I have read Dr Danten's articles with great interest and with an indescribable sense of "deja vu".

Words such as "Society not made for animals", "Consumerism", "Pet Industry Promotion", "Slavery", "Honoring us when they are truly free", sprung at me because they have been my sentiments since long.

This comes from a guy who houses three dogs and two cats! But then again I agree with Dr.Danten... it is self serving, makes me feel good, and gives me some sort of accomplishment. Despite all my efforts, whether the animals feel the same way, I don't know... I doubt it though.

Same as Dr. Danten... these are my last bunch. From hereon I will take myself out of this equation... eventually go back to where I came from and enjoy, respect, and honor animals the way I did before.

Before I came to Canada I always lived with animals, in a way they were intended to exist, and never had any pets. I lived with dogs who herded sheep, lived and slept with the sheep, had unconditional freedom and served us based on their instincts... lived short but happy lives. The relationship was amicable but we had our separate lives, which once in a while crossed based on the animals' desires not ours. Same with cats...they hunted, they chased... and were chased, jumped on our laps and took a nap... all within their own control and desire. Horses roamed free, and were rarely ridden... sheep grazed freely, under the watchful eyes of dogs who for 10-12 hours a day made it their business to control and protect them. The only time in my life when I truly saw and believed to be living with happy animals, were those times.I don't remember ever encountering behavioral or medical problems, that were out of the ordinary.

Dr. Danten pointed out everything that there is to be said about the situation that North American society is going through right now in terms of dealings with domestic animals... I have nothing to add to that, it cannot be bettered. What I truly believe though is that the pendulum has swung to one end of the spectrum and eventually will swing back. There is no stronger force than nature, and to it, time is of no essence. In time - which may be long for us but insignificant for nature - things will even out again, and nature will take care of things, to bring it back to the way it was intended to be.

Same as with other large forces we think we can control and better, this issue of pets and us, will come to a head one day, and despite our false hopes and naive, good-willed intentions, things will go they way nature wants it to, whether we like it or not.

Until then, unfortunately, human nature being what it is, consumerism, dominance and destruction will rule... and apart from having no part in it, there is again not much we can do. We have to let nature take its course. It is the only thing that will definitely prevail.