by Dawn Barnsdale
(Edited by Ocean Elf for colourful language)
This is not going to be a meme-mangle, since Dawn Barnsdale's post is not a viral, and it is an excellent post.
It's a repost here on her behalf, as well as on behalf of those of us out there who are absolutely sick of the animal rights/welfarist "pet parent" business. And we're sick of people turning a blind eye and refusing to listen when we point out the darker agendas behind these seemingly warm fuzzy-isms. I am only reposting so readers can get the message without the f-bombs in the original. Otherwise, I'd simply provide a link to the blog entry.
After the entry, I will go into what one animal welfare person did trying to villify Dawn on Sodahead when it used to be a question and discuss platform. Animal welfare "pet parent" people are as fanatical as feminists, mgtow (men going their own way - woman-hating cult), otaku (anime fandom), bronies (My Little Pony fandom), and anti-bronies. When they find someone who dares to oppose them, they gang up and bully them directly, and/or try to vilify them to others.
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Do NOT compare my child to your dog. EVER.
Red Vines and Red Wine
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012
Do NOT compare my child to your dog. EVER.
by Dawn Barnsdale
As the parent of three actual humans, I get annoyed with people that call themselves a “pet parent.” The only parents a pet has are those of the same species that had sex in a river, up in a tree, or in some dark alley after sniffing each other’s butts. Period.As a human, you are their owner. Their caretaker. Their trainer. Their master. BUT YOU. ARE NOT. THEIR PARENT!
This is NOT a hairy baby. This.is.a.DOG.
Now I know a lot of people feel differently, and I’ll openly admit that I’m not a pet, more specifically a "dog person” I like other people's pets. I play with my mother in law's giant slobbery Boxer who weighs about 100 lbs. and thinks he's a lap dog. He is sweet, but I wouldn't want to own him. I also like my good friend's two pit bulls- sweet funny dogs who I like to give ice cubes because they love them so much!
If you like pets, if you LOVE pets, that’s great –they’re good for companionship, and I am a big fan of service dogs. I have a kitty, and I love him very much.So do my kids. So go ahead, love your pet! Dress your pet in goofy looking Christmas sweaters. Put galoshes on them in the rain. Feed them with a special spoon. Don’t get me wrong. There’s no denying that as living, breathing creatures, they’re part of the family – the family pet. They should be loved, taken care of an not mistreated or abused. But do not EVER compare your ANIMAL to my CHILDREN. That shart won't fly.
Sure, pets are like children in some ways. They make messes and don’t clean up after themselves. They’re active. They like lots of attention. They make me swear at least once a day. But the similarities end there and the differences are what makes having pets absolutely nothing like raising children. I don't pop my kids on the nose (or anywhere else for that matter) with a newspaper,(or my hand or ANYTHING) nor do I leave them in a crate while I go to work. I do not have to go to doggy school and advocate for their right to an education. But I DO do that with The Boy. I DO have to console Teenzilla when a boy has hurt her, or a so called best friend is being not such a good friend. I do have to be a MOM and all it entails to my very human children.
I live next to TWO of these
I know what I will do! Devise a plan to get rid of those dogs!
I have very inconsiderate neighbors with two extremely irritating yappy dogs. They bark and bark and bark and bark at all hours of the night, super early on the weekends - at the flaring wind blowing. They are also very BITEY. Came into MY YARD and tried to bite The Boy. In his own yard!! They disturb not just my sleep but The Boy's and Teenzilla's AND The Mister's. And let me tell you, disturbing a kiddo on the spectrum's sleep- ON A SCHOOL DAY- that ticks me off no end. For two YEARS I have been dealing with these useless barking f—ers. TWO YEARS! I have tried to befriend them, I have tried giving them treats- and they just bark. Yes- their owners are inconsiderate jerks. Yes they are "just dogs" but after speaking with them, talking to Animal Control (which seemed to work for a couple of months- barking basilisks had shock collars on- blessed quiet!) I have had it! I will be IN MY HOUSE- and they can see me in the kitchen window and they will bark. Forget outdoor activities in the summer- they ruin it. I wish they would run away.I have said I will buy a BB gun and shoot the little f—s when they bark. I have wished terrible things on them (and the human owners as well) ESPECIALLY when I am awoken at 1:00 A.M and again at 6:00 A.M. on a Sunday. But do I act on these things? Of course not. Do I sit and dwell on this shart, improvising elaborate methods to ensure the dog's demise? No. I do have a life. That doesn't stop me from disliking the neighbors and their complete lack of consideration, nor does it make me like those stupid dogs.
