History, Culture & Traditions Surrounding Dogs
So I've been reading a fair bit of articles on the topic of dogs today. I came across a few things one of which being the whole discussion on domestication of this species.
So the history of how it happened is because a long time ago (about 12,000-33,000 years ago when dogs diverged from a now extinct wolf species), humans needed dogs to help them in herding and hunting, for an early alarm system, and as a source of food.
Apparently in the ancient days, if it weren't for the help of animals, the population of the human race probably wouldn't be this huge now. So essentially, they were used to help the human species survive.
It's actually quite inline with what the Church says:
[CCC 2417] God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice, if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives.
Dogs were considered an important member of the human family from 8,000 years ago, and that relationship led to the idea of dogs as pets—tamed animals kept for companionship inside the home—which can be seen as early as 2,000 years ago during the Roman years.
One recent study shows how by bonding with us and learning to work together with humans, dogs may have actually become worse at working together as a species. Their pack lifestyle and mentality appear to be reduced.
From what I understand, it's probably us humans that formed the numerous different breeds of pet dogs whose DNA have been so diluted from their ancestors that their behaviours and natural instincts are left with little.
So the question I have here is: are we now accountable to take care of dogs because of how we've domesticated them?
Moving on would be the ever debatable Yulin Dog Festival which has sparked outrage over the years. Historically, the practice of dog eating is an ancient tradition in China which can be traced back to around 1700 B.C., starting in the north.
Dogs and dog meat were considered important offerings in ancient China. It was common that the deceased were buried together with their dog to accompany them to the other world. Dogs were also sacrificed as food for the gods.
In his encyclical, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis expounds upon this by explaining this communion: when we fail to care for creation—the gifts we are given—we lose this sense of communion in our hearts and begin to lose the sense of fraternity with our fellow human beings. In essence, cruelty to animals leads to cruelty to humans. Furthermore, he says that we cannot put animals above humans in our care—we should not be so focused upon the treatment of animals that we forget to care for our brothers and sisters who need our help.
So the history of how it happened is because a long time ago (about 12,000-33,000 years ago when dogs diverged from a now extinct wolf species), humans needed dogs to help them in herding and hunting, for an early alarm system, and as a source of food.
Apparently in the ancient days, if it weren't for the help of animals, the population of the human race probably wouldn't be this huge now. So essentially, they were used to help the human species survive.
It's actually quite inline with what the Church says:
[CCC 2417] God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice, if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives.
Dogs were considered an important member of the human family from 8,000 years ago, and that relationship led to the idea of dogs as pets—tamed animals kept for companionship inside the home—which can be seen as early as 2,000 years ago during the Roman years.
One recent study shows how by bonding with us and learning to work together with humans, dogs may have actually become worse at working together as a species. Their pack lifestyle and mentality appear to be reduced.
From what I understand, it's probably us humans that formed the numerous different breeds of pet dogs whose DNA have been so diluted from their ancestors that their behaviours and natural instincts are left with little.
So the question I have here is: are we now accountable to take care of dogs because of how we've domesticated them?
Moving on would be the ever debatable Yulin Dog Festival which has sparked outrage over the years. Historically, the practice of dog eating is an ancient tradition in China which can be traced back to around 1700 B.C., starting in the north.
Dogs and dog meat were considered important offerings in ancient China. It was common that the deceased were buried together with their dog to accompany them to the other world. Dogs were also sacrificed as food for the gods.
So following culture and tradition, would it be wrong to condemn their actions of eating dog meat (setting aside the way they get it done i.e. the torture of these animals)? If I may compare it to certain traditions such as turkey for Thanksgiving/Christmas or full roast pork for huge Chinese celebration, would the defence for these animals be as great as dogs merely because humans can now no longer perceive them as wild animals but "man's best friend"?
As for the latter point, people used to sacrifice lots of different things from lamb to humans to please their Gods. People from the outside would probably condemn it but those that have been practicing the culture would probably see no wrong in it precisely because many of us have the thinking of a relativist. Hence, it's important to understand the fundamentalist view of objective truths.
Ultimately, my only viewpoint in all of this is to be reasonable and be caring of every living thing. Take what you need only and not to overdo it just to satisfy the human wants (referring to the mistreatment of cattles and other animals in the meat industry to meet the demands vs the slower productivity of supply). We should be caring for the whole ecosystem and ensuring balance is met.
Ultimately, my only viewpoint in all of this is to be reasonable and be caring of every living thing. Take what you need only and not to overdo it just to satisfy the human wants (referring to the mistreatment of cattles and other animals in the meat industry to meet the demands vs the slower productivity of supply). We should be caring for the whole ecosystem and ensuring balance is met.
In his encyclical, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis expounds upon this by explaining this communion: when we fail to care for creation—the gifts we are given—we lose this sense of communion in our hearts and begin to lose the sense of fraternity with our fellow human beings. In essence, cruelty to animals leads to cruelty to humans. Furthermore, he says that we cannot put animals above humans in our care—we should not be so focused upon the treatment of animals that we forget to care for our brothers and sisters who need our help.
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