I remember I was talking to someone from China about first world privileges and one thing that she mentioned was how people in the "collective west" love their pets to the extent that they see them as a family member is a western thing.
I would have to disagree with that. I mean I don't think seeing pets as family is universal, but I don't think it's a first versus third world thing. For example, I would wager that people in Latin America also view their pets as family like many in the west do. And looking at the archaeological record, many pre-industrial societies buried pets with similar rights that people were buried with.
But what are your opinions on the manner?
