Comments on: Why People Rescue Dogs

By: RumpyDog!

RumpyDog! — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 11:28:12 +0000

As one who works both with humans and dogs, I see one (at least in my work) that you didn’t mention. Sometimes those human rescuers who try to “save” folks like Mama B get to point where they need to move on but they don’t. That’s when you start hearing them blame Mama B for not being what they think she ought to be. In my job, the abuse doesn’t just come from the people I work with, but also from the people charged to work with those abusers.

Ironically, that also happens with people who rescue dogs. We just call them hoarders.

By: Kirsten

Kirsten — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 20:00:04 +0000

It’s true, people put up the darnedest fights in response to our best efforts to rescue them. Some, like my mom, would sooner die than live their lives any other way than exactly as they have chosen.

As far as a conflict between rescuing humans and rescuing animals, I don’t think there is one. Some of us are drawn uniquely to helping those of our own species, others of us feel more compelled to assist those species who have no voice. Some of us find time for both. Rescuers of all flavors are following their hearts and doing the jobs they feel they were placed here to do; I don’t think you can fault them for the being to whose rescue they come.

By: one person's view

one person's view — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 16:43:14 +0000

I can’t really add much to what’s already been said. I think we all have to decide where time, energy, and money goes. I will give money to people– social service agencies, medical research, disaster relief– because I can’t find the cure or house the homeless myself. But I will take stray animals into my home, and not a homeless person. I will donate time and energy to a rescue. Most importantly, I find a role for myself in educating people who are NOT animal lovers why caring for animals is important, and what it says about us as people when we mistreat animals. Believe it or not, my religion has specific laws about how one must treat animals, and I like to put those laws in people’s faces from time to time. 🙂

By: Lauranne

Lauranne — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 15:59:24 +0000

I think the main difference is that people can help themselves. I don’t know if I am slightly cold hearted and selfish when I look at people. However when I think of the young, the elderly or the infirm I almost look at them in the same light I would an animal. They need our help to do something they can’t do themselves. But for a healthy 40 year old male, why can’t you go out to work? Why can’t you cook for yourself? I think these people may need guidance, and support but at the end of the day a lot of it they need to want to do for themselves.

By: weliveinaflat

weliveinaflat — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 02:59:04 +0000

Sometimes… how one chooses to do good depends on one’s character. You can’t force a dog person to go rescue people, when it’s not their passion. And you can’t argue when a humanitarian who is all about human causes over dogs any day. It takes all sorts to make the world and so long as we contribute to a cause we are passionate in, we are all putting in a little something that, hopefully in the grand scheme of things aggregate and makes a difference for humans and dogs. That’s sort of where my thoughts lie.

By: BJ Pup

BJ Pup — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:50:57 +0000

There is an ability difference between a dog and a person. A person from early on can make a choice to help themselves or allow to be helped. A dog can cannot. I taught English in a NYC high school and have first-hand experience of how people can throw away opportunities. Students had the opportunity for a free, good education and they threw it away by not attending, not because they needed to work, but because they chose to hang out elsewhere. Then when these same people can’t find jobs, they blame society and want to be helped. A person who I served on a jury with who was born in theUSA, had an education and his grammar and use of words are worse than some who were not born here. When I mentioned something, he informed me that he was born in “the hood” and he wasn’t going to change.
A dog doesn’t turn his nose up when people want to help her. I would much rather rescue a dog then a person. FYI, BJ is a rescue.

By: Kimberly Gauthier

Kimberly Gauthier — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:31:24 +0000

Personally, I know I favor dogs over humans and I’m okay with that. Children aside, I think humans pretty much suck and I think dogs need a voice and I’m happy to be one of many voices speaking on their behalf.

But I don’t think I rescue with the exception to the dogs we invite to join our family. I just don’t have the courage and I’m so thankful that there are so many people out there who do have the courage to bring us these amazing dogs and allow us to make up for the crappy things that another human did.

By: Kristine

Kristine — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 23:30:05 +0000

I never understood why the two areas have to be mutually exclusive. By helping animals we are so often helping people as well that this attitude never made sense to me. I am sure I have gone on rants about this before. If not, it is overdue.

As someone who has worked for both animal welfare organizations and human health organizations, I can tell you precisely how often the two worlds intersect. By following up on concerned phone calls, our animal cruelty investigators were often going into the homes of humans who have also been neglected and abused, perhaps more so than their animals. Human mental health issues were something they encountered every single day. Unfortunately, most of the available government services simply did not apply to these people and they had fallen through the cracks. It was our “animal” investigators who took action to help them.

All of us commenting here today no doubt have many stories of how animals have helped us or changed our lives for the better. Animal rescue is human rescue. The two cannot be separated.

By: Pup Fan

Pup Fan — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 21:15:57 +0000

In reply to Pup Fan. Typo in paragraph 1: That should read "... should impose its well upon a person in the same way that we do with dogs." Oops!

By: Pup Fan

Pup Fan — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 21:13:51 +0000

I think you hit the nail on the head. Rescuing dogs by moving them from state to state or placing them in the “right” home is one thing. To do those same sorts of things to people would be viewed as paternalistic and, for lack of a better word, dehumanizing. Dogs can’t tell us what they want the same way that people can, nor would most people agree that society should impose its will upon a person in the same way that we do with humans. (For example, we encourage people to spay and neuter their pets – but would we be on board with forced sterilization of humans in service of population control or some other goal? No.)

As for whether resources used to save animals should be directed towards people instead, I hate that it’s often viewed as a zero sum game. There are countless causes and groups in need of help – does it help to pit them against each other? Even among humans, one could argue that we should direct resources to help one group over another, pitting the homeless against veterans against cancer patients. I don’t think that’s productive either. I think that if people are willing to give their time to help make the world a better place, who am I to judge which cause they choose to support? Helping to improve things for any group (animals or humans) helps us all in the long run.