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.

Interesting that human life is only important until it is a human who does something you disagree with.

Obviously I'm being facetious but I would class deliberately passing up an opportunity to save a human in order to save an animal instead as manslaughter and worthy of prison time.

I would choose my dog over a stranger. I am in part responsible for this thread. I have children. Why would this be incompatible with me saving my dog. I love her the same way as i love my children maybe more

But I'd be putting MY life at risk... I could choose not to go in at all and risk both dying..

If you're risking your life you get to choose who for.

Unless you're a fireman or similar.

Exactly outraged

LST - And In some jurisdictions your failure to give assistance to either would also put you at risk of civil and criminal liability.

Good point Outraged.

Don't the fire service tell people not to risk their lives like this? Can't see how you could be convicted of anything because you didn't risk your life to save someone.

Dogs and cats are always worthy, humans..not so much.

I luffs my dog. i WANT TO SAVE HER may have imbibed much wine

All those saying you'd save your dog over perhaps a child how would you feel if someone saved their dog over your child?

If you were in a fire with your child and my child and you saved yours... I'd fucking hate you. Because it is my family I care about most. That's just being honest. It may not be logical but feelings have no grounding in logic.

It's the same with everyone. That's why people choose their pets their family over a stranger.

I bet if you were in a fire with my child and your child and could only save one you wouldn't be worrying about my reaction to it!

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

If I made a personal insult you can always report it.

Littlewhitebag I feel sorry for your children

I'd be thinking that the dog / pet has had a lovely comfortable life with me up to that point so if it can't get out on its own ( which it probably would) then I'd leave it.

Strangers save our lives everyday. Fire fighters, drs, paramedics etc
If the roles are reversed, I'm sure as shit, my dog wouldn't save me from a burning fire ( he may sit next to me and try to raise the alarm for all the good it would do)

If I made a personal insult you can always report it

You did, but we're all adults here so I'm sure we're capable of talking it out and discussing it further :)

I feel sorry for your children.

Are we playing MN Bingo?

I agree with everlongs statements, that although I worship my cats (and I refer to myself in the third person as mummy like the twat I am) I still think that a human life is worth more than a pet.

But - I know some people who have had very difficult lives and home circumstances who are quite simply kept alive by their pets, and the knowledge that they have to be there for their pets every day helps them from giving up altogether. So even though I would never have that point of view I can empathise with it, to some extent.

I don't think an animal would feel the depth of emotional self aware pain that a human would in knowing that it was going to perish in a fire. The human would know that it was buggered, rescue wise, and the animal wouldn't, other than a primal fear.

Is this some dog owners thinking and treating their pets as babies/children (inspired by LWB's post), hence the idea of choosing to save a stranger (especially, for some reason, an adult) over their dog-family member is incomprehensible to them?

incomprehensible to them?

Who's said it's incomprehensible to us? Think the majority of us have said we understand the stranger-saver's stances. I know I have a few times.

Can I throw out a hypothetical?

Your dh (not an exbh)... your dh or a random baby. Proper cherub cheeked baby.

Dh would burn, sorry darling.

'the idea of choosing to save a stranger (especially, for some reason, an adult) over their dog-family member is incomprehensible to them?'

I don't think anyone has said that. Just that they would save their pet first. I don't recall anyone saying it is incomprehensible to them that someone else would make a different decision.

If you read the thread, Ivy I think you will see the question has been answered over and over.

For many people the pet is their life line. Their family. Human-ness aside if you have a cat and that's all you have in the world and you love it.. The plumber is going to die

I would save DH. In that scenario APartridge

DD under one arm and the dog under the other.
Anyone else in my house either
a) is a visiting adult who can get themselves out or
b) shouldn't be there

Whatever. My children love the dog more than they love me. They are 15 and 21. Not babies. They are well loved but the dog has filled a gap in our lives after a fairly significant trauma which could not have been filled any other way.