'Please tell me when you are in pain': A (heartbreaking) story of care, connection and female-canine companionship (conference abstract)

Abstract

<p>We are lacking of critical research on animal-human relations and cross-species companionship in the field of organization studies. Arguably, we are not thinking adequately about animal kinship, our organized relations with animals, or interspecial communication within our field. This exploratory paper aims at reflecting upon the affective and embodied qualities of canine-human relations. In this paper, we will address the topic of canine bitches, female canine companionship and our experiences of caring for and writing together with our beloved dogs. Specifically, we ask what the underdeveloped area of canine-human companionship could potentially offer and teach the field of organization studies.</p><p>In this paper, we share an autoethnographic story of one companionship between one of the authors and her dog, who are living through borderlines between life and death, mourning and joy, and selfishness and surrendering. We find this as a way to develop questions around trans-species communication, human-animal companionship as well as silenced embodiments, struggles and ethical questions in a ‘shameful’ research area. Moreover, this paper argues that the largely undertheorized area of dog-human companionship could raise important feminist concerns about silenced topics within our field, such as caring, touching, shame and mourning, and thus contribute to ways of developing and considering the same. Finally, this paper offers a critical reflection of the potentials and limitations of alternative research that recognizes our gendered, organized relations with animals in the field of organization studies.</p>