Has nothing to do with being PC. It's money, plain and simple.
My dogs are not stressed when they fly.
People are allergic to all sorts of things, but we don't ban them on planes. Perfumes and peanuts, for instance.
I can guarantee that you won't even notice my dog, so if you're scared, you probably are scared of your shadow. Who is scared of a dog or cat in a carrier?
Aren't these pets usually in the storage or wtv area and not with passengers? The exception being let's for handicap that need them. Let's aren't inherently bad. The bad thing are filthy, inconsiderate, entitled wankers who think because they're in the mood to have their dog slobber all over them that everyone else is. And this doesn't even factor in people who are allergic. They were born that way, but you demand they suffer for you? Yeah right.
Human >>>>>>>>>> Animal.
Nobody is suffering because I bring my dog on a plane in an approved carrier. My dog doesn't slobber on anyone.
They are allowed in the main cabin. The airlines have decided that the free market has a demand for this type of service, and they provide it.
I'm not sure how many are really that concerned about dogs and cats in pet carriers on airplanes (although a lot of this "therapy dog/cat" stuff seems to be used by some to impose their preferences on others).
Unfortunately, 'animal rights,' like many issues, never seem to stop with the logical or rational, but, are often carried to extremes by various activists and bureaucrats. Of course, a great deal of time and effort could be spent defining "extreme," but, most of us can easily think of several examples.
So, yes. in these extreme cases, perceived "animal rights" often trump human rights ... often simply to appease someone's view of what is politically correct.
Quite the contrary. During most of my childhood I could not have a pet because of my mother's allergies. I love dogs and some cats. I would call myself an animal lover. The airlines allow pets for PC reasons. Airplanes are confined, stressful places for animals. Also, there are people who are allergic to or scared of animals. An airplane is not a zoo.
Soooooo..... if a dog is a highly trained and certified service dog, is the allergic or frightened person going to be LESS allergic or frightened than they would be of the dog in the carrier??
First, I love MOST dogs and cats, and I have one of each.
Second, I would not object to a small dog or cat being kept in the main cabin IF it spends 100% in the time in a carrier that stays under the seat the entire time its human is on the plane.
However, I still believe in "majority rules" UNLESS the will of the majority severely and negatively affects someone in an actual physical way. (Translation: I think that the airlines should not allow pets weighing more than 10 pounds in the main cabin unless they are service dogs for the physically disabled.)
In my opinion, this ESA business has gotten seriously out of hand, and it should be stopped. It just amazes me (sarcasm here) how so many people got along with flying with an ESA in the past.
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