The controversy over South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s admission that she killed one of her dogs because it had become too dangerous has been one of the main political topics this weekend – especially on social media.
Some have argued that Noem’s actions were reprehensible. On the other side of the coin, people have argued that her decision was warranted. Still, others have pointed out that regardless of whether Noem’s actions were warranted, it was a political blunder.
Read: In Upcoming Book, Gov Kristi Noem Describes Shooting Her Own Dog - Will It Damage Her VP Chances?
'He Died Like A Dog': How Kristi Noem's Shooting a Puppy Story Strengthens Her VP Bid
But there is something about this debate that goes beyond politics and could reflect a change in how Americans perceive the value of humanity versus that of animals.
Out of pure curiosity, I posted a poll on X, asking whether other users would rescue their dog or a human stranger if a room caught on fire. The results so far are interesting, to say the least.
If there were a fire in a room and you could ONLY save one, which would you choose?
— Jeff Charles, An Awful Pundit🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) April 27, 2024
Your dog
A human stranger
I'm trying to see something. Let me know why you made your choice in the comments!
Nearly half of the more than 5,000 users who responded indicated that they would save their dog, allowing the person to perish.
In the responses, some of those who responded gave their reasons for choosing their dog over another human.
My dog. Rules aren't real, and I value my dog more.
— Wilfred Reilly (@wil_da_beast630) April 27, 2024
Sorry, rando.
I'm saving my dog, every "man" for themselves.
— PascoFLMomforKids (@RebeccaYuengli2) April 27, 2024
Dogs are wonderful beings. They don’t objectively do anything wrong that they aren’t trained to. Humans are inherently greedy and act on their own desires at the expense of others. A dog will always win me over rather than a person.
— The Carry Handle Ambassador (@Bane_Of_Rooftop) April 28, 2024
Of course, this is a social media poll, so it is far from scientific. However, an actual study produced similar results: A significant chunk of respondents indicated they would save a dog from a bus crash instead of a human stranger.
“A recent paper by Richard Topolski at George Regents University and colleagues, published in the journal Anthrozoos, demonstrates this human involvement with pets to a startling extent. Participants in the study were told a hypothetical scenario in which a bus is hurtling out of control, bearing down on a dog and a human. Which do you save? With responses from more than 500 people, the answer was that it depended: What kind of human and what kind of dog?
“Everyone would save a sibling, grandparent or close friend rather than a strange dog. But when people considered their own dog versus people less connected with them — a distant cousin or a hometown stranger — votes in favor of saving the dog came rolling in. And an astonishing 40% of respondents, including 46% of women, voted to save their dog over a foreign tourist.”
The question was deliberately framed in a way to make it tough for people to answer. In some of the responses, I could see folks wrestling with the choice. But it is worth noting that, in reality, it would depend on who the person is. Are we talking about a seven-year-old child or an old lady? In those cases, the choice might be easier to make. Still, the fact remains that many people value the lives of their animals over humans they don’t know.
The question is: What exactly does this say about American society?
At this moment in history, Americans love our dogs. They are, after all, man’s best friend, aren’t they?
However, it is disturbing to me that so many would choose an animal over a human stranger. The other person in this hypothetical scenario would be someone’s father, husband, mother, sister, child, etc.
Moreover, if one is a Christian, they believe that people are made in the image of God, while animals were put on Earth for us. We are supposed to worship our Creator, not His creation.
On the other side, dogs are increasingly considered to be part of the family in many American households. Indeed, when I was younger, my mom and I had a miniature Schnauzer named Mozart and a Yellow Labrador named Miko. I adored those animals and was heartbroken when they passed.
Still, if I had to save them or another human, I would not be able to live with myself if I let another person die to save either of my dogs.
What vexes me is how we got here in the first place. I do not believe that in years past, these results would have been the same. Even before the Noem discussion came up, I observed what I believe to be a loss of a sense of humanity in the political realm.
The divide has caused us to see people only as Democrats, Republicans, Black, White, LGBTQ, straight, and several other characteristics. Yet, it seems that, in some ways, we have ceased to see other people as humans first.
Perhaps I am reading too much into this. But from where I sit, there is something to the idea that some folks place dogs on the same level of value as humans. I fear that, in America, dogs have become the new golden calf.
