Academic thoughts

I am beginning to think of ways to salvage all this Barbaro research and at the very least turn it into my master's thesis. My program requires the thesis to be multi-disciplinary, that is, bridging two or more areas of academic study, and I have always had a hard time fitting my field of interest into two existing areas of study.

The courses that I have taken have an underlying theme of human-animal interaction, which falls somewhere between anthropology, folklore, bioethics, history and veterinary medicine. I am thinking that the thesis will deal with the impact on humans of treating animals like humans, that is, what are the effects on human caretakers of treating their animals with human medical protocols? Sort of, Barbaro and Beyond: Just Because We Can Do it, Does It Mean We Should?

I am thinking of all my prior research on pet owners whose animals have cancer and the emotional turmoil that they choose to endure for their pets as well as the obviously emotional roller coaster that not only the Jacksons but the medical staff at New Bolton and the public rode with regard to Barbaro. It can be clearly documented from web sites that both groups literally and figuratively "suffered" with the animals undergoing treatment.

I am not so much interested in whether or not it was "worth it," I am sure all involved would say "yes." I am more interested in knowing if they truly knew what they were getting themselves in for and once in, was it to late to reconsider. Should there be a more support for owners of animals undergoing these procedures and if so, what type?

Anyway, the brain cells are beginning to churn and that, for the moment, is a very good sign.