As evidenced by hugely popular YouTube videos of a sneezing baby Panda and a human baby laughing hysterically every time a piece of paper is ripped, there are two main things that fascinate people: human behavior and animal behavior. We learn by watching others around us – not just our family, friends, and community anymore – but our global family, and the universal home movie favourites are babies and animals.
One YouTube video from Japan features a record-breaking13 dogs skipping rope, once again raising the debate about where to draw the line in using animals for our entertainment. The dogs seem well-cared for and happy enough, but is this activity really humane? It’s unknown if all 13 dogs belong to trainer Uchida Geinousha of ‘Super Wan Wan Circus’ based in Tsukuba City, Japan, in which case there could be concern about crowding and neglect. In North America, limiting the number of pets one person can own is loosely regulated, particularly in rural areas. Most enforcement actions are complaint-based, but be advised to check your local municipal by-laws.
The video has more than 80,000 views as of this month, with 348 likes outweighing the 3 dislikes. Comments range from: “Even the dogs in Japan are over achievers” and “Could cats do this? NO” to “they jump better than me!” and the eloquent “dogs are gona rule the world 1 day not us or apes dogs i tell you.” There was a comment by one viewer who said, “Though I wholly disagree with dying their (or any other animal’s) fur,” and one who said, “what’s wrong with the one who clicked dislike????”
While the dogs appear to be enjoying themselves, it’s true, the clown-like dye job on the poodles – day-glo pink or blue ears and tails – looks tragic. Animals and pets have been used for human sport and entertainment since the beginning of time, and today the prevailing trend is toward a more humane treatment. Generally, it is acceptable to use animals for human uses such as food, clothing, entertainment, and research as long as it is done in a humane way that minimizes unnecessary pain and suffering.
Unfortunately, there is huge disagreement over what defines “humane” and “unnecessary suffering” particularly when one regards animals harmed by the following: zoos, circuses, marine parks, live animal acts, rodeos, cockfighting, dogfighting, bullfighting, greyhound, sled-dog and horse-racing, and those injured in the making of movies, television programs and commercials.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 3 million members and supporters and focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most: factory farms, clothing trade, laboratories, and the entertainment industry. Based on this list, thirteen dogs skipping rope seems to fall pretty far down on the list of activities harmful to animals.
Do you think the dogs skipping rope are being mistreated in any way? Do you think dyeing an animal’s fur is acceptable? Would you rate the skipping dogs video as humane?