DEAR READERS: Humans first evolved as a distinct species, Homo sapiens, around 300,000 years ago in Africa. In terms of biological time, we are a young species on this planet -- an unfinished animal, our evolution not yet fully determined.

Our evolutionary history is a path of conflict, war, destruction and creativity. We become the gods we believe in through our treatment of nature and other sentient beings. Breaking free, to some degree, from the forces of natural selection that shaped our species allowed cultural selection to take over from one epoch to another.

With our infantile lack of self-restraint, humans became an invasive and destructive species -- a nihilistic life form that must now be constrained. We must either evolve or suffer the consequences. In his book “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” author Yuval Noah Harari writes: “Unfortunately, the Sapiens regime on earth has so far produced little that we can be proud of. We have mastered our surroundings, increased food production, built cities, established empires, and created far-flung trade networks. But did we decrease the amount of suffering in the world? Time and again, massive increases in human power did not necessarily improve the well-being of individual Sapiens, and usually caused immense misery to other animals.”

Other authors have expressed similar sentiments. In his book “Eating Animals,” Jonathan Safran Foer writes about “forgetting” as a central part of our relationship with animals -- the way that consumers avoid considering the reality of industrial meat production.

In his 1907 book “The New Ethics,” American zoologist and philosopher J. Howard Moore asked, “Shall we be cruel and selfish, bigoted and imperialistic, thinking only of ourselves and sacrificing the interests of others to our own heartless purposes? Or shall we be the responsible administrators of the universe, presiding over the affairs of the earth honorably and equitably, with a mind single to the good of all? Which shall it be: the savage law of might, or the great law of love?”

Moore advocated extending the golden rule to all living beings, but the truth is that we have yet to master caring for our own physical, mental and spiritual well-being. There are many paths to healing and wholeness. All paths will eventually converge, and in our biological evolution, we will soon face one final choice: suicide or adoration. In other words, we can choose the extinction of all that makes us human, or we can choose reverence for life -- the only path to world peace, as advocated by Dr. Albert Schweitzer.

To live creatively, and to co-evolve in harmony with the life community of planet Earth -- consciously and spiritually, free from fear, prejudice, hatred, enmity, envy and greed -- is the empathic path of an enlightened species worthy of the name Homo sapiens empathicus. As for our current species, I call it Homo sapiens anthropocentricus, along with the subspecies Homo sapiens technocraticus!

Whatever the name, humans are now creating a technosphere, as predicted by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in his book “Man’s Place in Nature.” But he levied no constraints. Constraints are now urgently called for, otherwise the biosphere will be destroyed. No amount of artificial intelligence -- with its evolving weapons of defense, offense, public manipulation and control -- or of climatic bioengineering and genetic engineering will secure our future on planet Earth and the well-being of the generations that survive.

All religious traditions, along with secular society, can promote the hallowing covenant of loving-kindness toward all sentient beings. The equalitarian ethic of loving-kindness will help us cause less harm and collateral damage to all species, including our own. In a state of healthy biodiversity, we are more secure, and pests and pestilence better contained.

This approach is an evolutionary step out of anthropocentrism into ecocentrism and the empathosphere: our sentient connectivity with a living planet and its interdependent life community. Microorganisms, fungi, and animals from insects to elephants all define, sustain, inform and reflect our humanity. Our evolution is at a critical point, touching all our lives and determining how we choose to live, vote and die.

For documentation about the empathosphere, go to drfoxonehealth.com/post/the-empathosphere-animal-prescience-and-remote-sensing. My book of poetry, “For All Our Relations: Visions and Vexations of a Veterinarian,” which many readers will enjoy, is available to order here: austinmacauleyusa.com/book/for-all-our-relations.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: Here are some snapshots of modern pet ownership, via various sources.

-- According to the AVMA, dogs are the most popular pets in the country. In 2024, 45% of U.S. households owned dogs, compared with 32% of households that owned cats.

-- Pet ownership overall has increased, according to the American Pet Products Association: In 2024, 66% of U.S. households had a pet, up from 56% in 1988.

-- Veterinary visits for cats increased year-over-year from 2023 to 2024, despite a decline in veterinary visits overall, according to the CATalyst Council’s first-ever Feline Market Insights Report. The report found that cat ownership is rising and that urban living trends are favoring cat ownership.

-- A 2010 study out of the University of Texas suggested that individuals who prefer cats and those who prefer dogs may exhibit distinct personality traits. Self-identified dog lovers tend to be more extroverted, agreeable and conscientious, while their cat-loving counterparts tend to be more introverted, open to experiences, and potentially more neurotic.

-- According to a study published in April, certain cat and dog breeds are beginning to look more alike. This is due to selective breeding for features like flat faces and large eyes, per the study from PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). These features make the animals more closely resemble human infants, which may trigger nurturing instincts in pet owners -- but it may be at the expense of the animals’ health.

