How dogs can improve sleep and protect your Human Rights
Are your neighbors’ dogs making you crazy? Can’t sleep anymore because of the constant barking and howling? Did you know that rest is among our Human Rights?
Our canine companions are lovely animals. They accept us like we are, are happy when we come home, and cherish us when we are sad. These loyal pets enrich our lives without asking for anything in return.
Unfortunately, there are many animals that are not treated well. Sometimes, they belong to households that struggle to provide the care their pets need. Neglected animals can develop stress and behaviors such as frequent barking and howling as a way to express their anxiety and communicate their needs.
How sleep deprivation affects health
When this happens in a community, people are affected. Barking and howling dogs can disrupt the balance of the day and make nights challenging. Noise pollution and chronic lack of rest, if constant, affect physical and mental well-being. In the article, Why Exposure to Chronic Barking is So Profoundly Debilitating, the author describes what happens to our body and mind when we are exposed to barking for long periods, sporadically and chronically.
[…] If it happens frequently enough, you will still be wound-up from the last outburst when the next one hits, with the result that you will be forever tense, and at no point will you ever be able to become truly relaxed in your own home.
Another interesting article, The Morals of Torturous Sleep Deprivation, talks about the consequences of chronic sleep loss, and says that:
Sleep is an essential function for all humans. Insufficient amounts of sleep, “characterized by a maximum of 4 h[ours] of sleep per night for one to six consecutive nights” (Nollet 3) would lead to “reduced reactivity and slower recovery of the cortisol response” (ibid. 3), ultimately resulting in an increase of stress and even disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Sleep deprivation is a crime
Next to being very important for our health, sleep, and so the right to adequate rest and leisure, is expressed in documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 24).
Chronic loss of rest can have serious health consequences. Here in Italy, there is a law, number 659 c.p., that addresses noise that disrupts the daily peace and nightly rest. Despite these regulations, communities sometimes experience challenges in enforcing them consistently, which raises questions about how to improve support for both residents and animals.
Animal welfare and legal rights in our communities
Sometimes, household pets may bark or howl excessively, affecting the community’s well-being and sleep quality. This raises questions about how communities can better support responsible ownership and pet care.
Pet owners benefit from resources and guidance to ensure their companions receive proper care and attention. Communities and support services can help provide this guidance to promote healthier relationships between people and their pets. Social services, veterinarians, and animal protection organizations can work together to provide constructive solutions that help both humans and animals thrive.
Promoting health and community well-being
Sometimes, enforcement of laws related to noise or companion well-being can be inconsistent, which can be frustrating for community members. Improving transparency and responsiveness could help prevent misunderstandings and promote fairness. Communities thrive when rules and responsibilities are respected by everyone. Ensuring fair enforcement and support for all members helps maintain harmony and public well-being.
Letting dogs stay all alone for long periods ins’t healthy. Just like us, animals have psychological needs. When these needs are neglected, our canine friends can express their suffering in ways that may disrupt their own lives and those around them. You try and close a bunch of humans in a room for years, giving them only food and water, and you’ll see what happens. For animals it isn’t any different. This is discussed in the paper, The Psychological aspects of abuse and neglect in animals, by author Franklin D. McMillan.
What can we do to protect dogs, animal welfare, and our legal rights?
There should be resources that support the ability of people to care for pets responsibly. Institutions, authorities, and social services can work together to help households understand and meet the needs of their companion animals. Together with healthcare professionals and animal welfare experts, communities can find solutions that are constructive and promote the well-being of both people and their pets.
Love, responsibility, and a way forward
The lack of care and empathy affects not only animals but also the social fabric. Love, understanding, and support are the foundations of a harmonious society. Only by fostering compassion and responsibility can communities create healthy, safe, and supportive environments for all.
To those who have a sense of justice, a love for animals, and a longing for harmony, there is an opportunity to take action: evolve into a New Human Being. In this way, together, communities can protect both their members and their pets, ensuring a better future for all. Let’s change direction and create meaningful and peaceful realities. Book your free call here.