This. Thank you for articulating exactly what I was trying to put into words. Any human family member I have lost has been difficult, but losing my dog was devastating in a completely different way, simply because it had been her and I on our own for a long time and my condo was filled with reminders of her.…

We can also value it so much that childless people feel utterly worthless.

I don’t see how prioritizing something other than parenting is devaluing parenting generally.

When we talk to our dog, we refer to our baby as the “bald puppy”.

I want to chime in with the others, I’m pretty sure that dog is yours now. He would have to take you to small claims court to get the dog back, then you can show all the evidence that you’ve been the dog’s caretaker for ages.

Right! I don’t get people for whom love is so quantifiable that they say you can’t love a dog like you love a child. Love is love. If you love, love with 100% of the love you have to give, or don’t fucking bother. These are the same people who’ll have a favorite kid, or will outright say they love their children more…

For example, we do not buy our children from breeders; we “tend not to breed our children with other humans to ensure good bloodlines” (don’t we though?);

I don’t get it, either. Most people (cause, sure there are some crazies out there that are serious, serious, about it) say it in a tongue-in-cheek manner. No one really believes that being a pet owner and a parent is at all equivalent. And no one is trying to diminish parents with this. How many people with both…

I don’t understand why it upsets people or that why they would be offended by someone calling themselves a “dogmom” or “dogdad” they aren’t taking anything away from you. They aren’t trying to get front row parking at Toys R Us. Let people have their joy where they find it, they aren’t hurting anyone. Do you get mad…

On the other hand- treating them as merely property isn’t fair either - they ARE living beings that feel pain and emotion unlike say, - a couch.

Not all of us crazy dog people are like that! Some of us call our dogs our babies (not human, but still my baby) and spend all of our money on them without bothering anyone else.

I was always kind of down on pre-nups (theoretically, since I’ve never been married), because it seemed like starting out expecting failure —until I got dogs. Now there’s no way in hell I’d ever get married without a legal document stating in no uncertain terms that my dogs are mine no matter what happens.

if the couple cannot decide where the dogs go, they will have to be sold (perhaps) and the proceeds split

Non sequitur: my wife referred to our daughter in utero as a “human puppy”.

I was 37 in 2000 when the Supreme Court stole the election and gave it to W. We now have Isis as a remnant of that “one time only” decision. I was younger then, and thought, “I can wait this out”. I no longer have the strength to wait it out. I am merely grateful that our imminent doom will be swift.

Wait, is there no distinction between blackface (as in dressing up as a black person) and painting black when dressing up as oil (or any other inanimate object that is black)?

We can’t be that competent. Look at who’s getting the launch codes in January. I say that alone makes a very strong case for our borderline suicidal insanity.

But...it was frackface.

I’ll take it.

This seems nice and all, but let’s be real. Cheetolini don’t give a fuck. The minute he gets his tiny little hands on the keys to the White House you *know* he’s going to a) shit the bed in the Lincoln Bedroom and b) overturn every executive order Obama made. Including the ones that *aren’t* executive orders.