-- Researchers recently found the remains of at least two cats on a Spanish galleon that sank in 1559 off the coast of Florida. The remains “likely represent the earliest cats in what is now the United States,” say the experts. The cats were likely used to control rodents on board. They were well-fed, indicating they were likely not brought along for consumption or for their fur, researchers reported in American Antiquity.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have been reading some books about animal/human relationships, and one writer says animals are "emotional parasites." On the subject of animal rights, another writer questions the practice of keeping animals as pets, calling them "emotional slaves."

I really love my rescued dog and cats. They are my family -- I don’t see them as parasites, and they are certainly not my slaves. What can you add to clear my mind? -- R.E., Washington, D.C.

DEAR R.E.: My rescued dog and cat are my immediate family members -- even more so since my wife died. Caring for these two animals, showing them loving attention, engages me in affirming my devotion to their well-being. I regard them as a living bridge to illimitable love.

That love leads me to declare that all who have companion animals must extend their affection for all creatures, great and small, and support organizations, local and national, dedicated to their rescue and protection. Otherwise, people live in their own self-centered bubbles, where animals may well be viewed as objects -- lesser beings to be either overindulged or overdisciplined by those who wish to control and dominate.

The quality of our relationships with each other, and with companion animals, reflects our humanity and ability to love. Narrow, limited love can become a box of duty and responsibility, a prison of codependence or a sphere of possessiveness. But our animal companions can catalyze limitless love that connects us with all that we hold sacred, which some call God or a higher power. That is the power of love.

Researchers in the U.K. recently reported that “a pet companion increases life satisfaction by 3 to 4 points on a scale of 1 to 7. Moreover, we estimate the size of the impact of pets on human life satisfaction and well being in monetary units. We find that having a pet companion is worth up to 70,000 pounds (roughly $94,000 U.S.) a year in terms of life satisfaction, similar to values obtained in the literature for meeting with friends and relatives on a regular basis.” (See the study “The Value of Pets: The Quantifiable Impact of Pets on Life Satisfaction” by Michael Gmeiner and Adelina Gschwandtner, published in 2025 in Social Indicators Research.)

Bottom line: Pets care for us and improve our lives in countless ways. There is significant value associated with their companionship in terms of emotional and physical health.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: Please read this excerpt from the study “Relationships between Indigenous American Peoples and Wolves” by Brandy Fogg et al., published in 2023 in the Journal of Ethnobiology.

The study's abstract reads:

“We examine the historical relationship between humans and wolves as illustrated through stories of North American Indigenous peoples, especially the Great Plains and Intermountain West (regions) ... All Plains tribes examined closely have stories that describe wolves as guides, protectors or entities that directly taught or showed humans how to hunt after humans arrived in the Americas. Indigenous stories provide insights into the process of the domestication of wolves ... There appears to have existed a reciprocal relationship in which both species provided food for each other or shared food. This is important because it is often assumed by scholars from the Eurocentric tradition that the first wolves associated with humans scavenged or hung around camps waiting for scraps; thus, from this perspective, the process of domestication began with wolves being dominated by humans.

"In contrast, we argue for a coevolutionary reciprocal relationship between Homo sapiens and Canis lupus that existed from the early days of tribes until at least the nineteenth century. ... (Our results indicate that) the process of domestication may have taken a different path than is generally assumed."

It is worth remembering that white settlers, with their cattle and sheep, all but exterminated the wolf, while others engaged in the genocide of North America’s Indigenous peoples.

DEAR DR. FOX: What are your thoughts on the best ways to help animals when one of their housemates and companions dies?

I took one of my cats to be put to sleep today because she indicated it was her time. The lovely vet confirmed it. She said she’s seen dogs say goodbye to their recently deceased friends -- that letting the other animals see the body helps them process what has happened.

We did this with our cat. Her sister was curious and seemed to be processing the smells, etc., whereas our other cat displayed distress and ran away. He looked like he expected her to jump up and attack him -- as she would in life, if he got too close. I hope I didn’t cause him any upset.

Both cats seemed to understand that she wasn’t her usual self yesterday and today. -- S.B., Folkestone, England

DEAR S.B.: I sympathize with your loss. In my experience, surviving animals in the home should be allowed to see their deceased companion. As you observed, some may react with fear and run away, while others take their time, examine the body and then walk away.

Animals of many species mourn the loss of a familiar companion, whether human or nonhuman. Those who do not see the deceased and have at least a moment of mourning may search for them, call out for them and exhibit distress.

I have always provided my cats and dogs the opportunity to see their deceased animal companions. But when my wife died, it was not possible for my dog Kota to see her. For several days, Kota kept looking for her during our daily routines.

SAFE FLEA, TICK AND MOSQUITO PREVENTION

Please see this Facebook video from veterinarian Dr. Bob Goldstein to learn about safer alternatives to the poisonous products many use to keep noxious insects off their pets. Go to: facebook.com/reel/1054928742656921.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)