4 ms·

This is sadly not a unique quandary. From personal experience, if you search for "Dogs of Sarajevo" you'll see some interesting (as well as heartbreaking) happe

This is sadly not a unique quandary. From personal experience, if you search for "Dogs of Sarajevo" you'll see some interesting (as well as heartbreaking) happenings and hard decisions within our own lifetimes. Not sure why you're downvoted btw; it's a legitimate if hard/difficult question and spurs discussion. And it's easy for us today from luxury of our homes to point out to sterile facts of "average calorie intake". Having a pet in a war is difficult. When there's bombing, do you leave the pet in home or do you take them to shelter? If there's snipers and bombs pestering the city every day for years, how do you take them out to do their business? How do you give them exercise and love and attention and play with them when your friends and family just got killed, when you yourself are a shell of a terrified, stressed out, depressed, uncertain human being? How do you explain to the animal what the terrifying nightly sounds are that make it go berserk and attack furniture and other pets and human children in sheer terror, while keeping it confined to a couple of small rooms for years? I don't think the cold simplified wikipedia article gives any justice whatsover to the actual emotions and situations and difficult decisions and tradeoffs those people had to make. Heck, in the middle of the war, every day you have to make decision for yourself and your family - are we going to live another day? Should we end this? Is this suffering worthwhile? Is there end in sight? Is there any rainbow or light or good ending to this? Pets are simply part of that larger heartbreaking awful equation we as human beings inflict on each other.

pg_1234 3y ago
> Having a pet in a war is difficult. When there's bombing, do you leave the pet in home or do you take them to shelter? If there's snipers and bombs pestering the city every day for years, how do you take them out to do their business? How do you give them exercise and love and attention and play with them ... You act as you would for your children, you feed them, shelter them ... and kill anyone and anything that threatens them.
- NikolaNovak 3y ago
  There is an assumption in your statement that every person considers a pet equivalent to a child, in all circumstances, including extreme existential ones. It may or may not surprise you that is not universal. I for one admit to being speciest. If I have to choose between my dog and my son I will not be thinking very long. It is not even remotely hypothetical btw. Most of us, when our dog threatens and bites our child, will get rid of the dog and will not rid of the child. In my mind either: 1. You did not fully think through and empathize with war situation and mentality. That's possible and even likely and I would not judge for that. E.g. Many Ww2 and Vietnam veterans famously persisted In telling people "you won't understand unless you've been there". that's infuriating and insulting yet true. It is difficult for a person in comfortable situation to empathize with extreme situations. Or 2. You are not being fully honest (either with yourself or us). I.e. You'd LIKE to think you are kind and giving to pets and don't want to admit that in extreme situation you might make a difficult decision and harm a pet. Or 3. You genuinely put pets and humans on the same level. That's certainly possible. I would say that when push comes to shove (as opposed to internet theorizing) that would put you in minority. Don't get near my children, especially if you remotely meant your last sentence - which would be TERRIFYING.
- starttoaster 3y ago
  And if they're barking up a storm because they hear boots of enemy soldiers on the floorboards above your crawl space, what do you do then? Probably die? Maybe you have a duty to live for beings other than a pet that you cannot reason with to tell them to be quiet..

pg_1234 3y ago

> Having a pet in a war is difficult. When there's bombing, do you leave the pet in home or do you take them to shelter? If there's snipers and bombs pestering the city every day for years, how do you take them out to do their business? How do you give them exercise and love and attention and play with them ... You act as you would for your children, you feed them, shelter them ... and kill anyone and anything that threatens them.

NikolaNovak 3y ago
There is an assumption in your statement that every person considers a pet equivalent to a child, in all circumstances, including extreme existential ones. It may or may not surprise you that is not universal. I for one admit to being speciest. If I have to choose between my dog and my son I will not be thinking very long. It is not even remotely hypothetical btw. Most of us, when our dog threatens and bites our child, will get rid of the dog and will not rid of the child. In my mind either: 1. You did not fully think through and empathize with war situation and mentality. That's possible and even likely and I would not judge for that. E.g. Many Ww2 and Vietnam veterans famously persisted In telling people "you won't understand unless you've been there". that's infuriating and insulting yet true. It is difficult for a person in comfortable situation to empathize with extreme situations. Or 2. You are not being fully honest (either with yourself or us). I.e. You'd LIKE to think you are kind and giving to pets and don't want to admit that in extreme situation you might make a difficult decision and harm a pet. Or 3. You genuinely put pets and humans on the same level. That's certainly possible. I would say that when push comes to shove (as opposed to internet theorizing) that would put you in minority. Don't get near my children, especially if you remotely meant your last sentence - which would be TERRIFYING.
starttoaster 3y ago
And if they're barking up a storm because they hear boots of enemy soldiers on the floorboards above your crawl space, what do you do then? Probably die? Maybe you have a duty to live for beings other than a pet that you cannot reason with to tell them to be quiet..