As lockdown puppy sales soar and the cats of Instagram are liked by millions, endangered species are vanishing from the planet. Can pets teach us how to care about all animals?
It was the carefree summer of 2019, and I was on a beach in San Francisco – surrounded by a thousand corgis. Sand is not the natural environment for dogs whose legs are only as long as ice lollies. But this was Corgi Con, possibly the world’s largest gathering of corgis. It was weird. It was glorious.
There were corgis in baby harnesses and corgis under parasols. There were corgis dressed as a shark, a lifeguard, a snowman, a piñata and Chewbacca from Star Wars (the latter two were overweight). There were stalls selling sunglasses and socks for dogs. I overheard two people considering whether to buy a corgi-emblazoned cushion, but decide against it on the basis that they already had one.
We have a perception that being owned is an inherently positive experience. I am not convinced it is
We regard eugenics as beyond the pale; why should we celebrate the canine and feline equivalents?
Perhaps we could match every pound we spend on pets with a pound given to conserve wild animals
Related: Love you to death: how we hurt the animals we cherish
Henry Mance’s How to Love Animals in a Human-Shaped World is published by Cape (£20). To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
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