>> ONE CANADIAN JUDGE HAD SOME STRONG WORDS FOR A
DIVORCING COUPLE WHERE ONE PARTY WANTED TO SEEK FULL CUSTODY
OF THEIR THREE DOGS.
THIS IS AN INTERESTING CASE BECAUSE DOGS BY LAW ARE
SIMPLY PROPERTY.
THEY ARE PROPERTY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, THEY ARE
LISTED AS PROPERTY IN CANADA.
BUT THEY ARE DIFFERENT FROM A HOUSE, CAR, OR CLOTHING.
THERE IS AN EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT
TO IT.
THE JUDGE STARTED HIS 15
PAGE RULING IN A VERY NICE, UNDERSTANDING WAY.
BUT THEN HE CONTINUES.
>> BUT WAIT A MINUTE.
>>LET ME GIVE YOU MORE.
I AGREE WITH HIM, THAT IS THE LAW.
BUT THINGS ARE CHANGING.
DECADES AGO ANIMAL CRUELTY WAS NOT A THING, IT WAS A
MISDEMEANOR.
NOW IT IS A FELONY AND PEOPLE SPENT TIME IN PRISON IF
THEY ARE CONVICTED OF SEVERE ANIMAL CRUELTY.
I DO SEE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE BREAKING UP AND THEN
FIGHTING OVER WHO WAS GOING TO KEEP THE DOG.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH THERE IS SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN MY
APARTMENT COMPLEX WHO SHARES CUSTODY OF A DOG THAT HE
HAD WITH HIS EX-BOYFRIEND.
I DO FIND IT INTERESTING.
WHO KNOWS HOW LAWS WILL EVOLVE IN THE FUTURE TO TAKE CARE
OF THIS.
>> DOG LOVERS, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH YOU?
ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO COME UP WITH A WHOLE NEW SET OF
LAWS FOR PETS AND ANIMALS?
THE ANSWER MIGHT BE YES.
RIGHT NOW THE JUDGE IS RIGHT, THEY ARE JUST TREATED AS
PROPERTY.
CUT THEM IN HALF AND GIVE ONE TO EACH.
DON'T BE SOLOMON.
SHOULD THEY BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY?
I GUESS.
COME ON, THEY ARE NOT PROPERTY.
AT THE SAME TIME THEY ARE NOT HUMANS.
IT ANNOYS ME WHEN PEOPLE SAY THEY ARE JUST AS VALUABLE
AS A HUMAN.
NO, NOT REALLY.
AT THE SAME TIME THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AS A CHAIR.
IS ALSO SUPER OBVIOUS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ENORMOUS
EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO THEM.
EVEN IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THE ANIMAL OR THE DOG, YOU
SHOULD CARE ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT THE HUMAN HAS.
>>
I AGREE WITH YOU A DOG DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME VALUE AS A HUMAN.
IN A LOT OF CASES A DOG IS MORE VALUABLE THAN MOST HUMANS I HAVE
INTERACTED WITH.
I GET IT, HUMAN LIVES ARE IMPORTANT.
>>BEGRUDGINGLY.
>>THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS THERE ARE SO MANY INSANELY
CRUEL PEOPLE OUT THERE.
YOU SEE THE CRUELTY OF PEOPLE DAY IN, DAY OUT.
BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT DOGS YOU THINK ABOUT HOW
INNOCENT AND SWEET THEY ARE.
THAT IS THE REASON WHY IT SEEMS AS THOUGH A LOT OF PEOPLE
VALUE DOGS OVER HUMANS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT IS RIGHT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE
PERSPECTIVE.
DO I VALUE MY DOG OVER CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT WE WERE
CONFRONTED WITH AT THE RNC?
ABSOLUTELY.
IF I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO WHAT I CHOOSE?
ABSOLUTELY.
AT THE SAME TIME THERE NEEDS TO BE EVOLUTION OF LAWS TO
HELP PEOPLE HANDLE PETS WHEN THEY BREAK UP.
IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROPERTY.
>> I'M NOT GOING TO BUY INTO THIS LIKE SOME DOGS ARE
BETTER THAN HUMANS.
I PLAY THAT ON PURPOSE BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK ANIMALS CAN'T
HAVE BAD INTENT, AND HUMANS HAVE BAD INTENT SO IT IS EASY
FOR ME TO LOVE THE DOG.
BUT REMEMBER IT IS EASY FOR US TO SAY THAT ABOUT DICK
CHENEY OR SOMEONE ELSE-
>>I'M NOT MAKING AN ARGUMENT ABOUT THE DEATH PENALTY.
I'M NOT SAYING LIKE WE SHOULD ALLOW ONE TO DIE AND WANT
TO LIVE.
THIS IS ABOUT HUMANS AND THEIR VALUE SYSTEMS AND WHAT THEY
VALUE AND PRIORITIZE IN THEIR LIVES.
YES, IN SOME CASES SOME HUMANS PRIORITIZE THEIR PETS MORE
THAN CERTAIN HUMAN BEINGS.
>> WE JUST HAVE TO GET REALISTIC.
I THINK OVERALL WE AGREE.
THE JUDGE'S HANDS ARE BOUND, BUT MAYBE IT'S ANNOYING BUT
LEGISLATORS HAVE TO GET BUSY COMING UP WITH LAWS THAT
FIT OUR REALITY.
IN THE OLD DAYS HUMANS DIDN'T CARE ABOUT ANIMALS AS MUCH
SO THERE WOULD BE STRAY DOGS AND CATS ETC.
WE STILL EAT THE
HELL OUT OF ANIMALS.
>>AND HIGHLY INTELLIGENT ANIMALS, PIGS.
>> IT IS NOT EASY, BUT THEY ARE SANCTIONED CREATURES.
THEY ARE CLEARLY NOT THE SAME AS NON-LIFEFORMS.
SO WE HAVE TO CREATE A NEW CATEGORY FOR ANIMALS.
I THINK VEGANS MAKE UNFORTUNATELY GOOD CASES.
I AM NOWHERE NEAR A VEGAN AND I EAT A LOT OF ANIMALS.
THE OTHER DAY I HAD BRAZILIAN, LIKE EIGHT DIFFERENT KINDS
OF MEETS.
SO GOOD.
NOW SOME LIBERALS ARE GETTING SUPER MAD AT ME AND SAYING
THAT I AM AN ANIMAL HATER.
I DON'T THINK ANIMALS ARE THE SAME AS HUMANS, I AM A HUMANIST.
GUILTY AS CHARGED.
BUT THE OTHER EXTREME IS JUST AS WRONG.