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Accepted Paper:
A stranger at the other end of the leash: the domestication of the rescue dog as interspecies care
Nora Schuurman
(University of Turku)
I examine experiences of the adoption of homeless dogs in transnational animal rescue practices. The study is based on interviews with volunteers participating in the activities of dog rescue NGOs in Finland. I approach the adoption practices as everyday domestication and interspecies care.
Paper long abstract:
Transnational animal rescue practices have become more widespread in Finland in the 2000s, with an increasing demand for dogs to be adopted. In this presentation, I examine experiences of the adoption of homeless dogs, drawing on interviews with volunteers participating in the activities of dog rescue NGOs in Finland. I explore the adoption of rescue dogs as everyday domestication and interspecies care, including the special challenges brought by the adoption process itself and the adaptation of the dogs in their new home. I further focus on situations where interaction with the dog is not successful, resulting in problems and returns. I ask, how can a homeless animal become a pet and how can interspecies companionship emerge when the animal is perceived as different and their agency difficult to understand. Theoretically, the presentation is based on recent work on human–animal relationships and their possible difficulties. According to the study, the adoption of homeless dogs is a multi-layered and systematic process in which the dog is seen as a subject and an agent with their own feelings and experiences. Within pet culture, animal rescue practices shift the attention to the ethics and responsibilities of pet keeping.