A few years ago, there was a story on FR about two stray dogs that got stuck on an ice floe and then fell into the icy river.
By the time the rescue team got there. one was dead and they managed to rescue the other.
I replied that although it was a good training exercise, the far more humane thing to do would be to dispatch the animals from shore with a rifle.
Got flamed pretty hard for that one.
Pets are animals, they are not little humans. Their loyalty generally ends when the food bowl is empty. They have no souls and will not go to heaven when they die.
I do sympathize with people who have pets, but that sympathy ends when they ascribe human tendencies to them.
That said, working dogs, like real service dogs for the blind, sled dogs and search dogs are cool.
Slapping a service dog vest on your mongrel just so you don’t have to leave him in the car is insane. Last week I was in a restaurant wondering why my allergies were kicking up then some lady walks by with her “service” dog and I knew the reason.
Dogs are wolf variants that figured out getting fed was easier than hunting. That they could be domesticated meant help for the human and readily available food for the dog. No more than an even trade.
There have been many cases of pets trapped in houses with dead owners and the pets turning to snacking on the deceased when hungry.
The service pet program, imho, is the most abused program in the world. More abused than the disabled parking program.