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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Animals vs humans

1002 replies

fifi669 · 01/11/2013 13:16

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.

OP posts:
LST · 01/11/2013 22:15

I owe my dog a lot

trish5000 · 01/11/2013 22:16

When a child hits about 15, his or her chances of being rescued start to be reduced.

Strumpetron · 01/11/2013 22:16

Well I'm terribly sorry we aren't all being martyrs, I would save the thing that has loved me the most, that has helped me the most, whom I love and trust and live with. I don't want to save a stranger. End of.

Writerwannabe83 · 01/11/2013 22:17

I think some people just generally want to rescue the most dependent and most vulnerable - animals and children tend best to fit that description.

I get far more upset (and tearful) watching programmes about neglected and terminally ill animals than I do watching the same kind of programme about people (adults, not children).

ginmakesitallok · 01/11/2013 22:19

Why is a child's life worth more than an adult???

OutragedFromLeeds · 01/11/2013 22:20

That's fine everlong.

The judgement towards people who have a different opinion to you, is not.

OutragedFromLeeds · 01/11/2013 22:22

'Why is a child's life worth more than an adult???'

It isn't, but they're more vulnerable and they need more help. If the choice was an adult or a child, I bet they'd be 100% agreement that the child gets saved first.

Writerwannabe83 · 01/11/2013 22:25

ginmake - if you had to make the choice of either rescuing a child from a burning building or rescuing an adult, who would you choose?

I'm pretty sure everyone in this scenario would choose to save the child's life.

it isn't that the child's life is worth more than the adults, I just think that as people we have an innate impulse to want to rescue the most vulnerable.

SecretWitch · 01/11/2013 22:25

I actually just prefer animals over people (shrugs)

Writerwannabe83 · 01/11/2013 22:26

Great minds think alike outraged Smile

everlong · 01/11/2013 22:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SkinnedAlive · 01/11/2013 22:29

Funnily enough I have discussed my strong feelings for my pets in therapy IamGluezilla :)

In a hostage situation where you are asked by some sort of madman/sadist to choose the life of your loved ones over the life of a stranger, then all you can be reasonably certain of is that the person is a liar and that no-one is getting out alive. Better to take a life of someone you love and do it nicely and be certain they are dead and not in pain, than to watch them be tortured in front of you........ So perhaps my answer is not as clear as it looks.

everlong · 01/11/2013 22:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Spikeytree · 01/11/2013 22:32

I'd be bloody selfish and save the animal I cared most about. That wouldn't be some random human. You can be bloody selfish and save the animal you most cared about. For you that would be a random human.

OutragedFromLeeds · 01/11/2013 22:33

I'm not sure everlong, some people haven't distinguished between stranger adult and stranger child. I think for some people pets are above stranger's children.

For me it's; child I love, adult I love, child I don't know, my dog, adult I don't know, any other animals, adult I know to be a bad person (murderers and the like).

Writerwannabe83 · 01/11/2013 22:35

We seem to be focusing on dogs and cats...

I'm curious as to where we draw the line in terms of animal.v.human Smile

Would anyone choose their pet rabbit over the random stranger??
What about a pet hamster or gerbil?? Grin

Bluegrass · 01/11/2013 22:38

As an animal lover and someone completely opposed to the death penalty, my gut reaction to anyone who would prioritise saving an animal's life over a human's is that they should be stood up against a wall afterwards and shot in the fucking head. Am surprised by the strength of my own feelings to be honest.

pianodoodle · 01/11/2013 22:39

That's fine everlong.

The judgement towards people who have a different opinion to you, is not.

It's fine and usual enough to make judgements towards people based on their opinions.

OutragedFromLeeds · 01/11/2013 22:39

Grin@ greenwing

LST · 01/11/2013 22:41

I will just go and say goodbye to my family and I will hand you the gun then bluegrass Hmm

OutragedFromLeeds · 01/11/2013 22:41

It's usual, but not fine. We should try and understand that people have different opinions to us and try and understand why. It's not easy though.

Strumpetron · 01/11/2013 22:42

It's fine and usual enough to make judgements towards people based on their opinions

That's all well and good but personal insults are not. Like you and others came out with.

Bluegrass · 01/11/2013 22:44

LST - don't do the crime if you can't face the time ;-)

OutragedFromLeeds · 01/11/2013 22:45

Blue what if the person in the fire had previously rescued a dog instead of a human. If I rescue them instead of my dog and you then shoot them in the head I'd be well annoyed. You've murdered someone for having a different opinion to you, which means you're now not worth saving. So if I rescue you, who wants to kill people, instead of my dog, again it's the wrong decision.

All ways, the dog is the right choice.

LST · 01/11/2013 22:45

It is not a crime

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