THIS is a child. MY child.
Someone recently on Facebook actually said I needed counseling and wonder if I throw my kids out when they irritate me- oh DAMN. That is the FASTEST way to pi|$$ me off. DO NOT EVER EVER EVER COMPARE MY CHILDREN TO YOUR PETS! EVER!!!
The plain and simple truth is dogs grow up to be dogs. Love them, buy them toys, treats, take them on walks, they are going to love you. And when he grows up he’s still going to be a dog. As a nation we have become particularly obsessed with our pets, pet hotels, pet psychics, animal advocates (don't get me started on that one) but your obsession is not going to change the fact that your dog will probably grow up to be the same dog he was going to be anyway.
Raising children comes with knowing that you are responsible for molding a human being that will someday be able to go out on their own and become productive members of society. This requires a constant investment in them, keeping an eye on friends and activities, helping achieve success in school and ultimately passing on the morals and values that you want them to carry for a lifetime. You raise your kids to eventually leave you and go out into the world as adults to live their lives and maybe have children of their own someday. Your dog will be with you forever. And it will still be a dog. Maybe slower, and definitely older. STILL A DOG.
People need to think twice before comparing their dog to someone’s child- ESPECIALLY MINE.
Here are some key differences between dogs and kids for those who might need the info.
If you're a dog owner, and you're out of milk and you need it for the recipe you're making for dinner, you can run to the grocery store without your dog.
If you are a parent of a small child and you find yourself faced with a grocery emergency, you either must find a babysitter immediately, or dress your child appropriately for the weather, take your child to the car whether or not your child wants to go, strap your child into an appropriate restraining device, listen to your child complain about your selections on the car radio all the way to the store, take your child out of the car seat,strap them into a cart (depending on their age of course- try strapping a teenager into a cart- that doesn't go over well!) listen to your child ask whether you can buy every tenth thing you pass, load your groceries into your car and return your cart while also wrangling your child, strap your child back into the car seat, drive home, and then figure out how to get your child and the groceries out of the car at the same time. Now- do this with a kiddo on the spectrum that you have had to interrupt while playing Lego Starwars. Multiply all of this by 100.
A new puppy may wake its owners up several times a night to be played with, have to go to the bathroom, etc.
A new baby will wake a mother up several times a night to CHEW ON HER BOOBS.
A new puppy may sometimes pee/poop or barf on the floor
A new baby may sometimes pee/poop or vomit IN YOUR FACE. Not to mention the clean shirt you just put on.
It might take a couple of months to potty train a puppy.
It can take YEARS to potty train a child. Oh- kiddo on the spectrum? That could be, well, never.
You can leave your dog alone in a fenced yard with a bowl of food, a bowl of water and some toys for eight hours a day while you work, and you might feel a little bit guilty.
If you leave your child alone in a fenced yard with a bowl of food, a bowl of water and some toys for eight hours a day while you work, you will be arrested.
You have to teach a dog that chewing your favorite shoes to pieces is not an appropriate way to play.
You have to teach a child that playing with matches could set your entire house on fire.
This is by no means a comprehensive list- but it does cover some important things that should help if you find yourself confused.
Sidebar: Abusing or mistreating animals is WRONG. Please inform your local Animal Control if you see evidence of abuse. Sadly, more animal abuse cases are followed up on than child abuse cases. Try and justify that.
