Lesson 10 My dog Tulip: Do you want puppies?

The film "My dog Tulip" is an interesting disection our relationships with fellow humans and animals. "My dog Tulip" is like a darker and rancher version of "101 Dalmatians". The movie focuses on the life of an Alsatian and their owner. The movie is dark and very sexual, but it is honest in its depiction of the our relationship with animals. 

The relationship between Tulip and the man is dear, she cares for him and he cares for him. The crux of the movie though focuses on the many misadventures of getting Tulip pregnant. This is honestly a weird focus for a movie. Though the premiss is a bit odd it is interesting to look at reproductive rights through the lends of an animal's life. The movie presents sex and reproduction in a very honest and healthy way. Tulip goes through many times in season before she feels comfortable mating. She doesn't mate with a dog that is of her same breed and "class" being a stray mutt, but she is happy. What I find more interesting is the part after Tulip gives birth. The man can't house her 8 puppies so he considers killing them all. This had me worried. I know that this is something that is hard for people to do, because animals can be a burden to house. The problem isn't that these animals have sex and have offspring it's that the offspring should have a good life too. It broke my heart that the man started to care less and less about Tulip's children. They were out of his house, though he wanted them alive he didn't really seem care about their situation. This can be the case with many pet owners. They want their animals to experience sex but don't seem to care that the offspring need a home and safety like their mother. This can lead to many dogs being either killed, orphaned, or left in unsafe homes. Many people are able to avoid this but it is important to realize the impact that you many have not only on your own dog's life but on the life of their puppies as well. 

The reproductive rights of animals are hard to understand. Our pets have a right to a full life, but of we are unable to care for their offspring and ensure their safety is it really a kindness to leave them unspaded?