Q109. Keeping pets is bad for the pets and humans?

Yes. It’s cruel to keep pets because the animals are deprived of their natural life in their own environment with their own kind. Would you like to live in a cage? Would you like to live in an air pocket in the water? Would you like to be locked up all your life? Would you like to be deprived of socializing with others? No? Well, do you think the helpless birds love to live in a small cage all their life? Do you think fish love being locked up in a small air pocket (tank) all their life? Do you think dogs love to be deprived of socializing with their own kind and living their natural life with their own kind? If you love animals like dogs, cats, birds, fish, and others, then let them be free by allowing them to live in their own natural environment, with their own kind. Some people think that by keeping their pet in their 5-star home is better than the jungle for the pet. Well, would you like to live in a 7-star hotel alone, all your life? Another reason why you should not keep pets is that, if at the time of death, you think of them, then you will become one of them. This means that if you think of

your dog at the time of death, then you will get a dog’s body, without fail. Then the humans will pick up your stool, if you live in countries like America. “Whatever nature, one has at the time of death. That nature he will attain without a doubt." (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 8.6) If you have served a dog in your life, then you will naturally think of a dog at the time of death. Thus, you will attain a dog’s nature (become a dog). Why do you think there are dogs in the first place? The variety of species is due to the variety of mentalities that souls in human bodies developed. If you have served God in your life, then you will naturally think of God at the time of death. Thus, you will attain Lord Krishna’s nature, which is a beautiful body, full of bliss, full of knowledge, and eternal. “Whoever thinks of Me [Krishna] at the end of life, attains My nature, without a doubt." (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 8.5) In this short life, you can serve Lord Krishna (God) and get the nature of Lord Krishna (beautiful, blissful, loving, full of knowledge, eternal), or serve dogs, and get the nature of dogs (4 legs, barking). The choice is yours. Some people say the life of a dog is better than that of humans in countries like America/Sweden. Well you could also become a dog in Taiwan/China/Africa, where dogs are boiled alive and eaten.