Service dogs are AMAZING. Check out 4 Paws for Ability. They are awesome- and I have a friend with 2 autistic children who has a dog from there- and he is great. Oh- and doesn't bark at air.
P.S. People say it is the owners fault. I agree to an extent. But these same people also STILL compared kids and dogs- Bad kids have bad parents and bad pets have bad owners. Love the ignorance and intolerance. Sorry- but my kid isn't always being "bad" He is autistic- and might be overwhelmed. And I also firmly believe that there are bad apples everywhere. Even with dogs.
*APPLAUDS* YES! Well put, here, here! Bravo!
Thank you!
That took guts!
I believe the reason animal abuse gets reported more than child abuse is because activists are still in the witch-hunt and lynch mob faze. Remember the days when "false memory syndrome" and "multiple personality disorder" and bizarre reports of ritual Satanic child abuse were reported and were found to be false?
Animal welfarism is in that faze now.
I also agree with you, there are bad apples, among humans and animals alike.
A year after the entry was written, somebody reposted it but in modified form on Sodahead, and that was how I discovered it.
I was more than put out with the idiots on Sodahead who thought they could pick on a great blog entry as a source of entertainment for them. There were a few comments in support of this blogger, but nowhere near enough. There were far too many flaming idiots.
Here's what I said to them but with a few edits. I wrote it in a rush and didn't notice stupid autocorrect had struck again, changing "lulz" to "lulu" which it insists on doing - either that or "lull" argh! No, I meant "L U L Z"! Autocorrect, for the love of writing, for the love of self-expression, please, but out once in a while!
So, here goes.
--
You lot who have flamed the heck out of this woman's parenting should be ashamed of yourselves. And you who put this post up as a question on Sodahead "read and comment" (link no longer working but might be cached) are manipulative and dismissive as well. The blogger never gave you permission to copy paste her blog let alone to serve as a lulz-fix for all the snivelling "pet parent" people who want to flame her to make themselves feel like bigger, better people for overindulging themselves and their pets.
Your title for the Sodahead question, "United States Woman Pi$$ed About Comparison Of Pets To Children Read And Comment" is crap.
She's not a "pi**ed off woman" she has a name, she has feelings, and she has a right to feel put out with people who think humanifying their animals is the cool thing to do. You lot just dismissed this as nothing by accusing her of being "pi$$ed off"...
Then you deliberately twisted and manipulated her text to make yourself and your cause look better and her look like the bad guy
You got stuff out of order and omitted other stuff.
Let's go through it.
You completely omitted this bit which comes right after her not liking the neighbour's stupid dogs:
"THIS is a child. MY child.
Someone recently on Facebook actually said I needed counseling and wonder if I throw my kids out when they irritate me- oh DAMN. That is the FASTEST way to pi$$ me off."
That is followed directly by the end of the paragraph, which you thought was cool to move to the very end of the piece instead:
"DO NOT EVER EVER EVER COMPARE MY CHILDREN TO YOUR PETS! EVER!!!"
You also failed to copy-paste the following right:
"The plain and simple truth is"
That is not actually the last paragraph in her entry. This bit comes before the paragraph that goes:
"Raising children" a paragraph you omitted completely!
That whole paragraph goes:
"Raising children comes with knowing that you are responsible for molding a human being that will someday be able to go out on their own and become productive members of society."
*Snip*
You also, conveniently omitted the last part of her blog entry, which reads:
*Snipped out*
And for gosh sakes people, this blog was written a year ago! A freaking year!
I won't disclose the blog page because I don't want her getting hate mail from this fine lot of SH morons.
I'm out of here!
*Slam*
* * *
SH moron means Sodahead moron in case anyone was wondering.
What I meant by not posting the link was that I wouldn't post it on Sodahead. I have linked back to it here on this page. It has obviously been more than a year ago the post was made, but it remains relevant, we need more people resisting and rejecting that whole pet parent crap.
Peta does want us thinking of animals as not family pets, but as actual family, but with more rights than humans.
How Can Anyone Not Like Dogs?"
Why Rabbits Are Better Than Cats And Dogs
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