Pet raising has a long history in Britain. As early as the Victorian era, keeping pets became a popular fashion among British middle-class families. At that time, people began to regard cats and dogs as companions, rather than traditional working animals. The royal family has always kept pets, and many kings and queens have deep feelings for pets, driving the whole nation’s love for small animals. After hundreds of years of development, pet raising has broken class restrictions and become a universal life hobby of British families of all classes. The core of British pet culture is the concept of responsible adoption. The British society advocates the concept of “adoption instead of purchase”. A large number of animal rescue organizations and shelters are committed to rescuing stray animals and matching them with loving families. Before adopting pets, adopters need to pass strict qualification review to ensure that they have stable living conditions and sufficient sense of responsibility to take care of pets for a long time. Abandoning pets is regarded as immoral behavior and even restricted by law, forming a good social atmosphere of never abandoning pets easily. Britain has a complete pet-friendly social system. Most urban parks, scenic spots, suburban trails and even some shopping malls and cafes allow pets to enter. Public transport is equipped with pet riding rules to facilitate owners to travel with their pets. Special pet parks, pet swimming pools and pet grooming institutions are all over the country, providing professional and intimate services for pets. This comprehensive pet-friendly policy makes pets fully integrated into social life, rather than being confined to families. Strict animal protection laws escort British pet culture. The British government has formulated perfect animal welfare laws, clearly stipulating pet feeding standards, living environment and protection norms. Cruelty to animals will face legal sanctions and severe social condemnation. Schools carry out animal protection education from an early age, cultivating children’s sense of compassion and responsibility for small animals, making loving animals a universal social literacy. Pet culture also plays a positive role in British social life. Keeping pets helps relieve people’s life pressure, cultivate kindness and sense of responsibility, and promote harmonious family atmosphere. Pet community activities also provide new social ways for residents. Neighbors communicate and interact through pet walking and pet activities, narrowing neighborhood distance and enhancing community cohesion. British pet culture is essentially a concrete embodiment of the national view of life. It conveys the concept of equality of all lives, teaches people to be responsible and kind, and becomes a warm and indispensable part of British social civilization.
