If you were put in a situation where you had to choose to save either a human life or a dog’s life, which direction would you go? Believe it or not, this was the subject of an actual study and extensive research has been done on the subject. The answer is somewhat shocking because most people would save the dog’s life before they would save the human’s life.
When somebody is presented with headlines about dogs suffering tragedies and humans who suffer the same tragedies, they tend to empathize with the dog more than they do their fellow humans. Sociologists and anthropologists from Northwestern University and the University of Colorado conducted this interesting study. They are not only interested in the answer, but they are also looking to find out why it is true.
256 college students were included in the study. They were provided with fake news about humans who were beaten and dogs who were also beaten. They were asked to express their feelings on those articles and the amount of empathy they had.
Believe it or not, the majority of them chose the dogs over humans. The level of compassion they felt toward dogs, as a matter of fact, was much higher.
“We also found more empathy for victims who are human children, puppies, and fully-grown dogs than for victims who are adult humans. Age makes a difference for empathy toward human victims, but not for dog victims.”
A British charity also conducted a similar study. They held a fundraising campaign with two different versions of the same ad that asked people to donate funds. The text was the same on both, and it read: ‘Would you give £5 to save Harrison from a slow, painful death?’ The only difference was the pictures that were used. One featured the real Harrison who has Muscular Dystrophy and the other one featured a dog.
By the time the campaign was over, the charity website that featured the dog had twice as many clicks as the one featuring the boy. The numbers were 230 for the dog and 111 for the human.
If you are blown away by the results, here is a possible explanation of why it went in that direction.
“It may be that many people appraise dogs as vulnerable, regardless of their age, when compared to adult humans. In other words, dogs, whether young or adult, are seen as possessing many of the same qualities associated with human babies; they are seen as unable to fully protect themselves, compared to adult humans.”
Justin Lioi, a psychotherapist agrees, saying: “We are more able to empathize with someone whom we deem to have little blame for their circumstances,” Lioi told I Love My Dog. “Dogs and babies are the definition of didn’t-ask-for-this and we are more likely to rush to support them.”
Dr. Kathrine McAleese, a systemic psychotherapist and sociologist has clients who work frequently with dogs. She said that it is a relatively common phenomenon.
“People who fit this study’s outcomes will often view animals as innocents and humans as not having the same purity,” McAleese states. “When I ask them why they will spend money on their dog’s health, fitness, nutrition, yet not on themselves, the overwhelming answer I get is ‘because my dog deserves it.”
She also adds that dog trainers said they struggle to have empathy or patience for the owner but they have unlimited patience for the dog. She explains it this way: “The dog can’t speak up for itself, so they are the dog’s advocate.”
Some people who are not surprised by the results are those who are already close with animals, particularly dogs. This includes animal trainer and certified behaviorist, Russell Hartstein. He says, “Dogs provide unconditional love and many times people form stronger bonds with their pet than with another human.”
Hartstein believes that the majority of his clients treat their dogs the same way they would treat their children. They give them everything they need to be comfortable in life. “From going to school for behavior and training, health, nutrition, wellness, enrichment and play, people form very close intimate bonds with their best friends.”