“Master, which commandment in the law is the greatest? Jesus said to him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and thy whole soul and thy whole mind. This is the greatest of the commandments, and the first. And the second, its like, is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matthew 22:36-39)
There is something about the current enthusiasm for pet dogs that vaguely disturbs me. Certainly, we should love every creature, because every creature is a creation of God. Cruelty to animals is abominable, and indifference to animals is not a good thing.
When a dog helps ease the loneliness of someone who for whatever reason lacks human companionship, it is a blessed thing. When a dog becomes part of the family and teaches children the meaning of love and caring for others, it is a blessed thing. When a dog helps a vision-impaired person enjoy life more fully, it is blessed thing. When someone rescues a dog from abuse or neglect, it is a blessed thing.
However, I cannot help but wonder why seemingly everyone has one, two, three, or four dogs these days. Dogs eat gourmet food, wear designer clothes, ride shotgun, fly first class, get pushed around in strollers, receive expensive medical care, and are lavished with funeral rites that would make a pharaoh jealous.
Why is this?
Could it be that people are so fed up with humanity they prefer the companionship of animals? If this is so, it’s not really a healthy development, for mankind or dogs — if mankind dies from neglect, there will be nobody left to care for the dogs.
Could it be that people fear bringing children into the world and compensate for that void by making dogs their children? Same problem as before.
Could it be that people have dogs because “everybody’s doing it?” This vaguely disturbs me, too, because most cultural trends fall somewhere between goofy and dangerous.
To summarize:
- Dogs are great for families, but not as a replacement for families.
- Compassion for dogs is a great sentiment but not at the expense of compassion for people.
Reflection
Am I neglecting my love of God and neighbor by having too much concern for something else?
