Article about dog-hating Times journalist Mr. Coren.
By Laure-Anne Viselé, July 2010
“Dogs are not necessary” – In the majority of cases, I wouldn’t disagree with that, but that does not decrease their value in my eyes, on the contrary.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am as guilty as the next dog owner, perhaps even more so: I often take my dog to the office, I let him roam off-leash where that’s not allowed, and I often put his well-being before my own family’s convenience. But my point is: I can easily see where Mr Anonymous is coming from.
By Laure-Anne Viselé, July 2010
Introduction
Dogcast Radio (UK) recently wrote The man who wants to ban all dogs. This blog post reacted to a Times article by Mr. Coren ‘Enough whining, ban all stinking dogs now‘ calling for a blanket ban on all dogs.
Mr. Coren’s perspective
There is no denying Mr. Coren’s sharp, if a little ill-informed, wit: “They’ve got to go. Dogs have just got to go. All dogs. Just to be safe. I’m not saying a spaniel represents a mortal danger to toddlers (indeed, if you shoot a toddler yourself then your spaniel will merely go over and point at it, and then your golden retriever will bring it back, and your dalmatian will bury it and then forget where it left it)“.
insert line here
In defense of Mr. Coren
An anonymous blogger wrote an incendiary comment back to Dogcast in defence of Mr. Coren, airing his frustration with the dog-owning community. The anonymous blogger got shot down on Twitter, and this is where I came in. I decided to give my two cents and write a comment of my own:
insert line here
I have to say: I do not think that this anonymous mailer is being entirely unreasonable.
insert line here
“Dogs are not necessary” – In the majority of cases, I wouldn’t disagree with that, but that does not decrease their value in my eyes, on the contrary. insert line here
“Dogs require owners to change their lifestyle” – Hear hear! The more people realize quite how much so, the less dogs will end up in shelters.
insert line here
“Awful creatures” – Although I do not agree, I can totally imagine that someone really dislikes dogs. This would make their lives more stressful (mounting aggravation at every canine encounter), but I would not label it dysfunctional.
insert line here
I can totally relate to the blogger’s sentiment that the ‘owners force them [the dogs] into our lives’. If I disliked dogs, I would be outraged by the cheek of most dog owners who seem to assume that everyone likes dogs, and allow the family pooch to invade the personal space, smell, and even lick complete strangers. This is not to mention the owners who do not tidy up after their dog.
insert line here
Now don’t get me wrong, I am as guilty as the next dog owner, perhaps even more so: I often take my dog to the office, I let him roam off-leash where that’s not allowed, and I often put his well-being before my own family’s convenience. But my point is: I can easily see where Mr Anonymous is coming from.insert line here
As dog owners, we can keep further animosity from ‘dog haters’ under control by making extra sure that our love for dogs does not cause inconvenience to our less furry-minded fellow citizens.
insert line here
So, although it continues to be a mind stretch for me, but I’ll keep trying to relate to those hapless souls who happen not to be complete dog nuts.
insert line
Any comments?
I would love to hear your opinion, particularly if you strongly relate to either Mr. Coren or Dogcast radio. Please leave a comment and join the discussion.
2 Trackbacks
[…] The man who hates dogs […]
[…] The man who hates dogs – Comments on journalist’s proposal to ban dogs […]