The above isn’t to whine about the cost, but to give the needed background for the philosophical musing to follow. In 2013, one of my friends asked, “Wouldn’t a $50 shot be a better option?” For some, it might be, but for Denise (my wife) and I, Lucky is like our child. Thankfully, with help from family, we have the resources to provide quality care for Lucky. Which begs the question: is it right to spend so much money on a dog, while there are people who go without adequate medical care?
Twenty-eight years ago (to the month), when the world was a much different place, Russia and the United States of America worked collaboratively to save three whales. At the time, the USA used its most sophisticated helicopter to drop chainsaws to locals, and the Russians sent their state-of-the-art ice-breaker to finish the path to freedom. I’m guessing that the cost in today’s dollars was in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. If opposing nations can work to save animals, then I don’t personally feel guilty about providing expensive healthcare for Lucky.
But it does offer interesting insight into humanity’s relationships and feelings among peoples and animals. Each year Denise and I give significantly more money for animal conservation issues than we do human needs issues. Most of the people we know do so, too. Should I feel guilty that I care more for animals than I do people? I’m sure there are plenty of people who would argue that I’m a terrible individual for doing so (or just that I am a terrible individual…), but am I?
Being a misanthrope, it is natural to like animals better than humans, so I’m biased. But I still don’t believe that spending money so my dog can have a normal life is wrong from any point of view. From a Capitalistic view, I earned my money and may spend it how I see fit. From a Socialistic perspective, everything should be provided by the government anyways, so cost would never be an issue. It is obvious that most Humanists would not condone choosing extravagant healthcare for an animal over that of a human – unless it was their own pet… Finally, from a religious stand-point, I defer to Will Rogers: “If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”