Why do people in America care more about their dogs than their fellow man?

Question

Most Americans spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on their pets every year, yet they are perfectly content to see millions of their fellow citizens go without basic health care. What kind of twisted people are we?

Answer 1

I never realized that until I met my husband. He is from a very poor country where people don't have pets. You take care of your neighbors, yourself and your family and it's absurd to even think of caring for an animal as well. When he came to America he saw the way people pamper and nurture their animals but are rude and offensive to their own brothers and sisters. We need to love those around us the most.

Answer 2

Good question.

Here is an interesting story that supports what you are saying. A few years ago a man in California got in a fender bender with a woman, and when he confronted her in her car, he grabbed her little dog and threw it into traffic and killed it. That same day in the same city, a little girl was murdered by her abusive dad. Guess which story made the headlines and, in fact, became national news? The dog. The girl was not even on the front page of the local paper.

There IS a reason for it, though. It is virtually impossible for most people to grasp how seriously messed up our society is. These incidents happen daily all over the country, and we are blasted by it every day on the news. It is easier to ignore it and go about you life without thinking about it too much, rather than to cave into the guilt and depression many would suffer because they are incapable of dealing with a situation so apparently dire. In the meantime, they rationalize that the citizens without health care are not getting health care because of their own faults. So they feel like they shouldn't have to pay for it, because they believe (incorrectly, of course) that these people could get health care "if they just got a job."

Sad, but true.

That said, I wouldn't go so far as to say "most" Americans do this. Many Americans have pets and do NOT spend any exhorbitant amount of money on them. I own a cat, and it gets fed and gets its shots, but little else besides my love. And I have dedicated much of my time and money toward helping people in need. My owning a cat has no impact, positively or negatively, on my ability to help people. I don't mean that to toot my own horn, but rather to suggest that whereas you should not ignore the troubles in the world, you cannot ignore the good, either. There are a lot of really good people in this country working hard to right these wrongs. Hopefully you are one of them.

Another positive is this: I used an instance of domestic violence to support your argument. Pets are playing an important role in stamping out child abuse. The fact is that most people who abuse children also abuse animals. So if a child has a pet, odds are that pet will get battered before the child does. Because people love animals so much, they are more likely to report their neighbor or boyfriend or whomever for attacking a dog. This is a red flag to the authorities, who can then investigate further and find out if the animal abuser is also a person abuser. You are right about some people caring more about their dog than their fellow man, but people caring about their pets is not really the problem. In some cases, it is the solution.

Answer 3

I don't know why Americans have become this way, but I agree with you, it is one value that has entirely become twisted. Where I live, most of the local news reports are about animals when you KNOW there have to be more important stories involving PEOPLE taking place. It just irritates the heck out of me when people refer to their pet as their "baby," and, even more pathetic, to themselves and their significant other as "Mommy and Daddy" to this pet. It is also a real shame to me when celebrities on game shows playing for charity pick an animal charity. That would be all well and good if there weren't so many HUMAN needs going unaddressed. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I hate animals or anything. I don't believe in abusing them and think that people who don't take care of them shouldn't be allowed to have them. I just don't know how it came about that they became humanized. I don't care how great your dog, cat, or lizard is, when an adult has to take a day off work because it got ran over and they're emotionally distraught, that's pathetic. I think the worst example I've personally witnessed of people caring too much about their dogs is the one time I was driving down the rode in the POURING rain and passed a pick-up truck. These happened to be people that I know. The Mom was driving. Her two daughters (roughly 8 and 11) were riding in the uncovered bed of the truck. The family dog was up front in the cab with her. I don't care if, perhaps, the kids DID want to ride in the back. People, you DO NOT put your kids in the back of the truck when it's raining while the dog rides up front in the dry with you. GET OVER IT. No matter what, they ARE just animals.

Answer 4

Because their pets provide basic care which we do not get from the fellow man. If the fellow men had more to offer, or wasn't so dependent on the goverment, then they wouldn't have so many problems. As for pets, the goverment doesn't provide kennels, its up to man to see that pets stay around, or else we wont have any.

As for the 2nd question. I know in PA, USA health care is provided free to every person under 18. And every person who makes less than 1750 a month (based on a 3 person family). Otherwise go to college, get a good job, and let your company pay for your health care.

Answer 5

You cannot compare people to animals.

I think people in America think more of animals than other countries do. You see dogs in other countries running in the streets and living off garbage. They do not receive shots or any type of Vet care.

I don't compare how I treat my dogs to giving that money to a homeless person. I don't feel it is up to me to provide health care for Americans with my money I spend on my dogs. Our GOVERNMENT should take care of that, not me.....

The GOVERNMENT is too busy providing for the people in the countries that don't have dogs for pets...THAT is what I call TWISTED PEOPLE...

Answer 6

Culture of America has to be blamed. And also everyone is selfish and I think religion is not a big thing in their life, and there are no pressures from the society. American society does not care or police its people.

Answer 7

I've never understood this. I don't care for dogs to begin with (I tolerate other people's dogs, but don't want one for myself.), and I truly can NOT understand why people spend so much money on them. My mom's dog is a good example. He's fairly old and is on heart medicine, blood pressure medicine, arthritis medicine, and some type of otic medicine for a recurring ear problem he has. ???!!! I can't begin to imagine what she spends on him in one month just for meds--not to mention the visits to the vet's office for bloodwork, tests, etc. It's ridiculous.

My mom's answer to my question about this is that the dog is "her four-legged kid." (All her "human" kids are grown and have flown the coop. I also know several childless couples who refer to their dogs as their "furry" kids. (They too, spend a ridiculous amount of money on their dogs, yet very rarely (if ever) give to charity. It's sad.

Answer 8

Because no fellow man is ever going to be as loyal as a dog. You can always count on a dog if you're good to it.

Answer 9

First off dogs don't lie, cheat, steal, and kill(usualy) like humans do. There is free healthcare and food programs available for all people who can't afford it on their own. They just have to apply for it.

Answer 10

Dogs are nicer than humans. So are cats. Sad, huh? With all our brains and intellect, we can't be kinder to eachother.