By: Cindy Pu
In 2024, pet owners around the world are treating their pets more and more like humans. Many experts argue that it isn’t good for pets, or for us.
Pets are popular companions for people from all around the world. Roughly two thirds of American homes have at least one pet, and Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets in 2022. It’s estimated that 91 million households in Europe own at least one pet, with an increase of 20 million over the past decade. In India, the pet population hit 31 million in 2021, increasing from 10 million in 2011.
Some animal welfare activists and veterinary scientists are wondering if our efforts in making our pets more like us have gone too far. We pamper them with customized nutrition plans, fancy carriers, and stays at boutique hotels. The more we treat our pets like people, the more our pets’ lives are constrained and dependent on us, also causing health and behavioral issues. In 2023, over 359,000 dogs were euthanized at animal shelters, and over 60 percent of cats and dogs are now overweight.
“The problem is, dogs and cats are not children, and owners have become increasingly protective and restrictive. So animals are not able to express their own doggy and catty natures as freely as they might.” said James Serpell, a professor of ethics and animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
The concerns about house cats hunting wild birds have many cats spending their entire lives inside. Until the late 1970s, city dogs spent most of their time outside, either in the backyard or roaming around unleashed. Now, unleashed dogs are considered against the natural order of things.
A few years ago, Harold Herzog, a psychology professor at Western Carolina University who studies animal-human relations vacationed on the island of Tobago and spent a lot of time studying the stray dogs that roamed around. “I asked myself: ‘Would I rather live in Manhattan as a pampered dog, or would I rather be a dog in Tobago hanging out with my friends?’” Dr. Herzog said. He concluded, “I’d rather be a dog in Tobago.”
Dr. Serpell’s advice is, “By all means enjoy your dog’s companionship. But dogs are not people. Get to know the animal from its own perspective instead of forcing them to comply with yours. It enables you to vicariously experience the life of another being.”