‘The love for living creatures is the most noble attribute of a man.’
Do we really unconditionally love animals anymore? Do we open our hearts to animals who are not ‘aesthetically’ pleasing or aren’t of a particular breed? Very often, I am greeted by people who look down upon me for feeding stray cats and dogs on the road but the second they observe a fluffy dog with a pretty bow walk past, their heart opens up to give all their love to the creature. I think what is most upsetting is that when people have accessibility to animals that truly are in need of a home, they turn their backs to them and opt to buy a dog or a cat from a breeder who caused pain to bred animals. This may seem extreme to you but give me a chance; I too am guilty of being swayed by breeds but my first encounter with strays changed my perception entirely.
I was eight years old and in love with the idea of owning a golden retriever whose shiny coat would sway with the wind as it ran to me. I would constantly dream about owning a puppy of my own and took every opportunity to meet any dog that came my way. One day as I went on a walk in my building, I heard some loud noises which turned out to be a litter of puppies! I was enamoured by their different colours and tiny paws. I decided then that I would give my everything to them. Slowly, as I got closer to the puppies, I realised that all dogs were similar. They reciprocated the same love you gave them no matter what their size and shape was.
The point of this story was to tell you that when we think of getting a housepet our first thought shouldn’t be its breed but whether we are able to give an animal enough love for it to be able to reciprocate it. Open your hearts to an animal that truly needs a home and help us banish cruelty towards animals by not supporting breeders. At the end of the day, adopt the concept, not the breed.
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