Bonding with Pets

[pallidin]

With my current dog, we love each other. She is VERY protective.

Now, if say, during a home invasion my dog is assualted, I feel like killing the person.

Am I "overboard" to treat her like my child under those conditions? I have mixed feelings.

Thanks.

Edited February 15, 2014 by pallidin

[Lilly]

Now, if say, during a home invasion my dog is assualted, I feel like killing the person.

Invade my home, attack my dogs and I'd be loading my Ruger 10/22 rifle.

Am I "overboard" to treat her like my child under those conditions? I have mixed feelings.

Well, dogs aren't human children...but breaking into my home and hurting my dogs is a really big "no-no".

[libstaK]

Our pets, mine being 2 cats and a dog depend on us for their survival. I would be letting them down if I didn't protect them and I would in any way possible to me. I hope it doesn't become a choice between a human life or my pets but I can't see myself sitting back and just letting them being harmed if it was - my instinct to protect would overcome me.

Edited February 15, 2014 by libstaK

[taniwha]

Good luck!

[Davros of Skaro]

^{Matthew 5:38-48}

³⁸ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

³⁹ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

⁴⁰ And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

⁴¹ And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

⁴² Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

⁴³ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

⁴⁵ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

⁴⁶ For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

⁴⁷ And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

⁴⁸ Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

[Ashotep]

I was like that with my dog and when she died I cried for a week. She was my best friend and I could tell her anything and she never told anyone. I could always trust her, she never betrayed me once.

[SpiritWriter]

That is an interesting scenario. I would say generally that a humans life is more valuable than an animals. I agree with Lilly, that if a person broke into your house soley to harm your animal, there is something wrong and that person would need to be stopped. It would better for them to get their butt kicked than to be shot and killed but that might not be possible so maybe you could use something to hit them upside their head and knock them out with, then you can tie up their hands and wait for the police, hopefully not too much blood... *shrugs*

What would the law of your town say about it, if you actually took it to court? Would they let you go or would you go to jail for murder? The court would be full aware that the intruder died because of the threat to the animal and no other reason.

I love my cats and birds, but I know I would react entirely differently if someone were to attack my daughter or one of my animals. I wouldn't kill over the animal, but I'm sort of docile that way...

[redhen]

Am I "overboard" to treat her like my child under those conditions? I have mixed feelings.

Aristotle would have said humans cannot have virtuous friendships with animals. The study of animal behaviour though has advanced over the last 2500 years.

[Awake2Chaos]

If anyone comes in my house, and hurts any member in my household, 4 legged or not, they are going to pay for it. Period.

[Lilly]

I'm old, armed, and a dog lover...I protect me and mine.

Just to add, no need to use deadly force...shoot them in the knee caps then call the cops.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Lilly
addition

[libstaK]

I'm old, armed, and a dog lover...I protect me and mine.

Just to add, no need to use deadly force...shoot them in the knee caps then call the cops.

You almost make me wish we had a 2nd amendment in Australia

[Astral Hillbilly]

Animals are family. I wouldn't let anyone intentionally hurt one of my cats, but I wouldn't want the blood of a mentally challenged individual on my hands forever for taking their life over it. It just depends on what degree of protection you're talking about. If a person has mental problems, they too have a family with a Mom, Dad, and siblings.

I can't imagine anybody in their right mind entering a stranger's home with intent of hurting their pets.

[pallidin]

Animals are family. I wouldn't let anyone intentionally hurt one of my cats, but I wouldn't want the blood of a mentally challenged individual on my hands forever for taking their life over it. It just depends on what degree of protection you're talking about. If a person has mental problems, they too have a family with a Mom, Dad, and siblings.

I can't imagine anybody in their right mind entering a stranger's home with intent of hurting their pets.

No, you have the wrong scenario. I'm not referring to an intruder going into a home with the sole purpose of killing pets.

Rather, that the intruder is there to rob, rape, whatever, and the dog(s) confront him to protect me and he kills the dog(s).

