Is Pet Ownership Ethical? The Perspective Of Different People

Ownership vs Companion Animals

There are many individuals who share their cats, birds, dogs and fish, as well as other animals who have traditionally referred as to their pets. It is therefore unsurprising when there are questions on who the humans choose, in order to treat the animals as their subject of a growing number of philosophical discussions (Francione, 2012). The aim of the paper is to argue on the perspective of different people based on their views with regards to “is there something which is fundamentally morale wrong with pet ownership”. In the discussion section of the paper, it will argue on whether if anything is wrong in principles to own a pet even though there is something who owns or treats their et which is morally wrong their way. Hence, the most surprising fact is that there are questions on whether it is permissible for the individuals in order to have pets received which is lees that philosophical attentions.

According to Rodriguez McRobbie, Linda (2017), it had recently argued that there are some non-human animals who mat be moral creatures and thereby understood that there are creatures who can behave on the basis moral motivations. It further argues that there are animals that probably lack all sorts of Concepts And Metacognitive requirements which is necessary to be held responsible of their behaviour and this can be included within them from the possibility of counting the moral agents. Therefore, there are however, certain motivational attributes which can be viewed or reasoned all throughout to fall within the reach of animal’s species and more of emotions such as sympathy and compassion, tolerances and kindness. There are even negative consequences which are anger, indignation and spire and lastly, a sense of what is right and what is wrong. There are animals who requires to be trained on the basis of moral emotions and they should argue on the moral subjects which lacks on sophisticated cognitive volume which prevents them from holding them morally in charge. With reference to the choice of adoption of pets it can be analysed that there is a draught choice when a dog from the same breed is being sheltered and is also in need of a family to look after. It is vital to avoid breeders who are mistreated the pets they own. However, even if the breeder treats the dog, then there will be collective issues related to overbreeding. For instances, Pugs and Bulldog who since inherit has pushed-in faces creates an interfere with the ability to breathe, secondly German Shephard that may suffer from hip problem due to the features and traits of hind legs. These are some of the reasons where it causes gem shoulder and neck pain as well as nervous damage. There might be situation where individual can adopt domestic animals it is advised to form shelter, as there is ethical issue which can be considered. In order to provide survival even with baseline level of predictability as well as physical health then it does not consider. If there is someone who provides their cat or dog adequate amount of food, water and shelter and s not being abusive then it is good for the society to keep and take care of such pets. 

The Moral Status of Animals

Within the empirical evidence it can be gathered that there are new suggestions from the researchers that it may not be on the right track and there are few animals who indeed be capable on how they can behave morally. According to Berns, Gregory (2013), it states that for instants they found that animals are also willing to help other than that there is no direct gain or any involvement and an involvement of direct loss. Keeping pets offers many individuals with companionship and provides with great happiness and it also offers with many animals with a shelter and apparently with a healthy and happy life. There are many breeds of certain type of animals whether cat or dogs for instances, they have a long history of human companions and thereby they keep these as pets which is morally good and there is a natural way where these animals can live. However, it is not ethical to keep animals as pets or if both the animal’s biological as well as psychological needs are effectively taken care of. According to Berns, Gregory (2013), it further states that it can be ethical to keep small birds in cages, large dogs in small flats and animals who are chained up for log period. In January 2009, the UK Kennel Club had introduced to the new breed standard for the pedigree dogs in Britain in order to protect them from the ill health which is caused by in-breeding.

