Just a pet?

This article is taken from the Calling All Pets website. When it comes to dogs, Dr. McConnell is one of my favorite resources. Be sure to visit her websites.
by Patricia B. McConnell, PhD

I don't know how many times I've heard that line: "just a pet." Breeders use it: "Well, I don't like his coat color, so I guess he'll just be a pet." Writers use it: "It's remarkable how much money the American public spends on 'just their pets.'" And most amazing to me, pet owners use it: "We just adore our cat, she's the greatest joy of our lives, but we can't afford to spay her because she's 'just a pet.'"

I like to think of myself as a reasonably patient person, but I'm losing patience with those three words: "just a pet." I suppose it's because of what I do. I have spent the majority of my life working with people whose pets either bring them joy, relaxation, and love, or anxiety, frustration, and sometimes pure terror. One client's new dog carefully makes sure that her children don't go across a busy highway. Another mutilated her daughter's face. "Just a pet?" I don't think so.

In spite of our embarrassment about the importance of non-human animals in our lives, the stakes are very high here. Dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and birds have tremendous power over us and our lives, and "just pets" should be considered the most valuable and important animals that we raise.

It is constructive, I think, to ponder why we are so ambivalent about our companion animals -- both attracted to and embarrassed by our love for them. Yes, of course, some of us look pretty foolish treating our dogs like human infants, but the majority of pet owners love their animals for themselves. I don't agree (as some argue) that most of us "use" pets to make up for a gap in our interactions with humans. Rather, our relationship with our pets is unique: they give us things that no human can provide. Close connections between different species are not at all uncommon in the wild and in spite of our obvious differences with other animals, we are not that far apart from the rest of biology (thank heavens). I consider our close relationship with dogs, for example, to be a miracle of evolution and natural selection.

So, I don't apologize anymore for crying in the vet's office over a sick animal. I no longer feel embarrassed at the intensity of emotion I still feel when I grieve over Bo Peep, my beloved sheep guarding dog. And I proudly sell "pet" puppies for the same price and with the same guarantee as working livestock dogs. Just a pet? Not to me, and not to literally millions of people worldwide, whose companion animals can enrich their lives and bring them a form of love, joy, and biological affiliation not available in any other form. So the next time you go to buy a companion animal, explain that it's not to be "just" a show dog, mousing cat, or work horse, but an integral part of your family, and thus, more valuable than money can buy.