Would you save your pet or a stranger's child?

[NotADailyMailJournalist]

Hello all

Slightly inspired by another thread where posters were surprised that people were more interested in someone's dog than their baby...

If you have a cat/dog and you could only save it or a stranger's child/baby, what would you choose?

For the purposes of this thread, no-one would ever find out you'd been given the choice, so you wouldn't face any consequences.

Thanks

it IS relevant, because I am responsible for my pet(s), I am not responsible for a stranger’s child. And, as I already mentioned, i love my pets and would not allow harm to come to them, if I could prevent it. I would also not risk my own safety or life for a stranger’s child, and I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. 🤷‍♀️

It would depend on the circumstances.

If the child had pushed one of my dogs into a river and fell and both were struggling to get out then I would get my dog out first and then try to help the kid.

Or if both had fell because the ground was slippery then if the kid was of an age where they could help me get my dog out then I might help the child out first and then we both rescue the dog.

Being honest though, I would rescue my dogs first.

Most people do see something very very wrong with someone that would make that choice.

They don’t think you are someone who really loves their pets, you aren’t special in that fact as we all really love our pets, they think there is someone who has serious moral issues and should be treated with caution in all aspects of life.

Child, obviously! 😬

I find pet ownership unbelievably strange, particularly from people that claim to be undying animal lovers. Choosing your pet over a human life just adds to this opinion.

The whole "I made a commitment so my responsibility is to my pet" is such utter nonsense, you're a member of society and have social responsibility for protecting its most vulnerable members first and foremost. The charity argument is equally as ridiculous, of course if you can donate to a reputable boots on the ground charity then do so but the issue is more complex than everyone just throwing money at it which is likely to just increase the levels of corruption.

I am impressed you are the spokesperson for ‘most people’, how nice for you.

And nowhere did I imply that I am ‘special’. I merely stated my honest opinion regarding the question.

Further, I find the insistence that one MUST put some random child above what one values and loves unacceptable, and I would not do so. If that makes me someone to treat with caution, so be it.

Nonsense! Our social responsibility consists of paying taxes, following laws, and refraining from inconsiderate conduct. Much of which people routinely ignore and disregard. No one is morally obligated to sacrifice anything for others, if they don’t want to.

It depends on the circumstances.

Its interesting to see the reasoning here. You have decided and feel that you are the most important important person in this scenario. I would save the child because I know that if I lost my child I'd never be happy again and my life would be forever shattered...I would save the child to spare another mother that pain. It's two ways of thinking isn't it. You have centered yourself and made your decision purely on you whereas I, and many others have considered the feelings of others.

She's an adult. She can save herself

I can say without a doubt that I would save my dog before a strangers child. My child has already gone through losing a sibling (so I know what it's like to lose a child) and I won't choose for them to lose their dog as well (which is also a relatively young service dog). In choosing the dog, I am choosing my own child.

Obviously save the child. I find it inconceivable that anyone would choose to save their pet. The loss of a child would destroy their parents’ life, it’s the most devastating thing that can happen to a person. I could not live with myself if I contributed to that, and cutting short a child’s life and potential.

No matter how much you love your pet, its death will not have the same impact. I adore my pet and would be devastated at her loss but I wouldn’t hesitate.

It’s so crazy how someone starts a new thread asking a simple question one answer to choose and because some of us choose our pets some people don’t like it 😕😂

if don’t like the question don’t come on and start thinking you can say we’re this and that for answering the question on the post?

should probably get off your high horses 🐎

I wish MN was not anonymous sometimes use are unbelievable 😳

I'm considering the feelings of others when I choose my dog. The feelings of my child who would be devastated and find her life shattered if she lost her service dog. The dog is relatively young and was bought for her to help support her through the death of a sibling (so I have lost a child). Choosing the dog is really about choosing my child.

My pet

My dogs and cats.

I would save my dog everything. No hesitation

Before having DC I would have said the pet.
Now, probably the strangers DC.

My pet.

The child, because my pet is a hamster and they only live for a couple of years, so the child's life is worth more imo.

If you have a mobile, you’re contributing to that already, as does the whole world. https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/phone-electric-vehicle-congo-cobalt-mine-b2277665.html

No I didn't say if it was my mum versus a child that isn't the question here, it's a dog versus a child, why are you completely changing the question??

Not much shocks me on here anymore, but reading there are actually people who would choose the life of an animal over that of a child had done it. I can't believe anyone would just let a child die, to save a pet, but it seems to be true

It's fantastic so many people would choose to save a child over saving their pet. The most effective health charities recommended by GiveWell save a life for about USD 5,000. Anyone who wants to learn more should check it out -- it's a very concrete way to have an amazing difference in the world.

https://www.givewell.org/charities/top-charities

Owning a dog costs about £5,000 to 15,000 (per the PDSA), so really is possible to save a child, or several, for less than the cost of a pet. And much easier too.

Someone who saved a child from a burning building would rightly be treated as a hero, and would probably feel proud of it for the rest of their. In my view, choosing to do this for a child you will never see is an even more amazing thing to do, and a source of real meaning too, and takes a couple of minutes from your phone.

For me, you're not actually asking me to choose between a pet and someone else's child. Asking me about the pet is like asking me to choose between my own child (trauma and mental health) and another person's child. I will choose my own child every time.

I've already lost a child. The dog is a service dog trained and bought to help my child through the sickness and death of her sibling. She has been through enough. Asking her to lose that dog is like asking her to let her own child die.

So I will choose the dog because that is choosing my child. I have two dogs in the home and I couldn't choose between them if I only had myself to consider. However, if I had to, I know I would choose my daughter's dog every time, because that is choosing my child, not the actual dog.