Future generations will likely look back at our current treatment of animals with a sense of horror and disbelief.
Today, we recoil at the thought of animals being forced to perform in circuses, subjected to cruelty for human entertainment. It seems inevitable that factory farming and industrial slaughterhouses will one day be viewed with the same level of moral outrage.
But the ethical questions surrounding our relationship with animals go beyond just systemic abuse. Even the way we treat our pets might one day be considered deeply problematic.
Imagine a future where people are baffled by our habit of parading dogs on leashes, punishing them for disobedience, confining fish to tiny bowls, locking rabbits in cages, and keeping birds in houses. What seems normal now may eventually be recognized as not only cruel but downright bizarre.
For now, pet owners readily agree that some people shouldn’t have animals—yet nearly all of them believe they personally are responsible enough. But assessing how others treat their pets can be easy, and some cases are particularly troubling.
Katie Price has proved some people shouldn’t have pets
Take Katie Price, for example. The media personality recently introduced her followers to a new 10-week-old cocker spaniel named Rookie. This comes just months after purchasing two sphynx cats for £2,000, which, in turn, followed a series of tragic incidents involving her previous pets.
Her daughter Princess’s dog, Rolo, suffocated after reportedly getting trapped in an electric armchair. In her memoir, Price recounted how the breeder had provided CBD oil for the dog, which may have contributed to excessive drowsiness. Rolo apparently crawled beneath the chair to sleep, unnoticed until it was too late.
Tragically, Rolo was just one of many animals that met untimely deaths in her care. In 2017, one of her horses was killed by a car after escaping onto a busy road. The following year, her German Shepherd, Queenie, died in a hit-and-run accident. That same year, her pet chameleon Marvin also died—allegedly of ‘a broken heart’ when her son moved out, though reports suggested it was due to an unheated home.
The pattern continued. In 2019, she bought her daughter a pet hedgehog, Peggy, only to lose her for two weeks. An Alsatian named Bear was rehomed after multiple near-death experiences, including bolting onto a dual carriageway. In 2020, another Alsatian, Sparkle, was killed on the road. In 2022, her dog Sharon was struck by a car, and just a year later, yet another dog, Blade, suffered the same fate near her home.
Animal rights group PETA has condemned Price, calling her treatment of animals ‘disgraceful’ and likening them to ‘disposable toys.’ While the criticism is hard to dismiss, focusing solely on Price would be missing a larger, uncomfortable truth: she is far from alone.
Many people should not own pets because they lack the ability—or willingness—to care for them properly. When parents struggle, social services can step in, but no such safety net exists for neglected pets. And when Price referred to her daughter’s deceased dog as ‘it,’ it raised a troubling question: how many pet owners genuinely see their animals as sentient beings rather than possessions?
The language we use about pets is revealing. We speak of ‘owning’ dogs and cats, and when they go missing, we say they ‘escaped’—as if they were prisoners. And while most owners profess love for their pets, the reality suggests otherwise.
Consider what happens in veterinary euthanasia rooms. According to one vet, many pets sense what’s coming—some vomit or soil themselves as soon as they enter. Yet, the vast majority of owners refuse to be present for their final moments. One vet estimated that 90% leave the room, forcing their frightened pet to spend its last moments desperately searching for the person who once claimed to love them.
So before passing judgment on Price, we should acknowledge an unsettling reality: she is not the exception. The truth is, far more people shouldn’t have pets than we are willing to admit.
