There is an agenda being pushed by extremists in which the argument goes that pet ownership is essentially unethical and the agenda attempts to call into question humans having relationships with animals – aka pets.
I rolled by eyes – but unfortunately, it’s a genuine and extremely troubling attitude for which I wanted to sort through my thoughts.
From a Place of Love
I will say first and foremost that I definitely believe that the majority of those who are attempting to push this agenda are doing so from what they see as a place of love and compassion. They are trying to make the world a better place. I applaud that, and support that perspective (from a place of love) 1000%. That said, I feel that the proposal will do far more harm than good for many reasons. With this in mind, I will refute the suggestion from a similar place of love.
My last post was centered around the concept of Separation Consciousness and Unity Consciousness. This particular notion – that all animals are better off dead than with a human – is very much another example of this separation consciousness in action. I’ve learned that it’s relatively easy to tell the difference between these 2 consciousness approaches by taking a look at the relationships being discussed.
Emotional Benefits of Animals in Relationship with Humans
In this case, the idea is that it’s better to kill the dog or cat (or horse or whatever) than leave them in the care of any human. Let’s ignore the copious studies which highlight the emotional benefits of having the love and companionship of animals in our lives, not to mention the health benefits. Not surprisingly, studies also indicate those benefits are indeed two way. Ignoring my own personal “lived” experience in which having the responsibility of taking care of my pets literally saved my life by preventing suicide, there are plenty of other situations which are chronicled perfectly in which the responsibility for an animal’s welfare and well-being help our soldiers and many others who would otherwise be tempted to take those final steps. Unfortunately, those who argue that pets should all be dead also tend to be those who think that humanity should be dead too (for the good of the planet), so this argument would fall flat. In fact, it might even become yet another reason to remove animal companionship from the human experience.
There is a GREAT deal of literature on the benefits the human/animal bond. Spend 5 minutes on a search engine and you can find lots of great stuff. It’s not a one-way street by a long shot, and it’s genuinely beautiful.
Connecting Humanity with Nature and the Earth
To me, the bigger picture is that our relationship with animals is literally a manifestation of our relationship with the natural world, in some part. I’ve heard it said that it’s the animals in our life which keep us grounded and connected to the Earth; that they can be considered as emissaries from the Earth herself in which we have entered into a partnership. A gift, both physically as well as spiritually.
Is everyone worthy of that gift? No, but the majority are. Even better? That majority is growing!
So the animals in our lives – from our beloved house pets to the birds being fed in backyards – are all examples of connections to something other than ourselves. They are a reminder that we are not alone, that we are part of an interdependent web. It’s a reminder that we are PART of this world, not outside of it. In that respect, it is an example of an aspect of unity consciousness.
In the parlance of Ra’s Law of One, of which I am a huge fan, it is an aspect of the Positive Path aka the service-to-others path. The positive path serves the self by serving others, ensuring free will is respected above all else. I definitely believe that we can be of service without being self-sacrificing – because I know you can’t help anyone out of the quicksand by jumping in with them. You have to be standing in your strength, and then work to help others stand in their own strength – and now there are 2 people to help the next person out. The whole “a rising tide lifts all boats” concept.
Connection to the others is a HUGE part of the positive path. Why? Because at the core of it is the fundamental recognition that We are One – therefore, we are not alone, are never alone, and that by serving others we also serve ourselves. After all, there is only One. This can also be referred to as the Path of Love. On the other hand, by believing that we are alone, that we are separate, then fear rules instead of love. By reinforcing our connections with others – people and animals – then our consciousness grows. We literally become aware of more.
Animals make Humans better People
As our awareness grows and spreads to include more than just ourselves, ideally empathy (in its healthy form) will also spread. I once heard someone being extremely vocal about how horrible humans are because of a trending case of animal neglect – and while I was equally moved by the plight of the animal, I was less condemning of humanity. Why? Because it took 1 (or at most 5) person to ignore the animal, but 20 came together to get it help. That’s a huge preponderance on the side of serving Love and Connection! It gives me such hope to see this, and it’s a major growth opportunity for people.
