Final Essay

Name: Cylder Lim (49512061)
Instructor Yi-Ming Shi
English Composition II 2020
Date: 13th May 2008 (Argumentative Essay)
(Final) Does keeping a pet reflect the kindness of pet owners?

The Humanity of Pet Owners

Nowadays, keeping a pet has become a social trend in every household. A recent survey in America shows that more than half of the pet owners want a family pet instead of another person with them if deserted on an island. However, does keeping a pet reflect the kindness of pet owners? Are pet owners taking the full responsibility while taking care of their pets? In my opinion, keeping a pet doesn’t reflect the kindness of pet owners. To illustrate, the unfolding news from BBC news has revealed the cruelty and neglect of pet owners and what has happened on the pets.

Generally, pets’ obesity is an issue needed all pet owners’ attention because obesity would eventually lead to health problems. An example from BBC news is terrifying that a podgy dog couldn’t move after a full English breakfast and needed to be carried to hospital thereafter. The owner was then “banned from keeping pets for life”, given the accusation of neglecting his pet’s health. Pets’ life are as fragile as human’s. They can be sick for reasons like human do. Therefore, pet owners should be aware of the danger of pet obesity. Seriously, pet obesity can cause arthritis, high blood pressure, poor liver function and diabetes, just as human obesity. For instance, some of my friends who are pet owners do not really concern about their pets’ weight. They feed whenever their pets ask for more beyond feeding hours. As a consequence, some of the pet dogs are plumper than the ideal weight. According to Dr. Brinson, the most frequent cause of obesity in pets is owner indulgence of treats or oversized portions of pet food. Owners do not realize that they are killing pets with kindness.

The BBC news headline “Pet owner jailed for pet cruelty” implies the inhuman act of the convicted pet owner. Mr. Jones was found guilty under the sentence of letting his pet dog starve to dead for three weeks. The visage of the dead dog is horrible, and the veterinarian diagnosed that it had been suffered through an agonizing period before it died. The captured walls’ pictures have left some scratched marks, indicating the dog deprived of food and drinks was once struggling for escape. This is not a news concentrates just on conscience, but also on morality. Mr. Jones pleaded for guilty and he confessed that he was scared to be charged the moment he locked his dog accidentally. However, he was still considered irresponsible for not rescuing his dog. As is known to all, dog abusing is not a one-day issue. Today, we can even observe that some websites established on the internet for the purpose of animal protection. Hence, pet keeping discusses mainly on a pet owner’s cruelty instead of kindness.

Nonetheless, the global survey also defines that there are still a big amount of pet owners willing to spend their time and effort on their pets. For example, pet owners tend to bring their pets for shampooing, brushing, and glooming. They will patronize the pet shop to buy some new products, such as more comfortable baskets, cages and leads, as well as toys for convenience and entertainment. Moreover, some pet owners will put their pets at pet shop while away for vacation or some errands. According to Euromonitor research, the increased expenditure spent on pets has simultaneously shown how much care the pet owners give out. In my submission, despite the merchandise in pet market has risen and more pet owners are willing to spend money on their pets, it doesn’t fully represent the kindness of a pet owner. Some people keep pets in order to prove their wealth; thus, spending money on their pets is necessary to prove their financial ability. Furthermore, keeping a pet is just a personal entertainment. As a consequence, no matter how much it costs a pet owner to keep a pet, it is not equal to a pet owner’s kindness.

A household pet is called a loyal companion for pet owners; but when a pet owner neglects his pet for health and care, he or she is not loyal to his companion on the contrary. Likewise, taking care of a pet needs time and effort, so make sure you are not the one who is lazy to feed and take care of your pet.