I consider my precious dog part of my family, and such an event would seriously tick me off.

I know a true pet is not a human child, but I love it one step below my children.

Not sure how the legal system would react if I killed the intruder after he killed my dog.

Edited February 15, 2014 by pallidin

[Michelle]

No, you have the wrong scenario. I'm not referring to an intruder going into a home with the sole purpose of killing pets.

Rather, that the intruder is there to rob, rape, whatever, and the dog(s) confront him to protect me and he kills the dog(s).

I consider my precious dog part of my family, and such an event would seriously tick me off.

I know a true pet is not a human child, but I love it one step below my children.

Not sure how the legal system would react if I killed the intruder after he killed my dog.

In my state someone breaking into the house is reason enough to kill them. If they were sadistic enough to kill a pet that is even more reason.

[pallidin]

I recall an incident(sorry, don't have the link) where a K-9 dog in broad daylight was chasing after a suspect.

The suspect was running, but managed to turn around and shoot the police K-9 to death.

In the video I saw, the K-9 handler(the dog stays at home with the handler) was so distraught that he was escorted from the crime scene by a female officer, waving his hands in the air in distress.

Not sure what happened to the suspect, though I think he was shot but lived.

[Purplos]

. I'm not referring to an intruder going into a home with the sole purpose of killing pets.

Rather, that the intruder is there to rob, rape, whatever, and the dog(s) confront him to protect me and he kills the dog(s).

I think in this situation, you'd want to kill the person also out of fear of what they're going to do to you. I would have no problem hurting someone, or killing them if necessary, in that kind of situation, even though I would probably go to jail in my state even if they were in my house with a gun on me.

I fully understand the bond people can have with pets, but I always cringe just a tiny bit when people call them their children. They're not. They're your dog. It's like the "dogs are people too" thread from a week or so ago. And I admit I have an issue with people who state they would have trouble deciding between their dog and their child if both lives were equally in danger.

[Michelle]

I think in this situation, you'd want to kill the person also out of fear of what they're going to do to you. I would have no problem hurting someone, or killing them if necessary, in that kind of situation, even though I would probably go to jail in my state even if they were in my house with a gun on me.

I fully understand the bond people can have with pets, but I always cringe just a tiny bit when people call them their children. They're not. They're your dog. It's like the "dogs are people too" thread from a week or so ago. And I admit I have an issue with people who state they would have trouble deciding between their dog and their child if both lives were equally in danger.

I think that mostly applies to people like me who don't have kids. haha

But, I can't imagine someone actually having a difficult time deciding between a pet or their child if both were equally helpless.

[pallidin]

I fully understand the bond people can have with pets, but I always cringe just a tiny bit when people call them their children. They're not. They're your dog. It's like the "dogs are people too" thread from a week or so ago. And I admit I have an issue with people who state they would have trouble deciding between their dog and their child if both lives were equally in danger.

Yeah, I understand. Dogs are not human, not children. I fully get that.

Sometimes, though, the bond between owner and pet can be similar(other-times not at all with some owner's)

Most certainly, this is not a "one situatiuon fit's all"

[pallidin]

I think that mostly applies to people like me who don't have kids. haha

But, I can't imagine someone actually having a difficult time deciding between a pet or their child if both were equally helpless.

Right, of course. The child always comes first.

[Sakari]

But, I can't imagine someone actually having a difficult time deciding between a pet or their child if both were equally helpless.

I know a lot of people that would have a difficult time with that decision on their heads. To many people, their dogs are part of the family.

With my current dog, we love each other. She is VERY protective.

Now, if say, during a home invasion my dog is assualted, I feel like killing the person.

Am I "overboard" to treat her like my child under those conditions? I have mixed feelings.

Thanks.

Absolutley not!

Myself, our Dogs past and present are our family, they are our siblings. They are loved just as much, if not more. They have unconditional love, people do not.

