Shelley Horton has shared his controversial views on parenting and choosing to have pets instead of children.
The Talking Married host, 50, owns two dogs with her husband Darren Robinson and describes herself as “proudly free to have children by choice.”
In an article published in 9honey On Saturday, Shelly said she believes ‘fur children’ are better than ‘fur children’, while claiming that pet owners’ love for their animals is ‘equal’ to a parent’s love for a child.
While Shelly emphasized that she is not ‘Comparing the complexities of human life to that of our pets, he believes the “emotional investment” he puts into his dogs is on par with parenting.
“For some, pets provide a presence that alleviates anxiety and loneliness, offers joy and, yes, requires a lot of responsibility – qualities similar to those required in raising children,” he argued.
Shelly Horton, 50 (pictured), has shared her controversial views on parenting and choosing to have pets instead of children.
Shelly also responded to Sydney Morning Herald journalist Hannah Vanderheide, who recently published an op-ed about how raising a child is much harder than having a pet.
In it, he argued that pet owners should not consider themselves mothers or fathers, especially considering that a dog’s life expectancy is significantly shorter than that of a human.
Shelly said Hannah’s statements “seemed like a slap in the face” and “lacked empathy.”
The Talking Married host has two dogs with her husband Darren Robinson (left) and describes herself as “proudly childless by choice.”
“Dismissing your emotional investment choice by saying ‘it’s just a dog’ or ‘it’s not the same as having a child’ not only seems dismissive but also overly simplistic from a judgment standpoint,” Shelly wrote.
“While our fur babies may not need school uniforms or college funds, they demand something equally valuable: a piece of our hearts,” she later added.
Shelly has been open in the past about why she doesn’t want children with her husband, and they are perfectly happy raising a family that includes two dogs.
In an article published on 9Honey on Saturday, Shelly said she believes ‘fur children’ are better than ‘fur children’, while claiming that pet owners’ love for their animals is ‘equal’ to the love of a father for a child.
In January 2024, Shelly admitted that she was devastated. when his doctor told him he would need a hysterectomy.
Shelly had required the surgical procedure, which removes a woman’s uterus, due to severe perimenopausal symptoms and heavy bleeding.
“I’m surprised at how overwhelmed and tearful I feel about this,” she wrote in an article for 9Honey at the time.
In January 2024, Shelly admitted she was devastated when her doctor told her she would need a hysterectomy.
Shelly said that while she never wanted to have children, she still feels some “pain” over the loss of her reproductive organ.
“I’m proud that I don’t have children by choice, so I’m furious that this organ I’ve never needed causes me so much misery,” she wrote.
‘I’ve joked with my friends that I want to sell my uterus on eBay: “A uterus. Never used. Still in box!” However, as I laugh, I also feel a mix of anger, sadness, and a sense of betrayal by my own body,” she wrote.