Many of us understand that life in the Australian Outback or on the plains of Africa’s Serengeti will be very different from that in the United States or Europe. In keeping with this ideology, dogs also have different “lifestyles” all over the world, however, here are some interesting contrasts that might surprise you.
Listing dogs as members of the family is a defining trend for the US pet market right now. Retailers are scrambling to address this cultural phenomenon as it is unfolding in more and more segments of the pet industry. Dogs go on vacation with us. They embrace us in our beds. Is it any wonder that Fido now figures prominently in thousands of households across the United States? In stark contrast to this, the United States is somewhat unique in the fact that we kill 2.7 million dogs and cats in shelters each year. We love our pets, however, we never seem to acknowledge the fact that pets are a major responsibility and many pet owners, after only a few weeks, give up and let their dog or cat go only to be caught by an animal control officer later. Puppy mills, over-breeding, and a lack of sterilization are other causes that continually contribute to this alarming number of pets being euthanized annually.
Latin America is rapidly becoming like its neighbor to the north, with pet welfare booming in many ways equal to the US reaching thousands of households with “more people bringing dogs into their lives for companionship, rather than security.” This trend is mainly attributed to two facts; High middle-class incomes, the young demographic who are putting off marriage and family to a dog. Or as they refer to them there, “The Virgins”. “Chile currently has more pet dogs per person than any other country.”
Like the United States, Latin America has stark contrasts too, and there’s nutrition. For many Latinos, they are unlikely to have access to a supermarket-type pet store or even just a small storefront, so they have no choice but to feed their dogs table scraps. As any veterinarian will tell you, having table scraps as your pet’s only source of nutrition can lead to many health-related complications.
Heading east, the “Far East” from America we reach China. Here is a country where the ethical treatment of dogs does not have a very humane history. This mainly comes from the fact that China has no animal welfare laws, which leads to and explains much of the controversy that surrounds this country in regards to dogs. Fortunately, this unfortunate trend is changing every day. Foreign and domestic animal rights groups in China are pushing the message for the humane treatment of dogs with three-quarters of China’s population now indicating a desire to improve animal welfare protections.
India is by far one of the most interesting places for dogs. Here it is not so much about the owners of the dogs as about the dogs themselves. Most of the dogs of India are street dogs. Not just a few here and there but millions. They coexist with people in city centers across the country. As a result, 36% of the world’s rabies deaths occur in India. Fortunately, this number is greatly reduced due to the presence of the Humane Society International and a program called Capture, Neuter, Vaccinate & Return (CNVR).
The people of India have a great deal of tolerance and sympathy for street children. Communities, despite fears of rabies or being bitten, help these dogs daily by feeding and grooming them when possible. They may not be in a home, but they are taken care of as if they were in a home.
Our last stop on this world tour is Saudi Arabia. Here Islamic culture considers dogs to be “impure”. As a result, “Saudi citizens often feel uncomfortable and afraid of animals.” But attitudes are beginning to change with more affluent families keeping dogs at home, however, that must be properly categorized. Saudi Arabia has an interesting law regarding dog ownership. All dogs must be classified as working dogs, such as a guard dog or a hunting dog, otherwise they cannot be kept as pets. In contrast to India, the exact opposite exists. In Saudi Arabia, cats run freely in the streets and Saudis are mostly fond of them mostly because Prophet Muhammad loved cats.
It is clear that we all live in a very diverse and complex world. Some may say how grateful they are to live where they work while others may wish they were somewhere else. Cultural relativism, “The grass is always greener,” approaches to understanding our world may work for some but as a wise dog owner once said, “Treat every stressful situation like a dog. If you can’t eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away.”