The Role of Animals in Our Lives - Research Proposal Example

The Roles Animal Play in our Lives Roll No: Teacher: 3rd December 2008 Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 The Roles Animal Play in our Lives 3 Introduction 3 Animal and Human Bondage 3 Animals as Pets 5 Animals’ Employment in Crime Detection and Solution 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 The Roles Animal Play in our Lives Introduction Animals play a crucial role in our lives and their part cannot be negated in terms of their affectability. They are our companions, our pets, our supporters in hard circumstances and our helpers to control, detect and solve any criminal activities. There has been a lot of supportive research done on the companionship of animals to the people and the writers suggest towards the effectiveness and close association of this companionship towards a good life. Animals provide us with food and milk on one hand and connect themselves with us in a friendly relationship. Animals as pets are our companions and friends, in terms of forensics, they are employed for searching crime and criminal or law breaking activities and in terms of their presence in the forests in our environment, they add beauty in our lives and our environment. Overall, it can be said that animals and human beings are attached to each other in a bondage that is beneficial for both of the members. In this paper, there is discussion of animal and human bondage to a detailed extent; afterwards the role of animals as pet animals is accessed and lastly, the role of animals in crime detection and solution is accessed. At the end, the topic is concluded. This paper analyzes the role of animals in our lives in a manner that is comprehensible and understandable. Animal and Human Bondage Woodward and Bauer (2007) inform in their article, “People and Their Pets: A Relational Perspective on Interpersonal Complementarity and Attachment in Companion Animal Owners” that “the roots of the human-animal bond date to very early history and likely have their origins in food acquisition” (172). Humans are attached to animals in a bondage that is very close and long lasting. From the advent of humanity on earth, there has been linkage between human beings and animals (Woodward and Bauer, 2007). Animals are not only kept as pets but they are employed for a lot of purposes. They feed us by their meat and milk. They live with us as our partners and friends. They try to solve our problems of loneliness and solitude. They try to sooth our pains. They make us happy. They help us towards resolution of problems. They love us and care for us and they give us merriment with their innocent activities and performances. The importance of animals in our lives cannot be neglected, as they are our partners in leading lives. Human and animal bond cannot be seen as a bond between a pet and his/her owner but every link that is developed between animals and human beings. The animals can be pets as well as forest residents. This bondage is always considered as a bondage that is very significant for human beings as well as animals (Latter, 1995). The animal and human bondage can be regarded as a linkage that is mutually beneficial for both the participants. Human beings get emotional, nutritionist and survival support from animals while animals get nutritionist support and caring attitude from human beings (Latter, 1995). The psychologists have found attachment factors in dogs and other pet animals. According to Askew in “Treatments of behaviour problems in dog and cat. A guide for the small animal veterinarian”, the attitude of human beings towards their pet animals matches the parental attitude with their children (Askew, 1996). He further emphasizes that a sort of familial relationship is developed between human beings and animals that are pets (Askew, 1996). Animals are also treated adversely at some places due to which, this linkage between human beings and animals is spoiled. There have been researches and important steps taken all over the world to restrict the ill-treatment of animals (Askew, 1996). Researches also indicate that much consideration is given to care and welfare of animals. Moreover, there are animal rights commissions along with human rights commission to stop and point out any ill-treatment of animals. Ethnicity of people makes not much difference with the treatment and affection towards animals (Risley-Curtiss, et. al, 2006). People from different ethnic groups are seen treating animals with love, care and affection as their pets. Animals as Pets Animals such as cats, dogs, parrots and many others are kept as pets and as pets they are also our companions of our loneliness. Animals are our friends and try to defend us against any adversity in our life. Prosser, Townsend and Staiger in their research article, “Older peoples relationships with companion animals: a pilot study” try to find the development of a relationship between old people and animals (Prosser, Townsend and Staiger, 2008). Old people who have to live in old houses after being abandoned by their children, have to suffer solitude and loneliness due to which, they consider themselves in problems and get no attraction towards living (Prosser, Townsend and Staiger, 2008). Their intimacy with animals is a source of pleasure and support for their well being in future. With