Animals vs humans

[fifi669]

AIBU to think if faced with choosing a pet over a human (even if a stranger), you should choose the human?

The idea was brought up in another thread and put in life or death situation. Building on fire contains your pet and a stranger. You could only save one, who would it be?

I had a dog, Ralph, I cried my heart out when he died 3 years ago. The only dog I wasn't scared of! But I can't imagine leaving a person to die instead, no matter how my heart would break.

Preferring the company of a pet still isn't a good enough reason to let another person's child die.

I own a dog. I'd still save another person if I had to pick one or the other.

Of course I judge anyone who would pick a dog over a human.

Oh please, people can't make comments because someone might have something or might have experience something...

Yeah t's awful when you can't make offensive comments about people's mental health without getting told off for it

pc gorn mad

'It might make me think twice about helping someone out, I certainly don't want to go accidentally risking my neck for someone who would save their dog over my child.'

Is that really your thought process? Your dog and a stranger in a burning building and you'd save the person because one day they might be in the situation to save your DC from a burning building? Really?

Dogs rescue people. What if the dog went on to save your DC?!

What it if was Lassie (saved many a child) and a 'bad' person, maybe Jimmy Saville (in this hypothetical situation he's alive). Would you save Jimmy over Lassie? Even though Lassie is more likely to rescue your DC from a well or barn fire?

@ apartridge

Ahhh but those are apparently the decent human beings, Revolting. For a Mumsnet newbie, the thread has certainly been an interesting introduction to the whole 'bunch of crazed vipers' concept, something I'd only read about before.

Meh. I know some pretty bratty children.

I hope you mean 'fuck' as in leave him there and not the other way otherwise that's a whole different thread

Oh no! There is another illusion shattered, Outraged. I though Rhonda meant she'd be merrily fucking, while Rome burned! So to speak.

( at all my illusions being shattered in this thread )

It also comes down to how people value their pets. I really did have a cat from the time of being a child who was my only friend [pathetic emoticon] pretty much through school. I lived in an abusive home and he really kept me sane, I was suicidal for years he was my only "family"

I don't see why he would have been less important than some other random's family member.

I don't think it would have even been a choice, I'd have just done it.

You get people who cry for months and mourn their pet as a family member when they die.

And you get people who go out and buy another dog.

Nothing wrong with either but it's ridiculous to pretend that human life is somehow more important than animals because you feel it is.

tbh Sharp I think it's less MN and more that lots of people react in kneejerk ways without thinking.

Because if I had a choice between my dog and a stranger, I might well pick the stranger, but I'd be fucking haunted for the rest of my life, imagining the puppy who I chose to selfishly take away from her mother to have as my companion, dying a horrific, painful death - waiting for me to come to help her as I always have done - and realising it wasn't going to happen.

That pain would be just as real to a dog as to a human. I don't say you should save the dog, but ffs, not to even think? Not to even care? Sounds like moralism rather than morality to me.....

I'm in my living room now with my two gorgeous cats (who I love, love, love) and I am trying to imagine being in the scenario described by the OP.

The lives of friends and family would always come first.....but a random stranger....??

....difficult question

'It suggests to me a real lack of empathy and values, that you'd screw over a being that loved you unconditionally and would risk its life for you because it wasn't the same kind of animal as you are.'

^beautifully put.

I thought she meant shagging the plumber too! What's wrong with us all?

Weird plumber fantasies

Actually Writer, yours is a more difficult situation... because which cat would you choose!?

My dog has saved me. He continues to protect me. He gives more of a damn about me than anyone or anything else on this planet ever has with the exception of DH. The only human I'd rescue above my dog would be husband. The original question was stranger vs dog. Not child or mother or whatever. Therefore my dog will always be more important to me than a random stranger.

Unless it was a random baby/child stranger who was in my home for some reason

Random baby stranger would have probably trumped much loved cat.

The more you know humans, the more you love animals.

Tis true.

haha partridge - I'd dig down, deep into my core and find the strength to grab both of them even though one of them is very fat

outraged, ADish and APartridge of course I didn't mean shagging the plumber!

How could you think such a thing!

I judge anyone who cannot open their tiny little brains to realise that animals can bring some people a lot of love and joy.

FWIW, I'd probably save the human but I'd feel distraught for the rest of my life without crashdog.

disgusting ronda

I thought she meant shagging them both too!

There are very, very few people I'd go back into a burning building for, but if I HAD to I'd save a person over a pet I think. I can barely comprehend of how apoplectic I'd be to see someone high-tailing it out of the building with a dog if I was the stranger in the scenario.

As an aside me dad once asked me if it had to happen if I'd rather a squirrel or my brother died. I did think about it but was only small. Odd question from my dad!

Fuck the plumber I can cope with. Now 'fuck the dog' would have me really worried...

I would choose to save my dog over a stranger.

My dog means something to me - they do not. I do not automatically value human life over an animals life.

Just had to chase the dog round the house to save my brand new tights can I change my mind please :) true if it were a baby or child which my fevered imagination put there it would be a way of saving them both! But we would all get out because my dog would save us all so win win :)