Meet Dawn. Dawn is one of the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary’s six resident foxes that cannot be returned to the wild.
Most of the animals that find their way into the sanctuary are injured wildlife that are treated and then returned to their wild homes. But Dawn was a bit different. She was brought in as a young fox by a person who found her and thought she was a dog. You can hardly blame the person for thinking that, she certainly acts just like a domestic dog, rolling over for her belly to be scratched and licking Geoff’s (one of the sanctuary workers) face.
Dawn was far too tame to be returned to the wild. She wouldn’t be able to fend for herself. Dawn is a cutie, and acts just like you’d want a pet to act, but it is important to remember that she was never meant to be anyone’s pet. Foxes are adorable, but they belong in the wild.
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Once upon a time, dogs belonged in the wild, and cats belonged in the wild. They were domesticated because they were useful to people of that time, and because deep down these animals realized the wonderful gift that humans were bringing to them: the gift of civilization. I believe foxes would love to be domesticated, because why wouldn\’t they? Isn\’t domesticity great? I know I love knowing I\’ll have food when I need it and shelter when I need it and love and comfort and security.
"Domestication" infantalizes animals–including ourselves. Makes them and us dependent like babies on others. They and us are no longer self-reliant. When farmers breed animals, they are selecting for juvenile-style adults. Did you know that civilized humans today have smaller brains than those possessed by Neanderthals? Our modern brains are 10 percent smaller. See: "Beyond Words, What Animals Think and Feel" by Carl Safina. Every wonder why civilized humans are easy to manipulate and control?