Many of us like to keep pets. Why do we like them? Perhaps because they depend on us, or because they give us love. But what do we do for them? Watching tropical fish or stroking a cat are pleasant things to do and they can help to relax us if we are tired. But is it all right to keep animals as pets? Yes, if we take care of them well. But some pet owners do not. In cities many dogs are given too much food and not enough exercise.
The pet dog is often called“man's best friend”. In old days dogs and humans took care of each other's lives. They protected people against enemies, like animals and other humans. They also hunted down food for their owners. Now we have shops, so we don't need dogs in the same way.
How kind are you to your pets? When you keep a pet, it needs a lot of care and attention. Hamsters are easier to keep than most pets. But they need enough space. Many pets feel pain in very small cages or because of bad care. Pets are not toys to be given as presents. They need regular feeding and care for many years.
Thousands of dogs and cats are abandoned each year because they are not wanted as pets any longer. Then they have to be destroyed by the police or animal welfare organizations.
Sometimes a pet has to be left with other people. The person taking care of your pet must always take care of it well.
Getting close to wild animals in a zoo is fun. We can learn a lot from animals. Small animals, like rabbits, can have all the space they need and are easy to keep. However, large animals, like elephants, become bored in a small space. Some of them need friends and a lot of space, but they sometimes cannot get them in a zoo.
Many wild animals have already died out because of human activity and many more are in danger. To keep living, they need to be alone in wild places. We need to try to balance our needs with wild animals' need. Zoos can help to save animals in danger. Good zoos can teach people how animals live in their natural homes, and how important it is to preserve the places they live in. This can help animals to live in the wild. Zoos can also help animals which have nearly died out. They can raise animals in zoos and then put them back in the wild.
Some wild animals, like elephants, need special protection because they are killed for their tusks. These are used as ornaments. All over the world wild birds and animals are in trouble because the places they live in are used by humans and they have no place to live in. Also we pollute the rivers and the seas. This damages and kills fish and the sea mammals that eat them.
Some people like to wear animal fur because they think it looks beautiful. In old days people wore animal fur because it was the only material they could get to keep warm. Today warm clothes made from plants or man-made materials, like polyester or nylon. But animals are still killed to make fur coats. Foxes, beavers, minks and wild cats are caught and shot.
People have eaten meat for thousands of years. Until recently animals were raised on small farms. Their owners knew that if they took care of them better, the food would be better. Today most meat is ”factory farmed” -- the largest number of animals are raised in the smallest possible space. This means everyone in cities can eat cheap meat, milk and eggs. Not everyone agrees that we should eat meat, though.
Animals are used by scientists to examine how bodies work and sometimes to make new medicines. If scientists don't test new medicines on animals, people may lose their lives or health. Some people say we shouldn't use animals to do things we don't want to do. But do animals feel the same way as we do? Animals can feel pain, but many people think they cannot feel so much pain as we do.
People have used animals for fun for thousands of years. They have stopped some cruel sports, like dog fighting. But animals are still hunted for fun. People pay money to shoot lions in Africa. Sometimes the numbers of one animal in an area become too large for its own survival and that of other animals. So hunters say that they are not damaging animals by killing some. Many people think this is cruel.
Our relationship with animals is changing. We need them less for protection and food gathering. But we want them more for other reasons, like giving enough meat to many city people, trying out medicines and making lonely people happy. People damage animals when they put human needs before animal needs. Animals, plants and humans all live in the same world and depend on each other. So we must respect animals' needs like our own needs.