To not think animal charities are not that important

[LardLizard]

Just making me think someone I know very well is often posting about making huge donations to a local animal shelter
Basically a dog rehoming centre
But i don’t think they actually regime many most of them just end up living in this dog shelter
Personally I’m not sure if it’s more humane to end their suffering for some dogs that won’t get a proper home
I mean wonder how many dogs there are out there that are homeless ? Day just in the uk alone

I don’t jus when ever I see these posts I just think oh that could have gone to a more worthwhile cause that actually helps children babies adults humans

And don’t get me wrong I do adore animals
I just prefer putting humans first

I think it’s come up a few times on here and also irl; the ‘I don’t like people very much, so I give all my money to dogs or cats’.

I used to do some work with wills and executries. I noticed the same comment coming up then too.

It’s interesting to me how we pick ‘our’ causes. You would think the instinctive thing would be to want to protect your own species first, but there’s definitely a good portion of people who have had enough of humanity and feel the opposite. There’s a faction within environmentalism which seems to feel the same; Gaia will be better off when humans have died out etc.

It’s interesting to me how people get there. I still feel there’s so much to be said for humanity and I have such admiration for what some people in this planet do, or have achieved, but obviously I can see how shit we can be too. At least everyone commenting here has their causes. Surely that’s a good indicator that we aren’t all bad!

Also, despite being an animal lover, I can see how vivacious they can be too. The natural world is incredible, but it’s brutal. Have you ever seen a dog hunt down a rabbit? It isn’t cuddly.

Vicious not vivacious! Ffs autocorrect.

I think the assumption that people who donate to animal causes only support animal causes is naive. Why can't people get outraged over both animal & human neglect/abuse?

TheDM the animal world is vicious, but in a very natural, 'circle of life' way. We as humans add a very narcissistic taint to the natural world in what we do. Thus making it unnaturally more vicious!

Animals (including humans) have evolved to hunt and kill other species. A human might kill a dog, a dog might kill a cat, a cat might kill a mouse, a mouse might kill an insect.

Humans also kill for power and greed (wars etc), and are also destroying the planet at a sickeningly fast rate.

I do think we should be able to donate to whatever charities we feel passionate about though, without being judged by others who deem our choices and beliefs as wrong because they are different to theirs

See, I tend to be more for animals.

Not that I wish any any ill will to humans, but we’re a pretty nasty species and most of our “injustices” tend to be our own doing.

People say get mad about the tragedies humans face, well an idea would be for us to stop creating tragedies. Yes, there always be natural disasters and disease, but unfortunately no changing that.

As mentioned upthread, the reason for animal charities is because of how humans treat animals.

But, everyone is free to donate to who they wish.

Your friend is free to donate to whichever charities she chooses, OP, just as you are free to choose, too. I wouldn't expect criticism of the charities I choose to recognise, so I don't think you should express your thoughts to your friend, if you were thinking of doing so.

It’s interesting to me how we pick ‘our’ causes. You would think the instinctive thing would be to want to protect your own species first, but there’s definitely a good portion of people who have had enough of humanity and feel the opposite.

Health charities tend to get support from people and families touched by the disease so usually get a lot of support.

Animals can't change their lives, be it neglect, dumped or living with an owner that won't pay vets costs. It's cruel to let them suffer given it's always as the result of human behaviour.

There are lots of human charities we don't support as don't agree with them but I feel we have a nice balance between the two given our feelings.

I agree with much of the above and, as I said up thread, I tend to support wildlife charities as well as humanitarian crisis type charities. But, I still don’t fully understand how some people on here and those I’ve met irl reach the conclusion that they don’t like people enough to want to donate to say, the refugee crisis, but they will donate to cats’ rescue.

Keeping animals as pets is another thing which humans came up with for their own, selfish reasons, so helping the animals who suffer as a result is our responsibility too, but how people can appreciate that, but then feel able to shrug off human suffering with a “don’t like humans anyway” is beyond me.

Does “humans are mainly arseholes” (up thread) for example, extend to child refugees? Just don’t get this sort of comment at all and wonder how people get there.