Dogs Are Slaves

I imagine in a Graceful Future they could all be set free. We'd playfully mingle with puppies on every corner. They receive so much love from their environment that they never learn to bark or exhibit aggression.

But today, dogs are essentially "property" of human owners. You take them for a wash just like your car. Unless your pup is superbly trained, please keep it on a leash. Don't leash your children though! That's inhumane.

In countries with fewer resources, dogs don't receive much protection at all. Everyone is just trying to survive.

In some communities, insulated from hardship, perhaps my language is offensive rather than amusing. These are probably highly empathetic, educated, well-meaning people. They might have so much time on their hands that they can ponder animals' innermost thoughts.

The thing is, on average, civilization has not yet developed to the stage where we can even begin to contemplate ending widespread dog slavery. It's simply too low in the priority rankings of Important Things To Do for humankind. But it's conceivably possible someday.

I used to feel negativity towards dogs, or perhaps just people who owned them without acknowledging their hypocrisy. Most people won't self-characterize as such... If I had a dog, however, I'd argue that I'm simply a benevolent slave owner.

"It's for their own good" has always struck me as a weak and potentially quite damaging argument.

Upon arriving to Greenville, I stayed with friends. Their two lovely dogs changed my mind. As they happily stretched beside me on the floor and we sat in quiet repose together, I suddenly realized that it's not the dogs I'm frustrated by...

It's the savagery of our present world.