Preville on Politics
Dogs have no rights
Posted on July 5, 2007 by Philip Preville
Quick reaction to today’s news: owning a pet in the city is a privilege that comes with many responsibilities and no rights whatsoever. This is not the current reality, but I believe it ought to be, and while I try to be pragmatic in my approach to most things, on this one I take a hard line.
Pet ownership is a about domesticating an otherwise feral animal, which makes it a form of animal husbandry, which really has no place in a high-density metropolis. There was a time some 100 years ago when it wasn’t unusual for city dwellers to have chickens in the yard or to see cattle being herded through back alleys on their way to the slaughterhouse, but those days are gone. We make exceptions for dogs and cats because, as working animals, they are still useful in the city, most notably for keeping pests (mice, raccoons) at bay. But we (ostensibly) require owners to obtain a license in order to keep one.
We expect parents to raise their children to socialize properly, to instill in them proper behavioural habits: don’t hit or push or scream or bite or steal; et cetera. (And also, when it comes to animals: don’t pull fur or yank tails.) And when children misbehave, we expect parents to correct their child’s behaviour promptly. The same expectations apply to dog owners only more so: the animals should be properly trained and predictably obedient (especially in any situation involving children). I am still miffed over the fact that the city’s Web site includes a page explaining how children should behave with dogs, but no page on proper dog behaviour.
I love dogs, but I especially love dogs that heel to their masters’ voices in any situation. Obedience school ought to be mandatory for dogs in the city, and off-leash areas ought to be fenced.
Philip Preville
Veteran freelance writer Philip Preville lived much of his life in Montreal and Edmonton before he was lured, like so many Torontonians before him, by the promise of more work and a better living. A National Magazine Award winner and former Canadian Journalism Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Massey College, Preville writes Toronto Life’s politics column. He lives with his wife and one-year-old son in Riverdale, just close enough to the Don Valley Parkway that he can hear it when he steps outside his house—but just far enough away that it doesn’t keep him awake at night. On his office wall hangs a 1938–39 press pass belonging to his grandfather, Elias Gannon, who wrote for the Montreal Star.
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Comments
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Canineinsten July 5, 2007 at 4:41 p.m.
I am the smartest dog in the world, which is why I am capable of writing this blog post. I too wish there was a site online that could tell me how to behave. But alas there isn't. However, as you can imagine, I am a minority in the world. I don't think it is worth the city's time to invest in such an online service, as I think they would only have one dog reading it...me, and being so smart, I would really only have to read it once.
Philip Phelps July 5, 2007 at 4:56 p.m.
Am I to deduce that you aren't a dog lover Mr. Preville?
I don't any of them myself, but I still love them. Take canineinsten for example, who wouldn’t want to take him home, feed him, give him something to drink, and then discuss the political issues of our times into the early morning with him?? No me, that’s for damn sure.
I think the root of the problem is that most dogs need very firm and disciplined training to ever reach a level you deem acceptable. This is both time consuming and expensive for the owner. Now I know you could counter by saying people who aren't prepared to do that shouldn’t be allowed to have dogs, but we all know that’s a little radical.
The fact is I have never been bitten by a dog, and I only know of one person who has been. Most people train them a fair amount, but at the end of the day, dogs aren't particularly smart animals, and they will occasionally act like animals.
Kathrin Helm July 5, 2007 at 8:06 p.m.
Yeah Mr. Preville! I agree and I'm a dog owner. Every day I get frustrated with people who insist on letting their darlings run free where they should not; who let their dogs do their business near children's play areas; who don't pick up after their darlings; who walk animals that are less than friendly.
Having a dog in the city is a privilege that carries responsibilities. I appreciate this privilege and I think cities should enforce good behaviour by dog owners.
I'm also a grandmother and feel that kids come first, always!
SuzukiLover July 5, 2007 at 8:30 p.m.
