I agree, but one other consideration: the average lifetime cost of a dog is apparently >£15,000/$20,000. I’m sure you can keep a pet much more cheaply, but still, healthcare costs, of pets, alone are notoriously expensive. It seems like the expense (which could buy a lot of bednets or save/prevent a lot of farmed animal lives (http://effective-altruism.com/ea/pj/at_what_cost_carnivory/)) would dwarf the moral importance of the pets consuming meat directly.
Very true David, but then the same could be said of being vegan to a lesser extent.
This article was targeted more towards the vegan community in general, not just EAs (though I cross posted it here because I thought it might be useful). Most non-EAs wouldn’t think about donations that way, and probably wouldn’t donate the $20,000 if they didn’t get a pet.
I agree, but one other consideration: the average lifetime cost of a dog is apparently >£15,000/$20,000. I’m sure you can keep a pet much more cheaply, but still, healthcare costs, of pets, alone are notoriously expensive. It seems like the expense (which could buy a lot of bednets or save/prevent a lot of farmed animal lives (http://effective-altruism.com/ea/pj/at_what_cost_carnivory/)) would dwarf the moral importance of the pets consuming meat directly.
Very true David, but then the same could be said of being vegan to a lesser extent.
This article was targeted more towards the vegan community in general, not just EAs (though I cross posted it here because I thought it might be useful). Most non-EAs wouldn’t think about donations that way, and probably wouldn’t donate the $20,000 if they didn’t get a pet.