You may have seen some of my posts during the years on breeders, and on people getting rid of dogs, and on animal abuse.

Crimes on animal abuse should be just as harsh as a crime on a human, if not more as they are more defenseless.

If you take in a dog, you are taking it in for life, not as a object, but as part of the family.

If you have a dog, and can only leave it in your yard, tied to a tree, or fenced in with no time for him or her, then find them a new home.

I could go on and on.....

Read this, and you will know your answer :

The phenomenon of grieving dogs: The ultimate loyalty [updated]

Living up to the title of man's best friend, these dogs face danger and death to stay near the ones they love

I

n the face of disaster, danger, and death, some dogs live up to their reputations as man's best friend with heartwrenching acts of loyalty. Ciccio, a 12-year-old German shepherd, proves how faithful he is on a daily basis, heading to his nearby church in Italy when the bells begin to ring each afternoon, just as he did with his owner when she was alive. "Dogs go through grief, just as we do," said Sarah Wilson, an animal behavior expert, in People. "It's all a part of being attached and loved." Here, 12 dogs whose courageous and loyal actions say more than words:

1. Ciccio: Truly devoted

Ciccio and his owner lived in the village of San Donaci in the southern region of Puglia, Italy. When the bells tolled each afternoon, he would accompany the woman, who was known in the village as "Maria of the fields," to church. But when Maria died suddenly in November, Ciccio appeared devastated. He attended the funeral and followed his mistress' coffin as it was carried into the same local church. Thereafter, he just kept coming back, day after day. His devotion has so impressed the parishioners that they rallied together to care for him, giving him water and food and allowing him to sleep in a covered area outside the church. The priest, while hoping to find a new home for the faithful pup, even lets Ciccio sit in front of the altar during service.

2. Capitan: Faithful forever

Miguel Guzman bought Capitan for his son, Damian, in 2005. After Guzman died the next year, Capitan disappeared. A week after the funeral, the family returned to the cemetery in central Argentina and found Capitan there, howling. The heartbroken dog had found the cemetery and tomb on his own, and has lived there ever since, sleeping on Guzman's grave. "I've tried to bring Capitan home several times," Damian, 13, says, "but he always comes straight back... He's looking after my dad."

3. Hawkeye: Loyal to the end

Hawkeye the chocolate Lab's owner — 35-year-old Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson — died in the August 6, 2011, helicopter crash that killed 38 American servicemen. Roughly 1,500 mourners came out to a local high school gym in Iowa to pay their respects, and all eyes were on the heartbreaking display of devotion as Hawkeye, unwilling to leave the side of Tumilson's casket, seemed to grieve for his fallen friend. (Watch the video here.)

4. Kirby: Going the distance

In early August 2011, Kirby, a small black dog whose owner recently died, went missing from his new home. The little pup was found soon after, sitting by his owner's grave, having walked miles to find it.

5. Unknown: Standing guard

After Japan's devastating earthquake in March 2011, reporters videotaped a shaking, mud-splattered spaniel sitting next to another dog, which is lying, hardly moving, next to him. The healthier dog refuses to leave his friend and stands guard, sometimes pacing. The dogs were eventually rescued and taken to medics. The video received

on YouTube with comments from dog lovers pouring in: "That dog is a better person than most humans," wrote one. "Loyalty is the best word to use when you describe a dog. Truly, man's best friend is a well-deserved title," wrote another.

6. Leao: Keeping vigil

In January 2011, floods and landslides ravaged Brazil, outside Rio de Janeiro. One of the most "gut-wrenching" photos to emerge from the tragedy showed a mixed-breed dog, Leao, lying patiently by the fresh grave of his owner. While news of the fatal landslides spread, it was the image of this lonely, grief-stricken dog that really put a "face on just what a tragedy the country [was] facing," said Sasha Brown-Worsham at The Stir.

