If you were to ask my wife if I was a sensitive guy her answer would be a resounding no. In fact aside from a few (several) bad habits I would have to say my lack of sensitivity is one of my character traits that could use some fine tuning. With all of that being said there are a few things that scavenge up some raw emotions. For one, believe it or not I’m a total sap when it comes to chick flicks. Who would have guessed it? Secondly and quite frankly the reason I’m writing this article is my absolute love and affection for animals. Sure I prefer dogs to cats but I have always had special kind of love for animals.

After looking back at a rivalry I started several months ago I decided to raise the same question again, only this time on the JealousBrother blog. As I was working one day in a small town in East Tennessee I noticed a stray dog ravaging the Food Lion (grocery store) parking lot for food. The idea for the rivalry that follows was instantly spurred from my very brief interaction with this poor dog. Every time I see a stray I tend to ask myself multiple questions. Where’s this pets owners? Did they abandon him/her? Should I call the shelter? Will this poor animal end up dead on the side of a road? You get the point.
Who do you have more compassion for, Homeless People or Homeless Animals?

I’ve bumped into a couple of different conversations with people on this very topic and the discussions usually hit altering points of view. The topic I’m referring to is whether you have more compassion/sympathy for a homeless pet or a homeless person. Before you start calling me names and telling me how bad of a person I am I would appreciate at least a minute to explain my point of view.



First and foremost I’m forced to realize that each and every stray animal (excluding those born wild) had an owner at some point and time. Anyone who decides to take the responsibility of pet ownership knows there are a lot of requirements to take adequate care of an animal. There are several scenarios that play through my mind as I imagine how each pet became a stray but the replicating result is pure negligence of a human to put the animal in the situation of being homeless. Whether the animal was dropped off on the side of the road, escaped a back yard by digging under a fence, or was allowed to aimlessly roam the neighborhood with no contained perimeter, it all leads back to negligent owners.

Now that we’ve established a pet becomes homeless due to irresponsible owners we now need to realize animals rely on their masters/owners for nearly every aspect of their well being, including food, shelter, hygiene, etc… Here’s the reality, sure a dog can survive for a period of time on natural instincts but not for long, especially when you’re considering a domesticated animal. So I raise this question. Can an animal get a job to provide shelter and food for itself?

Here’s where a number of you probably won’t like me very much, this is where my lack of sympathy and compassion comes into play. When a person becomes homeless it’s usually due to a choice or decision they made in life. Sure some people make choices that seem responsible at the time but later end up realizing it may have been the wrong decision to make. However, each and every human being has the ability to pick themselves up and start over. For me survival is a must and living a life on the streets isn’t an option. If something horrible happened I could end up on the streets but not for a minute longer than needed. I would get a job at all costs, even if it meant flipping burgers at a fast food joint. I would survive, even if that meant renting a studio apartment or a garage at someone’s house.

Bad things happen to good people but we all can make the choice to keep going, to pick up whatever pieces are intact and begin rebuilding things. Can stray animals say the same thing? No. When people ask me why I choose to donate to charities/organizations that support animals I confidently reply, “I have compassion for them. They can’t choose their owners and certainly can’t fend for themselves.” It’s not my goal to say giving to charities that support homeless shelters is a bad idea; it’s a great thing to do. It’s homeless shelters and other related programs that give some individuals the helping hand they need to get back on their feet and it’s the homeless people who strive to reverse their course in life that I do have compassion for. So whether you contribute to animals or people just follow your heart and do what feels right to you. I welcome your thoughts here on the blog or feel free to express yourself within the rivalry.

As always with JealousBrother.com we welcome differing opinions, views, thoughts, ideas, ideologies, etc… So if you’d like to offer a rebuttal you can leave a comment, request an opportunity to compose a guest post (See our “Guest Authors” page for more details), or start a rivalry on our main site. Remember this is the JealousBrother Blog, JealousBrother.com is a social network that thrives on disagreement.

Vote Now: Express Your Opinion!

Who do you have more compassion for, Homeless People or Homeless Animals?

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Anything Can Make a Difference:

Humane Society Donation Page

National Coalition for the Homeless Donation Page