Question:
I am disturbed by some advice that newspaper columnists give about pets when they usually deal mainly with household tips and personal problems. They don't often cite any veterinary authority. Freedom of speech and opinion is fine, but when it comes to giving advice about animals, where do they get off condoning such things as having pet birds' wings clipped so they can't fly, and encouraging keeping wild animals as pets?.
Disturbed, Washington, DC May 01, 2005
Answer:
The advice given by popular columnists about companion animals is usually sound, common sense and often includes a quote from a veterinarian. But I find they sometimes miss a golden opportunity to fully address the issue and educate the reader. This is understandable -- they are not veterinarians, animal psychologists or care experts, after all. Hence the kind of shallow response about having caged birds' feathers regularly clipped "for their own good" (so they can't fly into fans or boiling water or open windows, etc.). Such a practice (and other mutilations, like de-clawing cats and docking dogs' tails and ears) need to be questioned on ethical and humane grounds rather than being promoted by popular columnists. The same goes for keeping wild animals and imported "exotics" as "pets" and indirectly endorsing such behavior by giving unqualified opinions on their care.
Subscribe