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.

Actually tis true as others have said it probably would be the dog having already saved the stranger before any of us even make a rescue attempt!

I see a similar scenario, living: I go and save dog, who leads me to screaming baby, dog picks up baby in mouth and leads us both to safety outside. Have also found my dog gets me quite a lot of attention, so I would hopefully end up with telephone number of fit fireman. See - if you save the dog, everyone wins!

Further up the thread, someone mentioned seeing everyone's outraged faces when you come out of a burning building holding a dog instead of a human, but to be honest I'd find that extremely entertaining.

It was also mentioned being outraged yourself as you saw your supposed saviour carrying out their pet instead....

Hypothetical "Psychology Today" situation linked to above where you come across a burning building and you have a puppy or a human baby to save it would be always be human baby.

I don't value one life over another and have gone in to the middle of busy dangerous highways to help animals...

but I have been a human mother and could never leave baby. Would feel like a bastard for leaving the puppy though.

My dog is nearly blind and nearly deaf and terrified of one of the cats. If I approached him holding her he'd soon find the door and be out of there. Then I'd just have a cat under each arm to wrestle with.

I think you have more to worry about than being outraged at that point tbh

Could the people who think it should be the stranger who always gets saved, please provide a logical explanation of why humans are more important than animals in 1 sentence, max 20 words, starting with Because....

'Because that's what decent human beings think' and 'because they are' are not explanations and 'because their loss is felt more keenly' is subjective.

Who has the emotional resources to be 'outraged' whilst they burn to death? You must be a very calm person.

I like to think I'd understand if someone chose to save their pet over me, a random stranger. No doubt I'd be a bit gutted, but I can't see myself coming back to haunt them for their misdemeanour.

Maybe the fire is in the daily mail office?

For what it's worth, I believe the original 'outraged faces' comment was referring to the bystanders outside the building, not the poor soul burning to death inside.

I would save my cats because I love them.

Lily there has to be a Disney ending to this story! Or Mills n Boon. Firemen and all!

Outraged if that was the scenario I'd be tempted to invoke karma for their situation.

Hmmm, living, there are certainly a few Cruellas around here .

Wait! But what if it's not even your dog?! It's the stranger's dog. So, you save the stranger who then says, "I can't believe you didn't save Fido. He's my life?" What do you do then?!!!

Oh, I do love this thread!

I would say "mumsnet told me to do it"

I'd save my dog over a stranger. My pets are family members, and I prefer them to most people.

Disney has a HUGE amount to answer for in terms of modern day perceptions! It's probably due to all the defenceless animals they had that I'm the way I am today. Lady and the Tramp.... I see my DH as Jim Dear and me as Darling Ofc, championing the cause...

Laughing at the imagine of a burning person being outraged

Like all the other decent human beings on this thread I'd save the human, of course. And if all the other humans were saved the last thing I'd do is go back into a burning building for an animal and risk my own life. Cats can fall out of windows and survive anyway, and I don't like dogs anyway.

It's a good job I already knew I was a shit human being before I read this thread. I'd much rather be an animal anyway, I don't much like the artifice involved in being a human.

Lock a human and your dog in the boot of your car and leave them for two hours. When you let them out only one will be pleased to see you
I'd be saving my furry friend I reckon!

I think that most people who would resuce their pets first would do it, not because they necessarily value their pets so highly, but because they sometimes value human beings so lowly. They may have suffered at the hands of close family members.

I think that most people who would resuce their pets first would do it, not because they necessarily value their pets so highly, but because they sometimes value human beings so lowly. They may have suffered at the hands of close family members

See I disagree, but it'd be interesting to see the numbers!