How many times have you heard someone (or yourself) say something like:

“I love animals, but I can’t stand people.”

“I like every single dog and maybe three people.”

“I’ve never met a cat I didn’t like, but there are tons of people I detest.”

I’ve definitely said that I like dogs more than people on many occasions, usually in response to an animal abuse or welfare situation. And, truth be told, I’d much rather spend my time at home with my dogs and cats than out in a crowd of people.

But here is the reality, the hard truth of the matter: You cannot care about animals without caring about people, too.

We simply can’t have animal welfare without human welfare.

With assistance programs being gutted across the US on a near-daily basis, gas prices skyrocketing, grocery bills soaring, housing becoming unattainable, and so on… people are finding themselves in difficult situations.

Imagine the choices:

If you can’t afford to feed your kids, what are you going to do with your dog? If you don’t speak English well and your vet no longer provides a translator, or you can’t afford your car and can’t take your cat to the vet on the bus, or the spay-neuter assistance program you relied on got cut, or you get laid off and need to pay rent and your cat becomes sick, and on and on… put yourself in the shoes of someone facing these situations. (Read this post and the comments section to really get a sense of the realities here.)

How do we definite “welfare”?

Welfare, to me, means health, happiness, and well being. It means we are all well.

There are supposed to be safety nets in place to provide for the well being of people and pets. But those are disappearing rapidly, and–at least here in the US–the people who rely on them are being vilified.

By saying human welfare must come first, I am not suggesting animal welfare should be sidelined until all human problems are solved. What I am saying is that the failing social safety nets will fail people first… and that will trickle down to fail our animals.

There’s the age-old argument: Why should we care about animals when people are starving?

Can’t we care about both? We absolutely can, and we absolutely should. And, also, we can’t deny that the humans are the responsible party when it comes to animal welfare. We make the decisions and provide the care for our animals. So, again, people need to be cared for so that we can care for our animals.

Poverty is not a crime.

Experiencing hardship is not a moral failing.

If we gatekeep pet ownership only for those with perfect financial stability, how many millions of animals would be euthanized tomorrow for lack of a home?

Without human welfare, animal welfare suffers.

“You shouldn’t have a pet if you can’t afford to keep one.”

Okay, sure, but what if you lose your job or fall seriously ill or get into an accident or any number of other things that can befall a human living in late-stage capitalism.

The social systems that help people keep their pets are being gutted. So, how about, instead of vilifying people who fall on hard times, we champion elected officials who understand the importance of social services? How about we donate our time and money to clinics and shelters that make pet care accessible? How about we turn our attention to the human end of the leash with as much care, compassion, and empathy as the canine end?

Recently, someone on my local Nextdoor app posted that she was devastated to have to re-home her dog. She explained that she lost her home and her job back to back and found a new job and apartment in another town. She would be working long hours, taking the bus, and simply couldn’t afford to maintain her pet in the way he deserved. There were more than 80 comments blasting her for this.

“I would sleep in my car before I gave up my dog.”

They assume everyone has a car to sleep in, or that “sleeping in a car” is a stable, safe environment for a dog (or a person). And that there’s somewhere legal to park that car.

Again, imagine if we had as much empathy for this woman making a devastating choice as we do for her dog? We all want what is best for the dog. Sometimes, the most pro-dog thing a person can do is recognize they can no longer provide the safety that the dog deserves.

Sure, deteriorating social systems do not absolve us from personal responsibility. But, in a broken system, animals deserve to be cared for–even if that means re-homing your dog is the hardest but best option. We worry about the dog’s sadness without considering the cycles that led to the person becoming broken in the first place.

Focusing on the human side of the leash IS the best way to help the canine end.

On the flip side

If animal welfare can fail even when human welfare is secured, is human welfare truly the foundation, or is it just one of many variables?

Obviously there’s so much to take into account, and there are lots of people who are financially secure, healthy, and well-housed who still neglect their animals, just like there are people who are none of those things but still treat their animals like royalty. Obviously there’s nuance.

But, I guess my plea today is a call for compassion. For empathy.

We are all struggling in one way or another, even on a good day but most especially right now.

How can you extend some compassion or understanding to those around you? How can you help support animals in your community? And, maybe most importantly, how can you work to ensure that you vote for people who care about people?

What do you think? I’d love to know your thoughts on these big topics in the comments below.

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If you’re looking to deepen your bond with your dog, my book For the Love of Dog explores the science and heart behind how we connect with our best friends with stories about me and my dogs Emmett, Lucas, and Cooper.

Click here to grab your copy on Amazon or here for Bookshop.org.

It’s also available on audio if you prefer to read with your ears!