How do we assess risk in our everyday lives?
Dogs
can die if left in a hot car!
I know that’s true, but we cannot extrapolate from that
one true statement that all dogs left in cars are at risk and their owners
irresponsible. Neither can we stretch that one true statement to support the
claim that if ever an owner leaves their dog in a car they are irresponsible
and placing the dog in harm’s way. But that is just what some well meaning
people are doing by continually presenting the message that dogs are dying in
cars throughout the UK everyday.
Those people who are making the dying dog claims are
actually creating a hostile environment for any dog owner wishing to keep their
dog close as a companion throughout the day. I’ve travelled with my dogs and
never had a dog suffer from heat stress, but I have certainly had to leave them
in my car occasionally.
The RSPCA is a professional organisation and it does do
a lot of good, but as a professional organisation it also needs to promote the
message that there are many problems involving animals within our community. No
animal welfare problems would undermine the need for the organisation. It is in
the interest of the RSPCA to promote the message that irresponsible owners
abound.
Babies can die from the MMR vaccine!
This statement is also true.
Parents held their dead babies just a short time after
the vaccination. The reaction to this news item was muted. It is not in the
interests of governments and the pharmaceutical companies to promote the idea
that the MMR vaccine is not safe.
This was probably just a bad batch of vaccine, but
would a responsible parent present their baby for vaccination now? After the
report of babies dying and before the results of any inquiry, knowing that the
vaccine could kill would a responsible parent weigh up the chances of immediate
death and still go ahead?
This MMR vaccination is much riskier than taking
your dog on a car journey, because on the car journey you know your dog, your
car, the environment etc. If there was an adverse reaction you could apply first aid and your dog recover. Not so with the vaccination. With the MMR vaccine you know very little and you can do nothing if there is a bad reaction. Your
doctor might reassure you, but how much information about the particular batch
will your doctor know?
If the “one dog
dying is too many” comment is sufficient justification for promoting a
hostile reaction towards anyone seen leaving their dog in a car, even when the
dog is perfectly happy and content then should there be a similar “two children dying is too many” reaction
to the MMR deaths? Should we be hostile to those who are so careless as to
present their innocent children for vaccination?
Single people who are lonely and socially isolated are
encouraged towards companion animals. Single people living alone are likely to
die alone, and their pet isn’t going to notify anyone. But that pet might well
suffer from dehydration and starvation, or in desperation it might eat the dead carer.
Is there a risk to companion animals that has not been
highlighted by the animal welfare agencies? Where is the campaign to ensure
that only people living in multiple occupancy households or with strong social
networks are allowed to own a pet?
It is not in the interests of animal welfare agencies
to call for a ban on pet ownership by socially isolated individuals because those
people are highly likely to be accepting re-homed animals, and bequests to the
agencies come from just such isolated people.
It is not in the interests of society to ban single
people from pet ownership because the evidence indicates the mental health
benefits. But too strident a campaign about dogs dying in cars could have a
terrible effect on many responsible owners. We must all recognise risks, but
when we over dramatise and label everyone who does not conform to our standard
of behaviour, our particular assessment of risk as irresponsible we are just wrong.
Children, dogs, elderly relatives I’ve left them all in
my car at different times. None have come to any harm. And I know I’m not alone
in facing situations where I have to assess risk and use my judgement. The dogs die every day campaigners are
attempting to strip me the right to use my own judgement, in their drive to
promote their single message.
Read Fox's explanation and judge for yourself, as I hope you will do whenever daily risks need assessment.
Putting messages out is fine , but becoming vigilantes who post photographs of people in an attempt to brand them irresponsible dog owners is not. Each of us must risk assess our own lives and we must do it responsibly, using all the evidence available and a healthy dose of commonsense.
