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.

I also find it laughable that princess seems to care so little about 'strangers'

I'm sure you'd care about strangers when they helped you out in some way..
I can't count how many times I've been grateful for help from strangers when for example, I've lost a child in the shop / fainted I the street and a kind man called the ambulance for me / helped me upstairs with my buggy.

Not all life changing stuff but help nevertheless. It's called morality and being part of a community.

'I've already answered the question, more than once, about saving one's own children ahead of a stranger'

If you could quote where you've answered it, that would be great because I've obviously missed it!

I have no problem with the choice to save the stranger, none at all.

My problem is with your and Maid's assertion that you would do this out of selflessness, whereas the dog savers are selfish.

Everyone would make a selfish decision in this circumstance by choosing to save the life that would hurt them least.

So if it was a human family member vs a stranger, you would save your family member? We've established this I think?

WHY is that a selfless decision?

Dogs can be rehabilitated. Dogs that maul are the responsibility of the owner. Who should be put down for allowing that to happen in the first place. Or left in a burning building.

In answer to your other question I assume the person would go for their pet. Whic

'I find it interesting that none of the 'dog savers' have answered the question of who you would want saved if you were leaving the job to someone else- your family member or essentially a stranger to the person doing the rescuing or the rescuers own pet?'

Actually, this has been asked and answered twice already on the thread. At least RTT if you're going to complain about not being answered.

Answer from me; I can't blame someone for making the same decision I would! I wouldn't be pleased that my family member died, but I'd understand why they made that choice.

If you read my post I don't refer to a child but a family member- could be an adult

.... Which I would understand. As I and others have said earlier in the thread and explained the reasons why.

Princess is saying in the instance of a burning building strangers don't matter. Not that she's completely immune to living in normal society.

And I remember the dog mauling story. It was a totally irresponsible dog owner who had no knowledge of how to manage the breed that led to that tragedy. But let's all blame the dogs shall we given how superior humanity is?

Yes, that is what I meant. Thank you livingzuid

Ok. Here's another scenario. Would you kill a stranger to save a family pet. I'm struggling to think of a realistic scenario but say your beloved dog is about to be run over by an out-of-control bus. Think Keanu and Sandra in Speed. They're stopping for nobody. You haven't got time to reach the animal. It's a narrow street, so the pet is doomed. UNLESS you can push a stranger in front of the bus and stop it.

I know the scenario has got lots of holes in it, but ultimately the question is would you kill another human to save an animal? How is the fire scenario any different?

That's also been asked and answered Mardy, although with a lethal injection not a bus!

at the bus scenario being 'talking sense'

And people said they would give the lethal injection to a stranger..... (Not my POV)

So some people would murder someone to save an animal. Unfuckingbelievable.

It doesn't matter the scenario, if you see your dog as a valued family member, you will save him over a stranger EVERY time. Just as you would save ANY family member over a stranger.

Would I push a stranger in front of a bus? I'm not proud of this, but heat of the moment, no time to think, probably yes.

Sorry I skimmed the middle of the thread. Although my bus scenario does have a bit more drama than an injection. .

Good luck with that defence in court Leeds

That is the concept that is missing. Some can't understand that a dog or cat is part of the family. And therefore as a member of the family they come first above a strange person. Species does not enter into the equation.

Sleepy fish and others who have asked for logical/objective reasons for saving the human, here are the ones I could think of:

• 1. Mill/Bentham's fundamental axiom: the 'right' thing to do is the one that ensures the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.

Family pet dying will only affect you and your immediate family. Person dying will affect their parents, children, aunts, uncles, grandchildren/parents, friends, co-workers, employers/ees, and more. These people's sadness may very likely have an adverse affect on their immediate and wider circle of acquaintances, and so on.

*2) Utilitarianism again: an average human will live longer than the average dog. Therefore the decision will have a positive outcome for longer. (although I don't want to open a new can of worms, surely most people agree that in a similar scenario they would save an unknown baby/child over an unknown adult)

*3) Possible future potential. A dog will never become prime minister/set up a charity/donate blood or organs/invent something that increase the quality of life for humans and/or animals/write a novel or create a work of art that influences millions/even become a doctor or firefighter that saves others in a similar hypothetical situation.

*4) Reason. Animals can of course feel pain, but they cannot rationalise/understand it in the same way humans can. If left in the fire, they would not feel the full spectrum of emotions (betrayal, terror, panic, loss, despair) that a child or adult would.

Would be interested in hearing any rebuttals/additions

"Really sharp lily? What about those dogs that mauled a young girl to death in her friends house? You'd happily save those??"

I don't know those dogs. My post pointed out that "I don't know a single dog I feel should be put down". I won't speak for the virtue of dogs I don't know any more than humans I don't know.

However as the owner of a dog of a supposedly 'potentially dangerous' breed, I'm well aware of the story referred to and know that the owner of those dogs was entirely responsible for what happened.

Fingers crossed it never happens!

Would you push a stranger to save a family member? Honestly, in the heat of the moment?

should probably add maid of stars and LeBFG made some of these points more succinctly upthread!

There are some MNers I would try and save after reading this thread, that's for sure.