animals, they no more feel loneliness and lead their lives with an animal companion that gives them support for living (Prosser, Townsend and Staiger, 2008). Mostly, people prefer to keep dogs and cats as their pets but other animals are also kept as pets such as parrots and many other kinds of birds, rats, fish, rabbits, horse, turtle and many others (Latter, 1995). People have also kept certain aspects associated with animals such as dogs are regarded as the most faithful animal and horse comes in the category of faithful animals while cats are regarded as faithless and flirty. However, whether they are faithless or faithful, they are the best companions in all ages because of their so much intimacy that they show towards human beings (Latter, 1995). Animals provide unconditional love and support to their owners and show extensive intimacy and relativity to their possessors (Askew, 1996). They consider themselves as members of the family and return a lot more love and intimacy to the owner in response to his/her care and love. Animals create a source of emotional support for human beings (Risley-Curtiss, et. al, 2006). The role of animals as pets is wholly affective for people who keep pets because the intimacy and love towards animals comes up in form of general kindness towards all the creatures. The aggression and anger is also smoothed because of pet animals because they are always available to sooth one and to play with him/her. When animals come up in a family, they take some time in getting awareness to the people of the home but once, they get close, they are very intimate and try to keep a source of pleasure and support for their owners (Latter, 1995). Animals also help people in betterment of their personalities and animals are also regarded as having different personalities. Dogs assume a submissive role as compared to cats (Woodward and Bauer, 2007). Animals’ Employment in Crime Detection and Solution Animals such as dogs are employed for crime detection and solution purposes. The dogs are reported to have very sharp instincts and sense of smell due to which, they are able to take the law enforcement officials towards the criminals. Dogs are also trained in order to work as a crime detector. After obtainment of training, their natural skills of instinct and sense of smell are made sharp due to which, they are much more capable to give attention towards an activity that is unusual and criminal (Myers, 2006). Dogs are employed while searching the luggage at airports to sense any illicit or illegal product that the passengers may have come up with. Dogs are also employed at police stations where they are taken towards crime scenes and from there; they help the law enforcement officials to get to the criminal or law breaker (Myers, 2006). Dogs are also claimed to be the most faithful animal due to which, they never fear to sacrifice their life for their master (Myers, 2006). They are loyal and show their loyalty while working with policemen and other people. Not only the dogs have the capability to detect crime but they are also fully able to help the law enforcement officials to solve a crime. With the support of their sharpened skills, they get some knowledge of the criminal and keep full eligibility of taking his/her owner towards the location of the criminal. They are also employed in case of someone’s being lost as they are able to get the smell and then move forward towards the person by means of their sense of smell (Myers, 2006). Till this juncture, researches only indicate towards the effectiveness of dogs towards detection and solution of crimes. There have been no reports of employment of other animals for these purposes. Conclusion Animals’ role in our lives cannot be neglected as they are a significant part of our lives. They create what is beautiful and what is lovely for us by enriching the environment around us. As our companions, they try to sooth us emotionally; they also try to become our good friends by accommodating us with mental peace and their companionship. As our pets, they form as a crucial part of our family and consider themselves as our members and try to give us intimacy and unconditional love. As wild animals, they maintain beauty and color in our environment. They form a close bondage to human beings. They are also employed for detection and solution of crimes. They are so beneficial and advantageous that their importance in our daily lives cannot be negated. They play a crucial role in our day to day lives. References Askew, H. R. (1996). Treatments of behaviour problems in dog and cat. A guide for the small animal veterinarian. Oxford: Blackwell Science, 92-134. Latter, L. (1995). “Human Pet Bonding”. Southeastern Michigan: Animal Welfare Society. Myers, Richard E. (2006). Detector Dogs and Probable Cause. Geo Mason L. Rev 14 (1), 1-36. Prosser, Lauren B, Townsend, Mardie and Staiger, Petra. (2008). Older peoples relationships with companion animals: a pilot study. Nursing Older People 20 (3), 29-32. Risley-Curtiss, Christina, Holley, Lynn C. and Wolf, Shapard. (2006). The Animal—Human Bond and Ethnic Diversity. Social Worker 51 (3), 257-268. Woodward, Lucinda E. and Bauer, Amy L. (2007). People and Their Pets: A Relational Perspective on Interpersonal Complementarity and Attachment in Companion Animal Owners. Society and Animals 15, 169-189. Read More