Jordan Peterson talks about how important is it to have responsibility to things outside of ourselves. These responsibilities gives us PURPOSE and MEANING – which are core to our emotional health. I know that I feel that responsibility, I’m moved to do things I wouldn’t do ordinarily. I had a German Shepherd/Border Collie mix dog that I adopted from the shelter at the age of 9 months. This dog was terribly socialized to the point of attempting to attack smaller dogs as well as severe food aggression, and pretty no understanding of humans being anything other than food dispensers. I had my work cut out for me! What did I do? I stepped up to the plate and made so many decisions from the perspective of “how can I help ensure this dog’s well-being and safety, and ensure the safety of all we come across?” I got professional training help to show me how to be a better steward, and then we went EVERYWHERE. Within a year, this dog knew how to behave in public and was so confident in her ability to handle herself and her life that even when smaller dogs did attempt to bite her, she did a canine eye roll and walked away. I couldn’t have been more proud! She went from a neurotic mess, to calm and confident. It took time, effort, dedication, consistency, exercise, and love – but we did it. I took all of those lessons and applied them to the people around me. I’ve worked with people who are neurotic messes, and I can understand them a lot better now thanks to my dog.
Do you know what that was? The development of my own emotional intelligence, which allows me to manage myself more effectively in day to day life and also allows me to have more genuine empathy with those humans and animals around me which might be struggling with anxiety. And all because of a dog and our relationship, which I took very seriously.
See how that works? Lessons in one arena being moved to another, for the betterment of all. The animals that come into our lives do so, I firmly believe, for a reason. They are giving us endless opportunities to Do Better, Be Better. The wise human takes them up on it.
Humans Help Animals Evolve on a Soul Level
This is a fun one, and while my “evidence” is largely based on Ra’s Law of One, it’s an idea I’ve had for a long time. Ra states that when a self-aware being (3rd density) “invests” (pays attention to and works with) in a being that doesn’t yet really have self-awareness (2nd density), this helps the the process of individuation along for the 2nd density collective. In this case, our working with the animals in a one-on-one capacity becomes a spiritual service which aids all involved. It becomes a huge act of love.
Humans are where we are because of the animals in our lives
I’ve also thought that many of the animals that we have a spiritual contract with (ie those that have chosen to become domesticated, and yes, chosen), especially those that work with us most closely, are teachers of the highest order. Dogs especially, in my opinion, are angels trying to show us what true love and service looks like. But that aside, where would humanity be without our animal relationships?
Without cats, rats and their fleas ran rampant to spread disease. Without dogs, holy mackerel! They are our protectors, hunters, livestock guardians, eyes and legs, companions, early warning systems, and much more. Even from a purely working-relationship perspective, dogs have been there throughout the rise of human consciousness into civilized beings. They have literally served in every capacity imaginable, from babysitter to warrior, from health monitor to guardian. Where would humanity be without the dog?? Perhaps we would have made it eventually, but I think the dog made it workable. They have been a constant boon to our existence, and the level of appreciation I have for this noble creature is unbounded. And this doesn’t even touch the gifts of Cat, Horse, Cow, Goat, Pig, and Sheep!!
Removing our relationship with these wondrous animals would be debilitating to our souls, our potential growth, their souls and their potential, and would sever our living connection with living world. It would promote even more disconnection, separation, anxiety, and call a halt to expansion of those who are most closely aligned with us as we continue to grow and expand. There is nothing genuinely loving about the agenda which would attempt to call a halt to animal stewardship in all forms. Can we do better in our role as steward? Yes, absolutely. How do we do better? By deepening the connections, and taking our responsibility seriously.
The featured image came from Fun Paw Care – dog training and advocacy organization in Los Angeles, CA. It is not mine. If there any issues with it, please contact me and I will promptly remove it.
Path of the Individual 