Carolyn Hax - can someone be a good person if they don't love dogs? WTF

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Anyone who does "not like" animals or children is not a good person

What if you like one but not the other?

Oh, that option apparently does not exist for some PPs on this thread. After all, animals and children are on the same level for them. God forbid anyone should claim to love kids but also not love dogs. They can't conceive of a world where that's possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To me it is a character flaw, especially if they do not like animals or pets in general. Ask a dog about the character of a person, and you will get your answer.

I feel the same way

I'm the opposite. I consider people like you two who are intolerant of other people with other opinions and preferences to be the ones with a character flaw.

I agree. I have two dogs, one cat, love them as much as anyone ever loved their pets, and I think this is the dumbest question/position I have ever rad. And on DCUM, that's saying something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This week's Carolyn Hx Reader question is ridiculous.

Dear Carolyn: Do you think someone can truly be a good person if they don't love dogs? I have a boyfriend whom I could really see a future with — except that he doesn't love dogs. I have such a problem with that.
He has never had a dog, says he has never wanted one, and, when he is around my dog, seems mostly indifferent. On the other hand, he's smart and funny and successful and kind. But it hurts me that he and I will go out and have a wonderful time together, and then we'll return to my house and I just want to hug my dog but my boyfriend is standing back like he thinks my dog is going to bite him or something. It just feels like it is a character red flag not to love dogs, isn't it?
— Must Love Dogs

There can be a lot of reasons that someone isn't a dog person - I didn't grow up with dogs, I'm not comfortable around them, I was bit by a dog once for no reason and the dog's owner refused to believe I didn't do something to provoke her precious little muffin (I literally held out my hadn't for the dog to sniff and dog chomped on me). But that doesn't make me any less lovable. It's fine for the OP to dump her boyfriend because he doesn't love her dog, but to say that he must be a bad person because he doesn't love her dog is narcissistic and if I were the BF, I'd think THAT was a red flag!!

If you do not love dogs you are a bad person. Sorry OP.

[Anonymous]

I grew up with both dogs and cats as pets but was especially attached to my dogs, and couldn't imagine a life in which I didn't have dogs as pets. Interestingly, once I had kids my interest in having pets really diminished. I really couldn't imagine having the same level of love for dogs anymore. DH never had pets growing up and is a very minimal, no-fuss lifestyle kind of person.

I still really like dogs and enjoy playing with other relatives' and friends' pets, but have no huge desire to have our own. It's amusing to me that anyone would think this is a flaw! I think it's realistic to acknowledge they don't tug at my heartstrings the same way anymore. It's an animal, not a person, and as such deserves a human with the kind of forethought to understand the responsibility it entails. Hax's letter writer's BF isn't a bad person but is probably not the person for her!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This week's Carolyn Hx Reader question is ridiculous.

Dear Carolyn: Do you think someone can truly be a good person if they don't love dogs? I have a boyfriend whom I could really see a future with — except that he doesn't love dogs. I have such a problem with that.
He has never had a dog, says he has never wanted one, and, when he is around my dog, seems mostly indifferent. On the other hand, he's smart and funny and successful and kind. But it hurts me that he and I will go out and have a wonderful time together, and then we'll return to my house and I just want to hug my dog but my boyfriend is standing back like he thinks my dog is going to bite him or something. It just feels like it is a character red flag not to love dogs, isn't it?
— Must Love Dogs

There can be a lot of reasons that someone isn't a dog person - I didn't grow up with dogs, I'm not comfortable around them, I was bit by a dog once for no reason and the dog's owner refused to believe I didn't do something to provoke her precious little muffin (I literally held out my hadn't for the dog to sniff and dog chomped on me). But that doesn't make me any less lovable. It's fine for the OP to dump her boyfriend because he doesn't love her dog, but to say that he must be a bad person because he doesn't love her dog is narcissistic and if I were the BF, I'd think THAT was a red flag!!