There might be certain terminological issue that ca be addressed while keeping pets is that it can be addressed as “pet” as it reflects a sense of ownership of a particular animal and hence this idea of ownership might well foster inappropriate attitudes towards the animals who are kept as pets. For instances, it might foster the attitude which can create a category in which the place of animals called pet in same way which can place the human being in category of impugn the mortal status and falls under intrinsic value. However, to place a pet within this category it can impugn the moral status and intrinsic value of that animal. Therefore, even if it brings suffering there are no physical harm which results to being category as property which can lead to categorised in the way that might be something wrong. This is the reason some of the authors who prefers the term companion animals over pet. They also follow the authors and henceforth they refer to those animals in traditionally termed as pets as companion animals. It can also be referred as morally permissible in order to bring companion animals within existences which is merely to keep them even the individuals do not own them. However, as per the Berns, Gregory (2013) it can be analysed that it might be a legal status to keep animals as their companions and can change so that they no longer fall into the category of ownership of a property. This is the places where human beings can have amoral obligation in order to continue to take care of their companion who already exist. This is because they think that there are certain things which can intentionally go wrong and keep their companion and not with mere owing them.

Empirical Evidence on Animal Morality

Considering the utilitarianism theory, "utilitarianism | Definition, Philosophy, Examples, Ethics, Philosophers, & Facts", (2022) states that the act of utilitarian believes that there are consequences which are contemplated act which matter and does not consequences of following to more generalized rule. It further mentions about the Animal Liberation, it argues that there are assessments of consequences of their action where it is necessary to take up the interest of animals seriously and it can weight any type of adverse effects on the interest from the human actions as their part of consequences and other actions. As there are humans who fail to do this and then argues that the species bias results to the systematic devaluation of animal interest. It further contradicts that the speciesism which is more necessary and more defending than sexism or racism that arbitrary excludes the human from the scope of moral concern (Animallaw.info, 2022). There are people who justify their horrific way animals are treated and there is a way which cases defects such as inability of animals as well as human language where they are intricated as do humans. It maintains that there is a way to justify to present the level of animal exploitation and thereby it leads to maintain that there are species of differences which alone justify that there is exploitation.

Hence, it can be responded to the counterpart that “The Ethics of Pet Keeping. Philosophy Talk”. (2022) assists in understanding that the author does not believe in human and humans have right. There are people who refer t this theory as one the animal liberation and then further states that it can create a claim of their rights if they are irrelevant. However, a right serve as the kind of defense which cannot be sacrificed even if there are consequences that is doing so would be the very desirable. There are no enough to be absolute but at least there are some right which is provided to strong prima facie protect and cannot be compromised without the compelling reason.

Conclusion

Hence, it can be concluded by stating that the animals have the right to be sure, but once the human acknowledge their plurality of value then it might be inadequacy of simplistic moral for them and the dependency on the right on the natural and social context. However, the consequences of their enforcement have created a quite enforcement on the work and relates to what they have to figure out.  On the other hand, considering the utilitarianism theory it can be argued that there is no subject morale which can be entitled to enjoy the optimistic chances of flourishing the moral volumes.  

Reference

Animal Rights Theory and Utilitarianism: Relative Normative Guidance | Animal Legal & Historical Center. Animallaw.info. (2022). Retrieved 26 January 2022, from https://www.animallaw.info/article/animal-rights-theory-and-utilitarianism-relative-normative-guidance.

Berns, Gregory (2013). Dogs are people, too. In The New York Times (5 October 2013). https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/opinion/sunday/dogs-are-people-too.html The New York Times limits the number of free-access articles. If you have difficulty accessing this article, use the link in the ‘Leganto Reading List’ in the ‘Assessment Item 3’ folder.

Francione, Gary L. (2012). Gary L. Francione on animal abolitionism. Philosophy Bites interview (13 October 2013). https://philosophybites.com/2012/10/gary-l-francione-onanimal-abolitionism.html

Rodriguez McRobbie, Linda (2017). Should we stop keeping pets? Why more and more ethicists say yes, The Guardian (1 August 2001). https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/01/should-we-stop-keeping-petswhy-more-and-more-ethicists-say-yes

The Ethics of Pet Keeping. Philosophy Talk. (2022). Retrieved 26 January 2022, from https://www.philosophytalk.org/blog/ethics-pet-keeping.

utilitarianism | Definition, Philosophy, Examples, Ethics, Philosophers, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. (2022). Retrieved 26 January 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/utilitarianism-philosophy.