Rabbit Saves Woman and Child, Woman Leaves Rabbit in Burning Building

[Deks]

Re: Rabbit Saves Woman and Child, Woman Leaves Rabbit in Burning Build

^ Still, though, it's a FIRE. Is there any obligation to go back and get the rabbit if you might get, you know, burned to death in the process? There's a line between being concerned for a pet and simply being suicidal.

(I tried clicking on the link but it timed out)

It's not that she couldn't go back and rescue the rabbit, it's the idea that the rabbit isn't worth saving simply because it is a rabbit.

Indeed.
I can actually understand if one would forget about the rabbit during the entire crisis and tend to their family members instead due to the urgency of the situation, but if you have the time, remember and can do it, why not save the animal that warned you in the first place and is your pet?

But that doesn’t mean its actions were heroic. Heroism is something conscious and deliberate — bravery, courage, disregard of one’s own safety to help others.

I mean, it’s a friggin’ RABBIT, fer chrissakes.

Actually, heroic acts as terms usually stem from those who make them look as such.
For humans, it's usually the observers or those that were rescued, not the actual hero.
Numerous acts though were deemed 'heroic' even though that was not original intent behind the one doing the deed.
And since humans can be extremely divided in their opinions, not to mention that every individual has their own definition for each and every word... I'd say that this can be interpreted as a heroic acts (conscious or otherwise).

The rabbit could have left the building and preserved itself - basically, run away from danger.
You'd be surprised just how many humans would do that instead of trying to help.
I would say that this particular animal displayed more bravery and heroism than a lot of humans do throughout most of their lives by warning it's master instead.
Also, how many domesticated animals would do this?
I've seen examples were animals run away from danger at the first sign of trouble without any regard for their masters.

 

[Trekker4747]

Re: Rabbit Saves Woman and Child, Woman Leaves Rabbit in Burning Build

Say it "warned its master" implies it had some sort of intent to alert the master of the danger. (And that's even assuming it realizes the danger of fire beyond "hot.")

I, personally, doubt rabbits or even most animals are capable of this sort of self-sacrifice and understanding. It's my belief this animal simply woke it's master up because it was "afraid" of the fire, wanted to go outside, and it knows that the humans are the only ones capable of opening the doors.

As I said up thread I highly doubt its thoughts were "I have to go wake my master to save him/her!"

Saying it was brave, heroic, self-sacrificing or anything like that is, in my opinion, assigning traits and values to a being it is incapable of experiencing.

It makes me think of an episode of "Friends" where Ross wants to visit his old pet monkey, Marcel, at a movie shoot nearby and asks his friends if they think Marcel will be excited to see him.

Chandler quips, "I think he will be excited to see you! Until he realizes he's a monkey and incapable of that emotion."

This rabbit wasn't brave or anything. It simply woke a person up. Even if it did do it out of a pack-mentality of wanting to "save" the person who feeds it, it didn't do it out of any self sacrifice or heroism. It did it out of instinct, to save the leader of its "pack", again the one responsible for providing it with food.

To say it "saved" someone or is "heroic" is an insult to real heroes and people who really do save people at the risk to themselves. Firemen are heroes. Policemen are heroes. Military personnel are heroes.

This was a rabbit that woke up its master out of some-kind-of act of either animal instinct or self preservation.

I've had pets, I've lost pets, I love animals. I've never willingly killed one and I do my best to not kill the ones I encounter on the road (traffic and driving conditions allowing.)

That doesn't mean I do not realize this was an animal that simply woke its master up, alerting the person to a fire. We know little about this thing or what it does, maybe it wakes its master up every night by hopping around the house and bed like the animal it is, this time there just happened to be a fire?

I also feel no ill-will to the awoken homeowner who made haste to save the other people in the home. If it came between carrying a crying child out of the house, helping that child along with a hand-hold or to keep them crouched down out of a smoke-filled room verses saving a rabbit? Save the child.

 

[Amaris]

Re: Rabbit Saves Woman and Child, Woman Leaves Rabbit in Burning Build

So you'll give it enough for being aware enough to be selfish? Like I mentioned earlier, many pets form a "pack" mentality (particularly dogs). You are their provider, their leader, the Alpha. A rabbit can sense fear and when it is in danger, and so it could have tried to escape. You're essentially saying it knows what a door is, what an exit is, but doesn't really know a fire's dangerous, but that it has the mental capacity to wake the human being that IS capable of such things.

That's so very meta.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Re: Rabbit Saves Woman and Child, Woman Leaves Rabbit in Burning Build

There are countless examples of pets helping their humans when they are in trouble or defending their humans when they are threatened, even when it puts themselves at risk of injury or death. There are countless examples of pets defending their fellow pets in similar fashion. There are countless examples of wild animals defending their offspring or fellows at risk to themselves. There are even examples of wild animals defending other animals of a completely different species; this includes, but is not limited to, dolphins saving humans from drowning or from shark attacks.

Of course animals can be heroic. This is common knowledge, not some arcane secret.