Why do people treat their dogs if they were their kids?

[Daisy&Lucky's Mom]

Originally Posted by katieliz

i never mean to minimize all the child abuse and neglect, d&l's mom, i hope you saw my post above your's, where i acknowledged that. some people advocate for children, some for animals. what's important is that each and every one of us do something that makes us part of the solution, or we are nothing more than part of the problem. i see it not as a question of either/or, but of and/and. when i worked at children's psychiatric hospital at the university of michigan, my heart was broken daily. when i work rescue on this and other boards, my heart breaks in the very same way. too many unwanted children. too many unwanted animals. none of us can save them all. each of us has to do something. together we can be the change we want to see in the world.

I wasn't being critical of your post ,I see your point. Abuse of those in our care is an abuse of a dependent being. Dogs who are abused can become fear biters and if neglected suffer horribly. Children who are abused,neglected often go on and have their own furthering the cycle of abuse and some go on to commit violent offenses aginst others. If you are a parent or a animal parent you are responsible for your child and or animals life. I try to advocte for both. I'm fostering a young man who we hope to gain custody of. I am probably quilty of humanizing my two dogs but no one has ever been forced to sit on the floor b/c mine were on the couch. OK Lucky and Daisy will sigh deeply and then give me the look when they have to move. But they move. Mine have alot of freedom and stockings as well as B-Day meals and gifts but that is who Iam. They are not allowed to jump on people they have rules and boundaries that are different then a human child. I think Ive rambled enough. Katieliz I dont disagree w/ your comments I just see too many kids who intervention comes too late.

[katieliz]

it's all such an enormous problem, the whole issue of unwanted children and animals. been takin lotsa heat here lately about the children -vs- animal thing and think i've gotten a bit thin-skinned. gonna go thicken it up a bit, lol. s'all good, take care!

[Bluecatdemoness]

Originally Posted by LaRen616

I dont have human kids and I dont ever want any.

All 5 of my animals are my kids. My whole life revolves around them. I love them more than anything and they love me more than anything. The dogs go everywhere with me. They get birthday parties, birthday gifts, Christmas gifts and regular gifts whenever I find something I want to get them.

My friends and family treat them as if they are their neices and nephew, siblings and grandkids.

My mom has pictures of Malice and Sinister up on her station at her beauty salon and she calls them her "Granddogs".

My cats have their own bedroom and it has a gate in front of the door to keep the dogs out.

They are definitly not just a dog or not just a cat to me, they are my life.

I wanted to add that I understand that they are animals and not real children, they are trained (Malice is still being molded) and they act appropriate out in public and are well socialized, I would never have a spoiled child so I'll never have a spoiled unruly brat dog.

This is exactly how I feel, could not have worded it better. Even my family accepts that I do not plan to have kids, just the furry kind.