Many apartment complexes, in British Columbia at least, are very strict with their "No Pets Allowed" rule. This means that the only times animals make their presence are when they injure themselves and squeal like mad, chirp non-stop, or when there is a fire or natural disaster. This necessary secret ownership of pets is something which obviously enrages pet owners who feel that their pets are being discriminated against.
It would appear that the issue could be easily resolved by making it illegal for landlords to discriminate against pet owners (as it is in many provinces). However, the issue really isn't about pet owners. It's about pets.
Few things are more disheartening than to catch a glimpse of the neighbor a few suites down taking their full-grown German shepherd for a morning piss. |
Often people complain about their rights in regards to pet ownership, but has anyone asked the pets think about this? It is common for people to aquire animals as companions to comfort them in the moments of everyday depression. Don't get me wrong here though, these pet owners truly love their pets and want the best of them- I fully realize this. But if we truly loved our St. Bernard, wouldn't we wait to own one until we lived on a nice plot of land in the country?
The same holds true for rodents which are kept in microscopic cages with only a stupid wheel as entertainment. Wheeeee! It astounds me as to why we can't start paying more attention to the act of captivity itself. Screw the rights of pet owners, fight for the rights of pets!
Pet owners in general, no matter how good their intentions, think more about their own selfish emotional needs rather than those of the animal. What we really need is a higher level of social responsibility towards not only each other, but towards those animals which we feel are dependent on us. Truth being, these animals have evolved in the wild for hundreds of thousands (+/- a few years) of years without human intervention. Why do they need it now? Because we came along and screwed things up.