Join us to hear Melina Jacques talk about her new book, What it Really Means to Love Dogs: A Cultural and Ethical Exploration. Endorsed by animal ethicist Jessica Pierce, canine behaviourist Clive Wynne, and biologist Jonathan Balcombe, the book examines the social and ethical consequences of the modern elevation of dogs. It explores how dog devotion has become intertwined with moral identity, social expectations, and ideas about virtue and belonging, while examining the often-overlooked costs to people, other animals, and the environment. The book challenges widely held assumptions about what it means to love dogs and asks who bears the consequences when an animal becomes a cultural ideal.
Melina Jacques is an independent researcher and writer whose work examines the cultural, historical, and symbolic dimensions of human-dog relationships. She has spent many years researching the subject across animal studies, psychology, sociology, history, anthropology, philosophy, ethics, and related fields.