How about a little multimedia to spice this blog up...and text and photos don't count. Liked the Cordon Report...do you have any good video about Toronto Politics? Is that really a talking and blogging smartass dog? If so, where do I get one.
Philip Preville July 5, 2007 at 10:14 p.m.
On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog.
SuzukiLover July 6, 2007 at 9:12 a.m.
Dogs still?
Quiet Observer July 6, 2007 at 10:01 a.m.
It seems as though dog etiquette cannot hold a candle to blimps...new subject perhaps...???
Chudd Dutton July 6, 2007 at 10:02 a.m.
You say in your blog, Mr Preville, that owners should be held as accountable as parents for the misdoings of their little ones. Is that to say dogs should be held to the same standards as children, which is really to ask, is it possible, or is it necessary for animals and humans to adhere to the same legal standards? And if you are willing to put them on the same legal plateau in terms of accountability for their actions, then ipso facto, they need to be given the same, or similar rights. Unfortunately, this was your original crusade: to deprive animals, even the intelligent and erudite like Caninestein, of their basic rights, while simultaneously forcing them to follow your draconian legal impositions. No, I just won't stand for this, Preville. I just won't.
Philip Phelps July 6, 2007 at 10:12 a.m.
Chudd...
Animal owners are accountable for their animal's actions ya genius. Animals have no rights, especially not that canineinstein character. You seem like one of them university educated types, you should know better. Dogs are meant to be disciplined, and if they just so happen to kill some stranger because they arent, then guess what happens. They get put down and their owner gets a jail sentence...
SO take your smug butt out of here...or i'll give you something to ipso facto!!
Buck Frankston July 6, 2007 at 10:18 a.m.
Dutton, everyone knows there is only one kind of animal that has the same kind of rights as humans...thats Orangutans. Happened a couple of years ago..."A stunning decision today left an orangutan to be tried like an adult male..." Washington Post, March 2003. (I think it was that monkey from the American Express commercial or something, got a taste for stealing credit cards and never went back from the lifestyle)
No dogs have those rights, everybody knows that, and they certainly aren't going to get them!
Chudd Dutton July 6, 2007 at 10:29 a.m.
orangutans and dogs are similar in that they are not self-aware. They have no concept of what is good or bad in any sense other than in a strictly survival mechanism. They certainly do not have the cognitive prowess to differentiate between such lofty abstractions as 'right' and 'wrong' or 'legal' and 'illegal' While I concede that orangutans are smarter than dogs (Caninestein excluded) They are both as 'unhuman' (not in a biological, I am familiar with great apes, I used to room with one) in the eyes of the law, and equally incapable of rendering judgment for themselves. If anything, the urangutan should have been deemed not guilty for not being able to understand the implications and ramifications of his actions, the sentence, and a toilet.
Caninestein July 6, 2007 at 10:31 a.m.
I appreciate the nod to my superior brain power, Chudd Butt.
Buck Frankston July 6, 2007 at 10:39 a.m.
Chudd,
You are ignoring the point. If a dog kills or seriously harms a human, the human is going to be responsible whether dogs are aware or not. Thats what Preville is preaching, train your animals, because unless they are orangutans, their misdeeds will land you into trouble. I agree, most animals have no idea what is right or wrong, hell, even the supposedly brilliant canineinstein can't even spell his own name, with training, animals get taught what to do and not to do. Thats the point! Preville demands discipline!
Caninestein July 6, 2007 at 10:44 a.m.
You try typing with a god damn paw! God, so high and mighty because you have an opposable thumb. You know, Einstein couldn't spell either, maing.
Buck Frankston July 6, 2007 at 11:13 a.m.
Its funny because you mispelt your name yet again. If you are as smart as your purport to be, shouldn't you have found a a way around the whole typing thing...like a paw keyboard.
Cutegirl078 July 6, 2007 at 11:18 a.m.
