animals are not people

This is bound to tick some folks off, but it's my opinion. Maybe you can say something to change my mind, but I doubt it.

I think that the stickers that people put on their doors to tell firefighters how many pets are in their home are possibly the most selfish thing I've ever heard of.

Do I want a firefighter to risk his life to save a dog, a cat, a gerbil? Where does it end? What about my aquarium fish, don't they have the right to be rescued too, rather than be boiled alive?

How am I going to feel if a spouse and children lose a father or mother because that person was trying to rescue a shy black cat in a far corner of a dark basement and was killed?

We love our household pets, and we spend a lot of money to keep them well fed, happy and healthy, and spend time with them every day ... but there is no way I want a rescuer going into a burning building unless there is a human life in there to save.

I know there are people that say they treat their cherished pets like they were their own children. Perhaps they should be sending them to doggy day care instead of leaving them alone in the house, if they are that concerned. I'm just saying ...

I've got my flame retardant panties on, fire away. (Pun not intended.)