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Welcome Home: An Animal Rights Perspective on Living with Dogs and Cats By Nathan J. Winograd and Jennifer L. Winograd

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Welcome Home: An Animal Rights Perspective on Living with Dogs and Cats
Available at Amazon
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1542725216
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1542725217

From Nathan and Jennifer Winograd:

Once again, another academic claims living with animals is unethical and calls for an end to the practice. The argument is always the same: they are wholly dependent on us, and we cannot give them what they need.

By contrast, my answer to the question as to whether it is ethical to live with animals is a resounding “Yes” when it comes to dogs and cats. Dogs and cats want to live with us, chose to live with us, and should live with us given all the benefits humans bestow upon them, our proven potential for ongoing improvement, and our remarkable capacity for love.

As I argue in Welcome Home, the book by my wife and me, unlike other relationships between humans and animals, our relationship with cats and dogs is built primarily on mutual affection, not exploitation. Indeed, the relationships are decidedly one-sided, with humans doing all the work and animals not expected to do anything other than grace us with the pleasure of their company.

Moreover, varying degrees of dependency exist in every relationship, including between people. When these relationships are based on love and built for mutual benefit, they aren’t necessarily wrong. Indeed, they are often necessary and beneficial. For example, when we leash dogs near busy streets or prevent them from eating a discarded piece of chocolate, our gifts of foresight and intellect protect them from dangers they may be incapable of perceiving and shielding themselves from. Such limits on autonomy protect and enhance their well-being.

We also don’t have a choice as to whether we want relationships with dogs and cats. The only option is the kind of relationship we have. Assuming we could end “domestication” (and we would want to), we could never end human-animal relationships. Those relationships would inevitably re-develop as animals continued to seek us out. How we respond to those overtures and opportunities is up to us. We can ignore our best, most compassionate instincts and keep our doors firmly closed — or we can obey those noble impulses and open them.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Nathan is the director of the No Kill Advocacy Center. He is a graduate of Stanford Law School, and a former criminal prosecutor as well as corporate attorney. He has written animal protection legislation at the state and national levels, has spoken nationally and internationally on animal issues and has created successful No Kill programs in both urban and rural communities. Under his leadership, Tompkins County, New York became a No Kill community, saving not only dogs, cats, and all "feral" cats, but every other species of shelter animals. Nathan the author of hundreds of articles, numerous OpEds, and eight books. Redemption, his first book, won five book awards and redefined the animal shelter industry nationwide. His documentary film based on the book was named Best Documentary at the San Pedro International Film Festival and aired on PBS. Learn more at nathanwinograd.com and allamericanvegan.com.

Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Arts from Dominican University, and is a graduate of Ecole Chocolat’s Professional Chocolatier Program. A vegan for more than three decades, she has worked with some of the largest animal rights organizations in the country. She is a founding Board Member of the No Kill Advocacy Center and its Director of Publications. In addition to The All American Vegan Candy Cookbook, Jennifer is the author of five other books: All American Vegan, Friendly Fire, Redemption Film Companion, Welcome Home, and Why PETA Kills.

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