Cages Aren’t Fit for Kids or Dogs

A Vancouver couple made international news when they did the unthinkable: locked their two autistic sons for months in a bedroom with bars on the window and door, turning it into a cage.  If you are disgusted by this (and who wouldn’t be?), consider this: If we force a dog to stay in a crate all day, we do essentially the same thing. To get people thinking about the cruelty of crating, PETA wants to erect this billboard in Vancouver:

 
Confining dogs to a crate for hours on end deprives them of the opportunity to engage in basic activities that are natural and enjoyable to them, such as stretching out, looking out a window, walking around, running, and playing. Dogs are highly social animals who desire companionship, praise, and exercise. Studies have shown that such confinement is detrimental to their physical and psychological well-being.

You wouldn’t put your child in a cage, so please don’t put your animal friend in one, either. If you have to be gone for an extended time, consider a dog walker, a pet sitter, a “doggie door” leading out into a secure fenced yard, or doggie daycare.  

Written by Michelle Sherrow