Do vegans/vegetarians own animals?

Question

I ask this because peta is against it. Personally I am for animals being treated respectfully but i think peta takes it too far. I mean they are against insulin for diabetics but the vice president uses it. (she says its okay for her because her life is spent for helping animals but not for people who eat meat and just want to live) I mean I don't buy products that test on animals but insulins keeps my child alive. Since everyone here loves to generalize my child has a rare form of diabeties she got really sick and her body started to attack her pancreas. So are there any vegan diabetics out there and even thugh the insulins are now made from bacteria but still tested on animals would you rather die than take it. Are there any vegetarians that are against peta? ( I know of one he is the original founder of peta)

Answer 1

I don't agree with PETA , and i also think they go too far also. Vegans or vegetarians could do whatever tickles their fancy but i love pets ! :]

Answer 2

well you see everyone has different opinions on different things...thats what make us individuals...are you a vegan or a vegitarian??  if you are and your against peta then that answers your question... =)

Answer 3

i am a vegetarian AND i have juvenile diabetes.....and i am NOT a peta supporter.... =)

i would never support peta because i don't agree with their stance on animal testing.  i will get plenty of thumbs-down for this i'm sure, but i think that if animal testing is going to save possibly hundreds of thousands of lives or more, i can justify that.  if it's for makeup, cleaning supplies, etc.....that's inexcusable.

in addition.....you may want to consider the fact that there are many different motivations for going veg.  for example, an ethical vegetarian would probably have a problem with animal testing more than a person who is veg for environmental or health reasons.  just a thought.

as far as having pets goes, i'm pretty sure my dogs wouldn't leave even if i tried to force them to....they're spoiled rotten =P

i love them like crazy, and they return that sentiment.  as far as keeping pets goes, there is nothing wrong with it if you are caring for the animals in the same way you would want to be cared for.

Answer 4

Yes I "own" animals.  No, I am not a member of PETA.  No I do not take over the counter medications, but it is a health decision, rather than an ethical one.

"Since everyone here loves to generalize" - Wow, that's ironic.

Answer 5

I do have 2 kitties and I used to have 2 mice but cancer got them :(. I think it is good to have pets because you know that you will treat them much better than wherever you got them from, especially from a shelter, where my cats are from (they are from a no kill), and my mice were from a pet store but they were not in very good living conditions. I think the insulin is ok in your case. But about the over the counter and shots thing, I still do not know how I feel. I don't want to hurt animals, but I don't want to hurt myself.

Answer 6

I'm conflicted about PETA. They have made a lot of progress in many areas, and do manage to serve as a threat to companies who engage in cruel practices (even if the threat is mainly just 'pain in the @$$ tactics'). However, they engage in a lot of behaviors that I think are too extreme, and I believe they push most people further away from the cause, not toward it.

I am vegan, and I have a dog (black lab) and a hamster (teddy bear). They are both adopted. I have absolutely no qualms about having my pets... they are happy to have me and I am happy to have them.  Sadly, many people who get pets are not dedicated to them, and treat them unkindly...

As for the medication issue, it's something I have struggled with. I take prescription medications, as well as some OTC meds. If I stop taking my meds I may well end up very depressed and possibly pregnant! :-) Not a good combination. I realize the hypocrisy in my actions, but I do everything in my power to eliminate animal cruelty from my life (no household or personal care products tested on animals or containing animal ingredients). If I were to stop taking my prescription meds, I would be engaging in cruelty against myself, because my quality of life would sharply decrease, and I would likely have to drop out of school. What good to the world would I be then? So yes, I am a hypocrite, but I can accept that I'm doing everything I can to help animals aside from my meds.

EDIT- I'm not sure who the comment was aimed at, but I wanted to clarify that I didn't think you were being judgmental, and I am definitely supportive of questioning and curiosity when it comes to veg*nism... :)

Answer 7

Quite a few questions on different subjects here.

Do veg*ns own animals? hmmm - you're familiar with the saying 'dogs have owners, cats have staff'? Certainly my cat thinks he owns me.

I am totally against pet shops and 'puppy mills' - anyone who breeds animals to be 'pets'. But I think most veg*ns who have pets probably rescued them from a worse situation.

My cat wasn't actually ill-treated but he had spent the seven years of his life  living in a 14th floor, one bedroomed flat. He's now not just an outdoor cat, he's a country cat; my 'owning' him has been a positive thing.

As for drugs - I'm not diabetic, but I'm a vegan who owes her life to animal-tested drugs. I am completely against animal testing for frivolous, unnecessary products, but animal testing for medicines is a more complex and complicated subject.

I am not convinced that there are credible and  proven ways to test life-saving drugs without animal testing. None of the links usually provided by those against all animal testing has convinced me that there are.

Being vegan is not about being a martyr; sacrificing your health or your life is not required. Being vegan means doing all you can and the best you can to minimise your personal contribution to animal suffering and exploitation.

I wish there was no need for animal testing. But I'm not convinced there isn't, and I value human life way, way over animal life.

And no, I'm not a PETA supporter

Answer 8

Not all veg*ns are PeTA supporters, by a long shot.

Most of the veg*ns I know personally have companion animals, the large majority of which are rescues.  For me, I don't feel that sharing my life with an animal who has evolved alongside mankind is exploitation.  What my dog gets from me is every bit as valuable as what I get from him.  To h**l with the PeTA hardliners.

I do know a few veg*ns who don't take OTC medications, either because of the testing issues or because of gelatin and other additives.  I don't know ANY who take a stance against life-saving medications, though.  Veganism doesn't require anyone to martyr themselves to the cause. I either know personally or know of several veg*ns with life-threatening conditions (including an insulin-dependent diabetic) who suck it up and take the medications needed to stay healthy.

If the vice-president of PeTA really thinks she can hold others to a standard she doesn't observe herself, she's a flaming hypocrite.

Answer 9

I have several "animal companions", I don't own them, I care for them. All of them are rescues. I, honestly, don't care for PETA, they are too erratic. Yes they do get the job done, and yes they did a lot for animal rights, but I don't care for them. That is my personal opinion.

Answer 10

PETA is too extreme.  Keeping something locked in a cage, is wrong. But keeping a dog or cat, etc.. and giving lots of excercise and a healthy diet of raw meaty bones and organ meat, and plenty of love, IS NOT WRONG. They are companions.  The INSULIN thing, well if all that were diabetic would try a true healthy diet, nothing but raw fruits and veggies, and no bullshit, their bodies in a lot of cases would be able to function normally.  I know most will disagree, but it is true, with type 1 or 2.

anyway, if you want a pet have one. as long as you dont mistreat it by feeding it "dog food" and beating it.