GoMemphis.Com pet columnist Cindy Wolff offers an odd defense for Christina Walker, 24, who was recently arrested and charged with filing a false police report.
Walker told police that her car was stolen with her 5-year-old daughter inside. According to Wolff, police mobilized 45 law enforcement agents in a frantic search to find Samantha — until Walker’s father informed them that Samantha was, in fact, a cocker spaniel. The dog was later found near the area where Walker’s car was abandoned. It had been hit and killed by a car.
Walker was arrested and booked on a felony charge of filing a false police report. And Wolff tries to spin the whole bizarre tale into a morality play about how human beings don’t yet recognize the importance of their pets,
The situation of children in danger awakens a primal panic in all human beings desperate to save the innocent ones.
. . .
After her lie unraveled, many animal lovers responded with empathy because they know how far society has to go in recognizing the importance of companion animals in our lives. While pets are considered a part of the family, society still regards them as unimportant as the spare tire that gets stolen with the car.
Co-workers don’t make fun of you if you talk about how much you love your children. But tell them how crazy you are about your pet, and some of them roll their eyes. Tell them you would risk your life to save your pet’s, and they shake their heads.
There’s no comparison, they argue. A child, a human being – an offspring of man – has far more value and importance in the universe than that of some dog or cat, they say.
To give an animal value is to belittle our own existence. If we give them worth anywhere close to our own, then we not only elevate an animal to our exalted status, we lower ourselves, they believe.
And Wolff rants on like that for more than 1,100 words.
Hey, we all love animals, but when “they” argue that “there’s no comparison” between a child and an animal and that a human child “has far more value and importance in the universe than that of some dog or cat,” well, “they” are right.
Wolff argues that Walker should not have to go to jail because she’s already been punished enough with the death of her dog. I completely disagree. I hope they throw the book at Walker for sending police on such a stupid wild goose chase.
Source:
At heart of hoax may be society’s failure to value love for a pet. Cindy Wolff, GoMemphis.Com, July 23, 2002.