So many people never had pets or been around animals so they have anxiety or germophobia and can't be comfortable around animals. They can be great people but not great animal people. Same way lots of dog lovers are bad people, just because they are comfortable around dogs, doesn't mean they are good to other people.

[Anonymous]

Even many animal lovers won't let dogs lick their face or sleep in their bed etc but that's not because they aren't kind, they are high on hygiene not low on compassion, two different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even many animal lovers won't let dogs lick their face or sleep in their bed etc but that's not because they aren't kind, they are high on hygiene not low on compassion, two different things.

The thought of being with a woman who lets a dog lick their face is revolting. I'm not into fecal and urine particles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like small, sweet natured, old dogs. They are few and far between. I am a nature lover but I feel that cats and dogs are not good for the environment.

Why are animals not good for the environment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like small, sweet natured, old dogs. They are few and far between. I am a nature lover but I feel that cats and dogs are not good for the environment.

Why are animals not good for the environment?

Cats kill lots of birds, squirrels, bunnies, etc, but those are animals that basically have no other natural predator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like small, sweet natured, old dogs. They are few and far between. I am a nature lover but I feel that cats and dogs are not good for the environment.

Why are animals not good for the environment?

Cats kill lots of birds, squirrels, bunnies, etc, but those are animals that basically have no other natural predator.

Birds, squirrels, and bunnies have plenty of other predators. Hawks, owls, fox, other birds...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like small, sweet natured, old dogs. They are few and far between. I am a nature lover but I feel that cats and dogs are not good for the environment.

Why are animals not good for the environment?

Cats kill lots of birds, squirrels, bunnies, etc, but those are animals that basically have no other natural predator.

Birds, squirrels, and bunnies have plenty of other predators. Hawks, owls, fox, other birds...

You must not have ever owned an outdoor cat. They are far more ruthless and efficient killing machines than those other predators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like small, sweet natured, old dogs. They are few and far between. I am a nature lover but I feel that cats and dogs are not good for the environment.

Why are animals not good for the environment?

Cats kill lots of birds, squirrels, bunnies, etc, but those are animals that basically have no other natural predator.

Birds, squirrels, and bunnies have plenty of other predators. Hawks, owls, fox, other birds...

You must not have ever owned an outdoor cat. They are far more ruthless and efficient killing machines than those other predators.

Cats should be indoors both for the animals around your house and for their own safety. Cats who are let outdoors have like half the expected lifespan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like small, sweet natured, old dogs. They are few and far between. I am a nature lover but I feel that cats and dogs are not good for the environment.

Why are animals not good for the environment?

Cats kill lots of birds, squirrels, bunnies, etc, but those are animals that basically have no other natural predator.

Birds, squirrels, and bunnies have plenty of other predators. Hawks, owls, fox, other birds...

You must not have ever owned an outdoor cat. They are far more ruthless and efficient killing machines than those other predators.

Cats should be indoors both for the animals around your house and for their own safety. Cats who are let outdoors have like half the expected lifespan.

+1 Cats as pets are generally indoors in the US, although this is not the case in many other countries. But they should be, it’s better for the cat and the environment in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like small, sweet natured, old dogs. They are few and far between. I am a nature lover but I feel that cats and dogs are not good for the environment.

Why are animals not good for the environment?

Lots of reasons. Pet industry has created more mass produced, plastic stuff that’ll end up in landfills. Then there’s commercial pet food, which is mostly meat- or fish-based. Very environmentally costly. And let waste run-off contributes to water pollution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like small, sweet natured, old dogs. They are few and far between. I am a nature lover but I feel that cats and dogs are not good for the environment.

Why are animals not good for the environment?

Lots of reasons. Pet industry has created more mass produced, plastic stuff that’ll end up in landfills. Then there’s commercial pet food, which is mostly meat- or fish-based. Very environmentally costly. And let waste run-off contributes to water pollution.

The sentiment that animals are bad for the environment is hilarious. You're just pointing out things that humans have done to domesticate animals. Once again, humans are the problem, not animals.