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

My pet 100%

I have a cat and a dog. I love my pets a lot, but would save the stranger's child without hesitation.

Obviously a strangers child.

Child obviously. I would seriously worry that anyone saying otherwise had sociopathic tendencies.

Out of interest, do you have a child?

I see one or two brave souls fessing up now!

I wonder if it depends if you have children yourself or "only" pets.

Op why would you think being on mn would cause people to hide their feelings? A) its anonymous, b) there are lots of non parents here. But I do think this question should also be answered / analysed in respect of whether the respondent has a child and has a pet. I have both and my answer is a child, always.

We dont have pets but i've seen it first hand via work visiting singly people, couples, family, any treated their dog as a family member, rightly so

Therefore, if I had a pet dog and the call was between who I go for first where it was certain life or death,, it would be the child. I'll have 'what if moments, days months years of it' but its easier living with the fact you saved someones child rather than you do

This scenario is likely to happen, so I guess it is easy for all to answer - but I cant imagine even the greatest dog lover on earth not saving the child

The grief I felt with loss of my first dog hit me harder than losing actual relatives. And I will admit that I love both of the dogs I have now more than I love most people I know.

I'd still save the child. No question.

(Is it weird to say I also know that that's what my dogs would want me to do?😂)

@Basicallyluls have you seen the mauling you can get on MN if you say the "wrong" thing?!

I don’t yet, hopefully soon. I’d save my own child over my pet though.

I adore our dog. She's perfect, I absolutely love her. I do everything possible to give her the best life. Dh and the dc love her.

But in 15 years she'll be dead, or close to it. If she died, the 5 of us in this house would mourn her for a while. Then we'd get a new dog.

It doesn't compare to a human child at all. Not even close. So of course I'd save the child.

Obviously the child.
I'm vegetarian.. I support animal welfare..
I do not think animals should be exploited for the entertainment or pleasure of humans.
But I would absolutely prioritise the life of a human above an animal.. any human.
I think it would be absolutely mental not to.

I don't have a dog, I have cats. Much as I would want to save them, it would have to be the baby every time.

Incidentally, if a dog were to attack a child or my cat, I would wade in there to save them at whatever cost to myself. I'd kill the dog if I had to.

Also, your posts sound like you're rooting for a pet answer. Why?

Human over animal every time - and surely everyone would agree to that, no matter which human, and which animal - yes I have pets, yest i am an animal lover - but really- this isn't even a question

@PMPBlue my cat would probably be standing on the drowning child's head to save herself!

I have both. Kids and pets which is why it’s hard for me to answer. I would want a stranger to save my child if they were in danger. Of course I would. I would also like to think I would save someone else’s child, maybe with the hope I could go back and save my pet too. But it’s a hard one to answer.

My dog is my fur baby .. that's all I'm saying ....

Perhaps when you do have a child you will then understand the love you have for them and would choose to save the strangers child. Before I was a mum I'd have still chosen the strangers child...but now I am one, I wouldn't even consider not saving the child and putting a family through that kind of unbearable loss.

My pet. I don't yet have a child, but I'd be devastated to lose my pet.

It shouldn't be hard at all.

I'm mostly just trying to be the devil's advocate. I'm surprised that almost no-one would save their own dog/cat. I expected those to be about 10% I think.

The human obviously

Save the child every time, without a moments hesitation.