Do people in the U.S. seem to sometimes care more about animals than humans?

Question

I seriously think I have seen more "save the stray dogs" ads on tv than "save the poor orphan boy" ads. The only ads I can think off are those "send this much money to a poor child" ads. I'm not trying to downplay the importance of protecting animals, but I think that people should adopt kids instead of dogs if they have a choice (we all know there's people who have a dog or a cat in place of a child).

Answer 1

I understand the sentiment, but - take a step back - adopting a child is a much bigger undertaking than adopting a dog or a cat.  Would you really want adoptable kids advertised on TV?  I would be concerned about the sort of person who would be convinced to adopt a child by a TV ad.  

Answer 2

I personally don't give a d**n about humans, but I donate quite a lot to animal charities.

Answer 3

I've adopted dogs, mustangs & children, but fail to understand the "life begins at conception & ends at birth" crowd.  I find most of those that decry helping animals are likey to be psychopaths or creationists... sometimes it is hard to tell the difference.  I think sending money to a foreign orphanage is a cop out when we have so many children in this country in need of parents.  

I could "almost" agree to sterilization of those that breed indiscriminately, then abandon their responsibilities.  

As for dogs (wolves) & their association with humans for 100,000 plus years (DNA analysis):  I think this alliance is responsible for the survival of humanity & we owe them some degree of loyalty. While I occasionally shoot wild hogs & wild dogs that attack my cattle, I'm not a "kill for sport" person.  

Answer 4

some do but im not one of them......

Answer 5

So I'm an American and I love animals. And like you said there is nothing wrong with loving animals but let me try and explain it the way I see it. I think we live in a delusion where we think that kids are not homeless and that we live in a country without extreme poverty. My dream is to open a no kill animal shelter for all kinds of animals and to be an amazing foster parent.  

Answer 6

People in the US are not all the same person, and very few of us have ads running on TV.

One reason you see more "save the dogs" is that most people are already giving lots of money to save the humans. Thus, they need more prodding.

As for dogs, they are dependent on us -- their plight is entirely the fault of humans, and there's not a lot dogs can do about things for themselves (like petition the government, or start a business to bring in income).

Uh, adopting any living thing is a big deal and a big commitment. Adopting a dog is less of a commitment than adopting a human child. It's not something that should be done lightly.

Answer 7

The main reason why I think there are a lot of save the animals ads is cause well who else is going to speak up for the animals. An animal can't directly tell you its hurting, or in trouble but scientist are learning more by their actions and environmentalist know that there's probability of extinction, for example the polar bears are in trouble because the polar ice caps are melting because of global warming which is a man made destruction. The animals once had a natural habitat but we continue to destroy it...unless we do something to fix it and that's why there's a large number of ads (especially now during this global warming crisis.) to raise awareness.

Before global warming became a big issue and before celebrities started adopting foreign children trust me it was the complete opposite. There wasn't a day that went by when I was younger that i didn't see a commercial to save the orphan children.

Now as an adult I never really see them. But I still have plans to adopt a child from Asia in the future.

BTW adopting a child is ten times more serious then a dog. Its a lifetime commitment. I mean I really don't have to plan for the dog college fund. Or attend weddings or graduations. Pets eat, ****, sleep and play. And in most cases don't require expensive daycare (we're talking about the difference between paying $60 for a dog walker and a $160 for child daycare.) Also, unfortunately. Most die within 16 years.