Have you ever noticed how most of us can watch movie characters get killed off without even batting an eye, but as soon as a dog gets killed, our stomachs tend to drop? Unfortunately, the events that took place this week are no movie. Dog-lovers everywhere bow their heads in mourning over the loss of Excalibur, the dog of Teresa Romero Ramos, a Spanish nurse-aid and Ebola victim who is being held in quarantine.
The photos below from the Daily Mail Online depict a scene that does look like something out of a movie. Thousands of people had gathered outside of Ramos’s home to protest the euthanization of her dog.
Despite the family’s request, including her husband who is also being held in quarantine, the dog was put to sleep earlier this week on court order.
The husband made a post on Facebook last week stating:
If they are so worried with this issue I think we can find another type of alternative solution, such as quarantining the dog and put him under observation like they did with me. Or should they sacrifice me as well just in case?
Animal rights activists everywhere are infuriated — and they have a right to be. Why is it that Ramos’s husband was placed in quarantine, but the initial response for how to handle the dog was to kill it? Neither the dog nor the husband had been confirmed as having the virus, yet the precautionary measures being taken for each of them fell on opposite ends of the spectrum. The dog was not confirmed to have Ebola, and even if it did, scientists are still trying to figure out if he would even be able to spread the virus to humans.
I understand the risk of the dog spreading the virus, but why was there such an urgency to kill the dog? The husband was quarantined to prevent spreading it to anyone else. Why couldn’t the dog be treated the same? Neither of them were going anywhere.
For those of you thinking that humans and animals do not need to be treated equally, at least think about this: The Spanish government is setting an awful example moving forward for how to go about treating this virus. Excalibur was killed out of fear by the Spanish government, and who is to say that humans aren’t going to be treated the same? We cannot find a cure for Ebola by simply killing anything that catches it. Research and testing are going to be required if we are ever going to find a cure. But now, one more step toward the solution has just been wasted.
Ebola is not an airborne virus. Furthermore, there is no set-in-stone proof for authorities to confirm the dog was capable of spreading the virus. All of the articles you see online regarding Ebola use words in their titles such as “scientists worry…” or “experts believe….” Until I start seeing articles that use words like “confirm” or “prove,” I am not convinced that dog needed to be put down immediately.
Excalibur was in isolation. Excalibur did not pose an immediate threat. Excalibur was not suffering. Excalibur did not need to be killed.
Reach the columnist at ralynch3@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ryguy916
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Want to join the conversation? Send an email to opiniondesk.statepress@gmail.com. Keep letters under 300 words and be sure to include your university affiliation. Anonymity will not be granted.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
