My brother just adopted a 13-week-old kitten. I love cats; it is obvious I am officially an Uncle. Humanizing pets feels natural. They are living beings that deserve love and respect.
Domesticated animals are dependent on us, just like babies.
However, there’s a difference between caring for an animal and projecting human values onto them.
Projecting stereotypes and prejudice can end in a “mercy killing” because of the bias that nature is governed by the natural selection of the strongest animals.
There are lines drawn to define what makes you human vs. animal.
As much as we love them, they are considered lesser even though we depend on them for everyday essentials like food and clothing.
The humanization of disabled animals can lead to pity (that leads to euthanasia) or inspiration focused on the animals overcoming the hardships of living with a disability.
Euthanasia conflicts with most people’s stance on how to treat disabled people. It is worth noting that there have been movements to abort babies known in utero to have a disability.
In animals, this treatment may be lauded as saving these “poor” animals.
However, there is evidence that animals can recognize a disabled or elderly animal’s different needs and adjust their behavior accordingly.
“It is known, for example, that male silverback gorillas will slow down their troop so that elderly, ill, and disabled members can keep up. Other species, such as elephants and wolves, have been shown to do the same.” (Taylor, 16)
Taylor describes the word disability as “uniquely human.” I agree. The term depends on a comparison to human society.
The animal world is still being studied, but it’s almost guaranteed that animals have empathy and other emotions toward each other.
Human politics of disability and being humane conflict when animals are “better off dead.” That trope also appears in literature, such as Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
Categorizing animals as disabled links them to ableist people trying to be humane and “save”the animals.
Much of this is unconscious societal bias. Success stories of disabled animals’ reintegration into society are inspirational.
Especially when a human has rescued an animal from the dangerous wild where they wouldn’t have survived.
The 2011 film Dolphin Tale depicts the true story of Winter. She was a dolphin rescued from a crab trap by the Marine Life Institute. Sadly, Winter’s tail was severely injured and had to be amputated.
Eventually, Winter adapted, but the new swimming technique was damaging her spinal cord.
So, through the combined effort of prosthetists, an artificial tail was created. The film’s protagonist is 12-year-old Sawyer, who immediately bonds with Winter.
It is an emotional “true story” adapted with the usual Hollywood formula.“The story is tailor-made film with loads of kid appeal. Still, to make sure, the filmmakers have sweetened the deal with a great charismatic cast and a plot line that centers on a troubled boy, Sawyer (Nathan Gamble), who finds hope in his empathetic connection with the amazing mammal.“ (The LA Times)
“Winter became a media darling and to this day is the aquarium’s star attraction,
becoming an inspiring symbol to children, adults, and returning vets with disabilities.” (The LA Times)
Sources
Taylor, C. (2020). Animal crips. In S. Jenkins & K. S. Montford (Eds.), Disability and animality:rip perspective in critical animal studies (pp. 13-34). Academia. https://www.academia.edu/45026461/Disability_and_Animality_Crip_Perspectives_in_Critical_Animal_Studies?auto=citations&from=cover_page
Tulich, K. (2011, September 23). ‘Dolphin Tale’ a swimming success. LA Times. https://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/entertainment/tn-gnp-0925-filmreview-story.htm