In the end, I think it would be lovely if we stopped this whole notion of pets altogether.

Whether or not we are religious, respecting others should be seen as just as important as looking out for ourselves, yet it requires discipline to change our bad habits that cause pain to animals.

All of us in society are supposed to believe that cruelty to animals is wrong and that it is a good thing to prevent needless suffering. So if that is true, how can meat be acceptable under any but the most extraordinary circumstances, such as perhaps roasting the bird who died flying into a window?

Would I rather the research lab that tests animals is reduced to a bunch of cinders? Yes.

Give your dog or cat respect, patience, understanding and love. And if you just change to one vegetarian day a week, that's a wonderful step that will save animal lives. It means you have chosen something kind instead of something cruel.

Perhaps measuring animal intelligence by comparing it to human intelligence isn't the best litmus test.

Even painless research is fascism, supremacism...