Well, this discussion was long pending...But as the wise have said — better late than never...
Last year, a judge in Canada ruled that fur buddies are not children but mere properties. However, winds seem to have changed since then, and pets are finally being acknowledged by some institutions as a ‘family member’, or at least they are beginning to think in that direction. Earlier this month, a female employee of Sapienza University in Rome was granted two days of paid leave to take care of her 12-year-old dog which needed immediate veterinary intervention. Initially, the university counted her two days of absence as unpaid leave, but a local court directed the institution to consider it under an allowance for absences related to “serious or family personal reasons”. Needless to say, pet advocates across the world are gung-ho about the decision, but to us what matters is your stand on it. Speak out...
Your Say On It
Morally, they’ve been always considered as a part of family. Giving them a legal identity will protect them from exploitation and abuse.
Madhav Chadha, class XI, Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh
A law may emphasise the responsibility of a household towards their pets.
Dishaneesha Mukherjee, class XII, St Stephen’s School, Dum Dum, Kolkata
Legalising some pets over others will prove to be very complicated as there is no clear legal distinction of what a pet is. Somebody could think of a certain animal as a pet and another could think of them as food. The more sensible thing to do would be to grant a special status to pets, not necessarily making them a family member.
Ojaswi Sharma, class XII, Bhavan Vidyalaya, Panchkula
Pets should be legally considered a part of our family as they are no less than a loving family member.
Megha Joshy Mathew, class XII, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram
With them, we forge a ‘family’ bond so if they are legally given a family status, it would be wonderful.
Trisha Prasad, class X, Kensri School, Bengaluru
I am just as attached to my pet as I am to any other family member, so my pet is already my family.
Parshvi Vora, class IX, Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir, Mumbai
The idea sounds good because they are living beings, not objects.
S Siddharth Jain, class XII, SJT Surana Jain Vidyalaya, Chennai
They worry about us and we care about them just as family. A legal stamp on this relationship should be welcomed.
Devishi Kapoor, class XI, La Martiniere Girls College, Lucknow
(With centre inputs)
Pets are living, breathing, thinking, feeling individuals and so, ethically, absolutely have to be considered family members if we bring them into our homes. The Animal Welfare Board of India which operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change says in its circular: ‘Pet owners rightly consider their pets as a family member. A pet is akin to a perennial toddler and therefore deserves attention throughout its life as that reserved for a human toddler during infancy’.
Ayushi Sharma, Campaigns Assistant, PETA INDIA
What, What?
Pets can watch TV. Yes!
- A 2015 study by Azabu University in Japan found that some sort of hormonal bond exists between pet parents and their dogs.
- A research by Emory University in Georgia suggested that the area of the brain where emotions are processed is the same for dogs and humans. Also, they process emotions in the same fashion as the humans.
