Modern society is beginning to re-examine its whole relationship with animals and the natural world. Until recently issues such as animal welfare and environmental protection were considered the domain of small, idealistic minorities. Now, these issues attract vast numbers of articulate supporters w[...]
What purpose, if any, do pets really serve? Are they simply an outlet for misplaced love? Or four-legged friends who help us to satisfy vital emotional needs? Whatever they are, when we elevate pets to the status of social companions, we undermine the distinction between human and non-human. In othe[...]
By any standards, dogs are extraordinary animals. They have been part of human society for longer than any other domestic species. They exist in a greater variety of different shapes and sizes, and they occupy a wider ecological niche, from pampered pets and faithful servants to feral scavengers. Ev[...]