Rehoming Kids and Dogs
This morning I heard a report on the BBC World News about Americans using the Internet to “rehome” kids they’ve adopted (primarily from foreign locations) who didn’t work out for some reason. Then I looked up the original Reuters article. The article first focuses on the adoption of these kids by those seeking to exploit them—a subject I’ve never heard discussed regarding the on-line animal adoption process but I’m sure it occurs. But the plight of adopters who wind up with kids having serious attachment disorders and other behavioral problems thanks to a lack of quality maternal care and exposure to a chaotic environment when young is also considered. Because dogs coming from such sources increasingly show up in my veterinary behavioral/bond practice, as far as I can tell the only difference between the poorly-regulated rescue-transport-rehoming-adoption-rehoming sequence involving kids and the canine one (from which the investigative reporters said their human counterparts got their inspiration) is that euthanasia may replace rehoming or even confinement to an institution (“no-kill” shelters for kids perhaps?) as the end of the line. All in all it’s one of the most chilling examples of the dark side of the human-animal bond that I’ve encountered in a long time. It’s also a good example of zoobiquity at its worst. Makes me want to spend the whole day outside with my animals working in my gardens or walking in the woods.
