Petlust Archive [exclusive] May 2026

This means embracing the unglamorous pillars of welfare: spaying and neutering to end the euthanasia crisis; adopting from shelters before seeking breeders; and accepting that loving a pet sometimes means not owning one. It means recognizing that a goldfish is not a decoration but a complex vertebrate, and a rabbit is not an "easy" first pet for a child.

Furthermore, the "humanization" of pets has a dark side. We project our own emotional needs onto animals, often to their detriment. A lonely person might buy a parrot for companionship, not realizing that a parrot is a wild, screaming, destructive creature that requires a flock and miles of flight space. The result is a plucked, neurotic bird or a surrendered one. We dress dogs in itchy sweaters for Instagram likes, ignoring their panting and attempts to escape. True welfare is not about treating a pet like a human; it is about respecting a pet as a non-human —with its own unique biology, instincts, and needs. petlust archive

Our relationship with pets is a mirror held up to our own ethics—and it is a surprisingly cracked reflection. This means embracing the unglamorous pillars of welfare: