Around 10,000 years ago, humans first began domesticating plants and animals. Since then, humans and animals have coexisted to the extent of humans beginning to refer animals as their “best friends”. Originally, humans attempted to tame (domesticate) animals for their meat, milk, and skin. Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated, and soon humans began to domesticate much larger animals that were previously viewed as predators. In order to coexist with animals that were much larger and stronger than man, we had to form a partnership in which humans would not be prey for such beasts. Through domestication such partnerships were built and animals began to depend on us, humans to survive. Our longing for affection has made us build and
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In 2012, U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook polled that there was roughly 70 million dogs living in the United States as pets, and that 36.5% of U.S. households owned dogs. Dogs are seen everywhere, from the real world to 33% of all commercials. Not only are dogs present in many commercials, but a large percentage of commercials are targeted directly for our canine friends, offering healthy meals for them. Rebecca Armstrong of Forbes said, “Pets are serious business. A recent American Pet Products Association report revealed that spending on pets hit a record $53 billion in 2012--a three-fold increase since 1994.” People care about their pets as much as they care about themselves, wanting their pets to have the best possible life no matter the cost. Armstrong continues to say, “Americans’ deepening identification with their pets creates a big opportunity for brands. While today most of the money spent on pets is for food, veterinary care and boarding, trends suggest a willingness to indulge our pets in other ways. Today’s pets travel and exercise with us, have their own social-media accounts, require stimulating day care, eat organic food, doze on luxury fabrics and even quaff doggie …show more content…
We as humans, crave affection and our deep fear of loneliness has made having pets a great way to cope with all of this. Domestication has made various animals dependent on humans for their overall existence, which is perfect for us as we strive to keep a constant in our lives. Pets have now become family members, and we treat them as our equivalents, through naming them, spending quality time with them, and even hosting elaborate funerals at their passing. This partnership, though unlikely has had great psychological affects on us as humans causing stress levels to decrease significantly while also providing us with a great deal of happiness. In the future, even more animals that were previously feared will become our companions, and we will continue to develop strong relationships with all animals until the point where we will no longer feel
In 2012, U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook polled that there was roughly 70 million dogs living in the United States as pets, and that 36.5% of U.S. households owned dogs. Dogs are seen everywhere, from the real world to 33% of all commercials. Not only are dogs present in many commercials, but a large percentage of commercials are targeted directly for our canine friends, offering healthy meals for them. Rebecca Armstrong of Forbes said, “Pets are serious business. A recent American Pet Products Association report revealed that spending on pets hit a record $53 billion in 2012--a three-fold increase since 1994.” People care about their pets as much as they care about themselves, wanting their pets to have the best possible life no matter the cost. Armstrong continues to say, “Americans’ deepening identification with their pets creates a big opportunity for brands. While today most of the money spent on pets is for food, veterinary care and boarding, trends suggest a willingness to indulge our pets in other ways. Today’s pets travel and exercise with us, have their own social-media accounts, require stimulating day care, eat organic food, doze on luxury fabrics and even quaff doggie …show more content…
We as humans, crave affection and our deep fear of loneliness has made having pets a great way to cope with all of this. Domestication has made various animals dependent on humans for their overall existence, which is perfect for us as we strive to keep a constant in our lives. Pets have now become family members, and we treat them as our equivalents, through naming them, spending quality time with them, and even hosting elaborate funerals at their passing. This partnership, though unlikely has had great psychological affects on us as humans causing stress levels to decrease significantly while also providing us with a great deal of happiness. In the future, even more animals that were previously feared will become our companions, and we will continue to develop strong relationships with all animals until the point where we will no longer feel