All dogs are perfect in their own way
By Jessica Berget, Opinions Editor
Every time I see a dog, I can’t help but gasp.
I think all dogs are beautiful, innocent creatures with no hate or malice in their hearts. They live to be best friends and companions to their owners and beam with joy when they are given love or affection. They are sweet, dopey, little babies who only want to love and be loved, so it rightfully breaks my heart and angers me when I hear someone say a dog is ugly.
Dogs have no concept of beauty standards, so it’s weird to project narrow guidelines of what you think is beautiful onto a creature that licks its own butt. Sure, the dog probably doesn’t understand that you just called it ugly, but it’s still rude to make a negative judgement about a dog you don’t even know, and just outright mean to call it ugly just because it’s not the kind of dog you find attractive. That dog could be the sweetest, most precious thing ever, but by shooting it down simply because you don’t find their appearance or breed appealing, you’d never get to know it’s true beauty, and that’s your loss. Just because they are not a type of dog you like, or you don’t appreciate their aesthetic, doesn’t mean they are ugly—it just means you have a shallow idea of what constitutes a “cute” dog.
Even if a dog is ugly, so what? They probably still have a loving and affectionate personality, as most dogs do. If they are good dogs, who cares what they look like? On the other hand, some dogs might be adorable, but have awful personalities. You can’t judge a book by its cover, and the same goes for dogs.
This standard of beauty that people have for dogs isn’t as harmless as one may think. It has some serious ramifications when it comes to adoption and helping dogs find homes. Amstaffs, chihuahuas, and pit bulls are among some types of dogs that are much less likely to be adopted, and more likely to be euthanized because they don’t fit the popular consensus of what is “cute.” They can’t help how they look, but because of people judging dogs based entirely on their looks, they pay the ultimate price.
You may think I am overreacting, and I probably am, but if dogs can’t stick up for themselves, who will?
They say beauty is subjective, but people seem to forget this when it comes to dogs. Call whatever else you want ugly, but please, leave the dogs alone. They have done nothing wrong and are all perfect in their own way. You might even find that the ones you think are ugly can be incredibly cute, if you give them a chance.