I have a maltese-poo-chuawaretreiver (she's a mut), and she is quite a handful. I believe that dog owners have a certain level of responsibility when it comes to their pets, and basic guidelines of ownership would keep pet owners in line! I truly believe that my Betsy's intelligence is far suprior to that of most dogs, and she is certainly capable of differentiating between right and wrong; however, I still feel responsible for her behavior. If she does something inappropriate, I must teach her that it is wrong. Just like when owners let their male dogs hump people and other dogs - they deserve to be scolded! You wouldn't let your toddler hump other people would you?
...and in response to Phil's earlier comment, I would take you home Caninestein!
Caninestein July 6, 2007 at 11:35 a.m.
The only way I would let you take me home is if I got a few hours alone with that little minx, Betsy. If she's as smart as you CuteGirl, than I will be in heaven. After all, I don't like to be intellectually challenged by my mates. And as for you Buck, I do in fact have an adapted interface. Instead of a wireless mouse, I have a eyeless cat that I scroll with, and instead of a keyboard, I have a motion sensor stick that I toss violently from side to side in my mouth to type with. I need to paw it to start it up, which is still my weak point because of my lack of thumbs. Any spelling error comes at the beginning of my text because I am still using my paws to get it going. My computer is also rigged with a water bowl, and a tail which periodically rotates around the top for me to chase on occasion. Also, instead of having that new computer smell, it has that new dog's bum smell...very refreshing.
Moving On July 9, 2007 at 10:39 a.m.
In need of a new discussion thread...
Big Ideas... July 9, 2007 at 11:07 a.m.
Phil, many online publications, such as USA Today, and The Telegraph online have made it possible for readers to co-create content for the newspaper in the form of personalized blogs. You set up an account, create a homepage and bam, you are free to argue and debate at your own will and not at the whim of the publication's journalists. Can you talk to the people at Toronto Life to see if we can do this? You will pleasantly surprised to find out how much people want to contribute when they are the ones generating some of the arguments. Of course, Toronto Life would still reserve the right, as they do on your blog, to remove anything inappropriate, or offensive. Just a thought.
Pseudo(nym) Serious July 9, 2007 at 12:13 p.m.
I agree that this topic as reached the point of exhaustion. In the future I would hope that characters like Caninestein refrain from their ridiculous antics in an effort to create some serious and meaningful discussion; I believe there are some kiddie blogs that might be more appropriate for you.
Cutegirl08 July 9, 2007 at 3:08 p.m.
I believe that Caninestein's contribution to the blog was meaningful. Despite the jocking tone of most of his posts, he is trying to liven up this lifeless discussion. Can we please change the topic!?
There is currently more action on my hair and makeup tips blog...
CSM101 September 2, 2007 at 12:37 a.m.
Phil, you are starting upon the right frame of mind, but you must follow it out to the logical conclusion. I admit this will be a tough step for many of us to attain, because dogs hold an ancient survival "bond" with our cave dwelling progenitors. At some level, many of us seem to instinctively remember some trace of this. However, we have now grown into a species that is destined for interstellar exploration. It is a grave error to lavish such great attention upon a carnivorous lower species which in general (some exceptions) serves no useful purpose in regard to our future racial agenda. To put it bluntly, our canine buddies are obsolete. Nevertheless, a significant portion of humanity still persists in granting dogs a major focus in their lives; even though children are maimed and killed by these creatures every year. I personally know a man whose "once" pretty eight year old daughter had most of her face ripped off to the bone by a neighbors dog, just because she knocked on the front door. Others are even less lucky. When are we going to permit ourselves to grow up and take the required action? Dogs, in general, should not be permitted to co-exist within human society. All too often, these so-called "pets" become the killers and mutilators of our own innocent children. Please, it is time to put things into a mature perspective. We must demand that our law makers implement regulations that forbid the existence of any non-police canine within town or city limits. Who knows, as a result, maybe your own child will be able to grow up without enduring fourteen plastic surgery operations to rebuild her face...