7. Spot: Faithfully waiting

While Wayne Giroux was working away at his lawnmower repair shop, his dog, Spot, waited faithfully for his return every day at the same street corner near their home in Lone Oak, Texas. After Giroux was killed by a drunk driver in June 2010, Spot continued to wait for him. Five months later, the dog still waited, and Giroux's son, Paul, said he didn't think the dog would ever give up.

8. Zelda: Looking for her boy

Joshua Reed rescued a sweet, rust-colored dog named Zelda from the road after she was hit by a car. From that moment on, the two were inseparable, said Marci Reed, Joshua's mother. In 2009, just three years after their chance meeting, 15-year-old Joshua was killed in an ATV accident. Months later, the dog could be seen roaming the Indiana farm roads near the family's home. "She's without her boy," said Marci Reed, "She just sniffs all over looking for her boy."

9. Clara: Struggling to comprehend

After actress Brittany Murphy died suddenly of an apparent heart attack in December 2009, her Maltese, Clara, was visibly devastated. "One of the saddest things is that Clara has looked everywhere for Brittany and can't find her," said Simon Monjack, Murphy's husband, in People.

10. Unknown: Dodging traffic

This "rather unbelievable" video that surfaced in December 2008 showed one dog's heroism in the face of danger — and oncoming traffic. After a dog is hit by a car on a freeway, another dog dodges cars and drags his severely injured friend off the highway to safety.

11. Cash: Starving to protect

Jake Baysinger, a 25-year-old Colorado man, had been missing for months in 2008 when, in August, his German Shepherd, Cash, was found roaming the Colorado plains. The dog led searchers to Baysinger's body. He had reportedly committed suicide, and Cash stayed by his side for six weeks. The dog was badly dehydrated and very thin, and authorities said it was a miracle the animal survived. But his presence prevented Baysinger's body from being attacked by coyotes.

12. Squeak: Refusing to leave

In March 2002, a 51-year-old farmer named Terry Ford was brutally killed in Zimbabwe. Sitting beside the mutilated corpse was the man's devoted dog, a 14-year-old Jack Russell Terrior named Squeak. It took family members an hour to coax the dog away: "He was crying when the body was found and he is still crying now," said one friend of the family.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Sakari

[pallidin]

Great post. Thanks.

[Sakari]

Great post. Thanks.

You are welcome. I also just found this in regards to people saving pets over siblings :

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animals-and-us/201306/would-you-save-puppy-or-child-burning-building

[barada]

iam with you all the way sakari

anyone who breaks in my house for any reason

will be going to the morgue.

[White Crane Feather]

I recall an incident(sorry, don't have the link) where a K-9 dog in broad daylight was chasing after a suspect.

The suspect was running, but managed to turn around and shoot the police K-9 to death.

In the video I saw, the K-9 handler(the dog stays at home with the handler) was so distraught that he was escorted from the crime scene by a female officer, waving his hands in the air in distress.

Not sure what happened to the suspect, though I think he was shot but lived.

They usually get charged with assaulting a police officer. I saw one in Alaska where the officer refused to send his dog in because the guy had a knife. Then there was a story I heard from somone. He hired this guy to take care if some feral hogs. At some point the dogs got tangled up with the boar in a pond. And this red neck charges into the Frey with a large knife, he wrestled with the boar in the pond killing it. The farmer told him he was crazy. He said "we'll, I couldn't let him hurt my dawwgs". Might be an urban legend.

Edited February 16, 2014 by White Crane Feather

[redhen]

I've posted this before here I think, maybe not. Anyways, recently an appellate judge upheld a jury award for $620,000 in the police shooting of a family dog, including compensation for their emotional distress.

The jury award was immediately challenged by;

"The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA), and other industry groups have urged the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to throw out the jury award for emotional distress. These groups make enormous profits off of the emotional bond between humans and animal companions. Yet these same groups hypocritically seek to limit damages solely to an animal’s “economic” or “market” value in the courts."

http://aldf.org/blog...betray-animals/

Edited February 16, 2014 by redhen