I’m one of the world’s biggest animal welfare advocates (not to blow my own trumpet… 😛 ) and also volunteer at my local *amazing* rescue centre, but it does irritate me when people ask an innocent question on a forum or Facebook group and are met with responses basically amounting to “You’re cruel!”, “You’re an idiot!” or “You don’t deserve to have pets!”
I’m sure there are many many people out there that ARE cruel, but these generally aren’t the people posting about their pets on message boards or asking for advice.
An example of this is when someone posted a picture of their chihuahua having had its hair cut around the belly and sides. This was cut for the summer to keep the dog cool, but the post was quickly inundated with comments such as “That’s cruel!”, “It won’t grow back the same!” and “The hair protects from the sun and prevents ticks! It’s not supposed to be cut!”
These type of comments, in my humble opinion, are misinformed and prejudgemental.
I am a human. I not only cut my hair short on a regular basis but also shave my legs and underarms. No, Mother Nature did not intend me to do this! But I still manage just fine, and actually it makes me feel more hygienic and is more practical for me.
If you don’t accept the human comparison, many many dog breeds have short hair and manage just fine. So why is it so wrong to cut the hair of another breed?
The mind boggles. Please feel free to educate me on this topic in the comments, as I am open-minded and willing to admit if I make a mistake.
Please also feel free to comment about your own experiences of this type of behaviour on pet forums and the like. 🙂
diagnosemedoc 