Pets vs Humans Options

[queen]

this may turn into a debate topic, but for now, i think it's better suited in the lounge.

we all know people with pets, and some of us may have pets of our own. my question to you: is your pet more important than the life of a human, say like your neighbor who lives down the street?

of course i wouldn't expect you to compare your pet/s with a family member, because to some of us, pets are members of the family. but let's say you had to choose between funding a starving child on the other side of the planet vs financing your terminally ill pet's surgery, which would you choose?

i was browsing xanga, and one of the front page posts caught my attention. it was about a dog who had undergone $13g worth of surgery only to die the next day. the blogger questioned the morality in spending that amount of money on a dog, when s/he could've nourished 100+ children in a thirdworld country for a year.

personally, i would fund any surgery my dog would need. he's just that important to me.

[jaeman]

I really have to look at the options and weigh pros and cons in this situation. In general, it's really hard to make a decision involving the loss of life. Personally, the only pets I've ever had are numerous tropical fish, two turtles and two parakeets.

But that's besides the point, if the situation were between my beloved dog and a neighbor I knew next door, I would have probably chosen my beloved dog. But then, the choice varies to whom you've known the most and whoever you've been closest with.

And that's one of the attitudes some people exhibit: their mindset of animal's lives being lower than a human's life. Which totally irks me. Oh well, everyone has their pet peeves. On that note, I asked my friend this same question and he replied: "The neighbor. The dog will not be able to benefit society in anyway. This person would continue to pay his or her taxes, support the job market, and enjoy life freely, not as some person's happiness toy.

[queen]

On that note, I asked my friend this same question and he replied: "The neighbor. The dog will not be able to benefit society in anyway. This person would continue to pay his or her taxes, support the job market, and enjoy life freely, not as some person's happiness toy.

that was one of the responses i was waiting for. it's one thing to assume that there are people who think like this, and it's another to have someone actually say it. i can't find myself to think like that.

the original question may have been a little skewed so it became more of a question of family vs non family. so let's ask another question (one closer to pets vs human, but still equally as unrealistic):

to choose between your neighbor or his dog?