More Than Pets

We didn’t just domesticate dogs; we rewired them

You know how everyone’s suddenly talking about street dogs because of the recent Supreme Court verdict. Let’s use that hype to ask the bigger questions.

Not just who bit whom, rabies cases, or which dog goes where. Let’s ask why. Why did we do what we did, and how did humans completely transform a species in the process? 

It’s mostly because we like to feel superior.

The Origin: How Dogs Became “Ours”

Across the planet, no species uses other species like we do. Humans, the “intelligent” species, domesticated animals mostly for our benefit. Dogs were originally bodyguards, hunters, alarm systems, functional in every way. In return, we gave them food, protection, and a survival edge. Fair deal.

It was a co-beneficial relationship. They helped us survive, and we gave them an advantage over their wild cousins.

The Shift: From Use to Emotion

Fast forward to modern times. Locks, alarms, and cameras replaced dogs practical role in our lives. Yet we couldn’t let go of them. We wanted dogs not for protection, but for love, companionship, and emotional fulfillment.

And so began the humanization of dogs.We stopped accepting dogs as dogs and started expecting them to behave like miniature humans.

Ever noticed how dogs tolerate what we force on them? A t-shirt, a cape, shoes e.t.c. They go along quietly, accepting it all. Meanwhile, if a human tried something like that at work, everyone would lose their minds. 

The dog just endures, silent, obedient, and somehow still lovable, while we act as if forcing our preferences on them is perfectly normal.

Humans Rewired Evolution

Puppy eyes. Those sad little eyes weren’t just cute accidents. Dogs evolved facial muscles that make them look innocent, sad, or helpless, literally to manipulate humans into caregiving. Evolution itself designed this.

Then there is selective breeding, where cute completely overrules healthy. Some purebreds now suffer hip dysplasia, breathing problems, skin issues. We feed them controlled diets, live them in indoor bubbles, and remove the challenges that shaped them over thousands of years.

Barking, unlike wolves, evolved specifically to get human attention. Social learning, they can read human gestures better than any other species. 

We literally rewired their brains to understand us and then we wonder why they misbehave when things go wrong. Classic human move.

The Hierarchies We Created

The part that truly unsettles me is this. We didn’t just humanize dogs; we divided them. We imposed a social order shaped by our preferences and prejudices, mirroring the injustices we see in our own society.

The high-breed, “desirable” dogs live lives of care. They are bathed, fed, walked, and kept safe. Their existence is structured around protection, attention, and comfort.

The street dogs, the so-called “undesirable” ones, face the opposite. They are stoned, chased, beaten. Many are subjected to forced breeding or sexual violence. Some are killed for meat or exploited in black-market trades. Their survival is a constant struggle, a daily battle against the environment and human cruelty.

Even within communities of dogs, selective preference creates discrimination. Some are avoided because of their color, size, or perceived worthiness. Others are cared for simply because they fit arbitrary human standards. Their fates are not determined by nature or survival instincts but by human-imposed judgments.

The reflection of human society is undeniable. The marginalized endure violence, neglect, and lack of agency, while the privileged are protected and nurtured. We have replicated caste, class, and appearance discrimination with dogs. The worst part is they cannot vote. They cannot protest. They can only survive quietly, suffering the consequences of our absurdity.

The Real Problem

Rabies, bites, urban conflicts. They are not accidents. They are symptoms of our failure.

We created hierarchies, forced behaviors, ignored instincts, and then acted shocked when dogs reacted. Some people now want to remove street dogs from towns entirely. Really. How is this different from pushing marginalized humans to the outskirts? Street dogs did not choose this world. We made it for them. And now we are shocked it exists.

Responsibility, Respect, Reflection

Dogs are not humans. They are a species we co-opted, altered, humanized, and in some cases abused in the name of love. We need to respect their instincts, protect all dogs, not just pretty, profitable, or photogenic ones, and take responsibility for what we have done.

We didn’t just adopt dogs. We rewired evolution itself. And that is something to reflect upon as they deserve better.

The Solution

Honestly, I don’t know. We have truly messed this up. A simple fix feel almost impossible.

Something has to be done. A firm stance needs to be taken. One approach is what some Western countries do: acknowledge that street dogs exist outside our control, make dog owners responsible for their pets’ actions, and focus on protecting society while minimizing conflict. Clear rules, firm enforcement, accountability.

The other approach is to take responsibility for all dogs, including street dogs. Care for them, provide shelter, healthcare, protection, and make this a structured, systemic effort, with municipalities or governments responsible for their welfare. It is not just kindness. It is recognizing that we created this problem, and we owe them the chance to survive safely.

Either path demands responsibility, accountability, and recognition of the role humans have played in shaping their lives. Anything less is just continuing the cycle of neglect, abuse, and injustice we have imposed.

So, The next time you look into those puppy eyes, pause:  they aren’t just cute. They are survivors of human absurdity, bearing the consequences of choices they never made. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. How do you think humans can truly take responsibility for the lives we’ve reshaped?