Overall, I liked the book. For me personally, it was a reassurance about a lot of things I already incorporate when it comes to pet ownership. There were few things that I didn't agree on was letting the dog roam unsupervised. The author felt that because he lived in a remote area and the dog was wearing a GPS collar, Pukka would be safe. Keeping him indoors would be depriving him of all life's pleasures. I'm glad he has such a sunny perception on the world, but the reality is far from idyllic. The dog could get poisoned, shot, become victim of a trap or another wild animal, or get hit by a car. He can still have his dog off leash when he goes out hunting/hiking, but I think it's very irresponsible to let the dog roam unattended.
I did feel that in certain areas he was being a bit excessive, such as only buying natural toys and sending each one to the lab to have it tested for toxins/heavy metals. I suppose if my dog has a favorite toy that he was always chewing on, I would try to find out the exact methods and ingredients used in manufacturing it. Uno is not a mouthy dog and he does have several stuffed animals I call his "babies" that he sleeps with. It is possible that some of them contain trace levels of chemicals? possibly, but I'm not going to get worked up over it. I'm sure that the clothes I wear and bedding I sleep on contain the same chemicals. I can't afford to go organic in every area of my life, it's just not permissible.
One chapter I found really fascinating was the research done on the spay/neuter. It's definitely one of those grey areas that require much consideration. The are pros and cons to this debate, although I felt that he hit the nail on the head. Just like with nutrition, we rarely question the motives of vets when it comes to our pets well being. We are programmed to think that having one approach is the only way to do it right, which isn't always the case. Here in U.S, a lot of emphasis is placed on aggressive spay/neuter campaign. It's almost never questioned whether it has any long term health affects on the animals because in most cases are are no obvious side-effects to these procedures. Vets fail to make a connection between the rise of disorders like cancer, allergies, joint problems and sterilization. He brought up an interesting observation in regard to dogs in Europe and the fact that most pets are not altered over there.When he interviewed the owners, it appears that the reason their euthanasia rates are so low along with the stray population is because people are far more responsible as a whole. They know that the female dogs go into heat twice a year, so they keep their dogs inside. I will say that I was born and raised in Eastern Europe until the age of 12 when I moved to U.S. This sense of community responsibility is not evenly distributed throughout Europe. A lot of countries still struggle with inequality, poverty and corrupt governments. When people are preoccupied with meeting basics needs such as proving food for their children or being able to afford proper medical care, they are not going to be as concerned about their animals. Countries with better economy and healthcare system such as Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands just to name a few have the resources and time to do so.
I remember few years back I went to Netherlands (aka Holland) for couple weeks. Few things that I observed that absolutely floored me.
1) I did not see any stray dogs on the streets in that 2 week period, zero.
2) There were a lot of dogs, but they all had owners. Since most people get around by biking, many dogs would run next to the owners bike, unleashed. When the bike stopped at the light, they stopped. They paid no attention to other dogs or animals and just stayed alongside their owners.
3) I went to a local park and while there was no fenced in area for dogs, there was a large grassy knoll where all dogs played together, no bickering, no fights, no fences.
4) It was really cool to see rotties, dobermans and weimaraners with full tails and ears.
The average work day for a Dutch person is a mere 30.6 hours a week! It appeared to me that less stress and more free time led to happier and well-adjusted humans and dogs. Obviously, it's not as realistic to have same expectations due to difference in cost of living/salaries, etc. With that said, I think we can all incorporate some of the stress-reduction techniques to our lives, regardless where we live.
I think U.S has a long way to go in regard to animal welfare laws and reducing euthanasia rates. One of the biggest challenges is the sheer number of people living in this country and discrepancy between various laws and regulations that vary state to state and city to city. It's very hard to have a united goal in mind with so much diversity in beliefs and values. To some people, dogs are family, to others they are nothing short of a lawn ornament. Until people get on the same page, things are unlikely to change. People here seem lack the sense of civic pride and responsibility that other countries embrace. I hate to say it, but I feel that it has a lot to do with too much cultural diversity. People tend to be set in their way based on how they were raised. If dogs are neglected and abused and it's considered a norm in certain countries, that same mentality will be passed on to future generation. Regardless, culture does not equal cruelty. I think to justify abuse based on these factors is just an excuse for being a shitty human being.
Not to make this blog too lengthy, I will save the part two for another time. Until then.
I now want to move to Holland. I am also now going to read that book. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteRebekah- it was a really neat experience, plus I think it's one of the easier countries to adapt to since 95% of people there speak fluent English. Definitely worth at least one trip.
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