Encounters with a canine other

Performing Domestication in Transnational Animal Rescue and Rehoming

Bibliographic Data

ID3977295
AuthorsNora Schuurman (0000-0002-0835-5223, University of Turku, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume22
Issue5
Pages686-703
Publication date2021-06-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial & Cultural Geography (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1464-9365 • E-ISSN: 1470-1197
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14649365.2019.1619820
OpenAlexW2946458318
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited35

The transnational practices of rescuing and rehoming unwanted animals with the help of specific animal 'rescue' organisations have become more widespread in the 2010s. These practices can be considered manifestations of a response to the perceived problems in dog breeding. They can also be understood in terms of interspecies care, a process comprising relational encounters and communications between humans and animals, interpretations of 'animality' in different spatial and temporal contexts, as well as situational practices. In this article, I explore the experiences of adopting a 'rescue' dog and the process in which the animal adapts to life in the home. Drawing from blogs published by adopters of rescue dogs in Finland, I ask whether the experiences of encountering and accommodating a rescue dog can be understood as performances of 'everyday domestication'. An encounter with a rescue dog involves practices in which the animal is introduced to the spaces and relational networks in which they are expected to live. In the blogs, the dog–human relationship is communicated to the reader in a way that suits the culturally shared idea of living with a dog, including expectations of attachment and control, and interpretations of animal agency

Biology · Domestication · Geography · Sociology · Geographies of human-animal interactions · History · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Zoonotic diseases and public health · Ecology

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