classy dogs
It's fascinating to see the way that dogs and animals are treated by humans strongly reflects the way humans treat other humans. Mark Derr discusses the transformation from dog to wolf and the ways that humans have bred dogs, and to me, the connection between the class structure in humans and the class structure we've imposed on dogs really jumped out. There are the highly bred, prestigious dogs, bred and kept by wealthy members of the upper class. Then there are the "pariah" dogs that roam the streets, "fit for only shepherds, poachers, and other low-class people" to quote Derr. While these dogs are of the same species, both equally domesticated and distinct from wolves, they are treated very differently.
You can kinda see a similar concept in speciesism, in that humans are once again creating a hierarchy and placing themselves on top. I think the fact that animals are treated so badly is horrible. Even if one believes that humans are special and/or above animals, would that not give us the responsibility to treat them well? A focus on animal rights does not mean placing animals above humans, or even affording them the exact same rights (I don't think cats need the freedom of the press), it simply means that we ensure we aren't causing animals undue suffering.
I'm interested in how classism translates to animals. I feel like it has to do with luxury: toy or pedigree dogs are classier because they don't need to fill a particular function, whereas dogs that are useful as shepherds or guards are lower class because they aren't just for show.
ReplyDeleteThe connection you drew between classism in humans and dogs was something I had thought about a little, but you worded it really well. It is a great point that animal rights do not have to be equal to human rights, but should provide safety and respect.
ReplyDelete