Treated Like a Dog

What is it about people and their dogs now-a-days? I’ve lived with dogs and loved them. But to me they are not human. They are expressions of that uniquely loveable animal called dog. They are endowed with a spark of divinity, just as, I believe, all of creation is. They should be respected.

Yet, no one uses the phrase “treated like a dog” anymore. At one time that meant being left outside in the weather and being fed table scraps. Now, many dogs are treated as well or better than many children. I see doggie bakeries, doggie day care, doggie chemotherapy, doggie this and doggie that. It goes beyond respect.

What ethics are involved in providing more medical care to a dog than some people can get? My bottom line -- as long as there are people who are medically underserved I find it unethical to spend thousands on prolonging the life of a dog. Does it serve the dog to prolong its time of disability? Does it serve nature to try to cheat death? Does it serve society to spend money in this way? Does it serve the family to postpone facing the death of a loved one?

I believe in reincarnation. If we let the dog die, then it can be born again, maybe as a human. But alas, then the reborn one might have less food, less medical care and less attention than during its doggie life.