A few years ago, I was talking about my dogs to my students (I was teaching a 5th grade class at the time). I am fortunate to teach at a school that has students from many different countries. Many are direct immigrants or 1st generation Chinese. All are wonderful and engaging, but this particular day brought a harsh realization to light. One Chinese student asked what kind of dog Roman was. "German shepherd," I replied. "They eat dogs in China, you know," This student shared with dismay. " They really like German shepherds."
There has been a lot of publicity recently on the eating of dogs and cats, and the use of their fur, in China. Many of us in America and other countries, where dogs and cats are considered family members, are appalled at this practice. I try to be culturally open minded, but this is one area that hits too close to home. Not only do I personally take issue with eating dogs and cats, but the way they are kept and killed is deplorable, not to mention inhumane.
My first question is, Why? While I knew the eating of dogs and cats was going on, I assumed it was a centuries old custom embedded deeply in tradition. I did some research on the practice and found out that in ancient China, dog meat was eaten as part of a ritual sacrifice among some tribes. In the early 18th century, eating dog was banned. Under Mao, dog meat was considered famine food. In the 1980's, increased wealth led to the promotion of dog meat by traders. Today, there is an increase of eating dog/cat among urban professionals along with a decrease among those who now keep dogs and cats as family pets.
While dog meat is not a daily staple, eating dog has never been as prevalent as it is today. According to one site, there was unconfirmed estimates of 100 million dogs eaten a year. While that figure seems unrealistic, even if it was only 1 million or 1,000, my feelings on the issue would be the same.
It's not just the eating of dogs and cats that I find appalling, it's the inhumane way they are kept and killed. Many are boiled and skinned alive for their fur. All are kept in cramped cages, many without food or water. NO animal, should be kept like this...let alone two species that have been friend and helper of man for decades.
Many might counter, "Well, you eat cows and pigs who are revered animals in Indian and Jewish cultures..."
Yes, this is true. But I only eat cows that have been humanely, grass fed and humanely killed. I was a vegetarian for 6 years and did not do well health wise, but when I decided to eat meat again, I made sure the animals came from local, humane farms. The other point that should be noted, dogs and cats are carnivores...higher on the food chain and thus, more prone to passing on health issues to us if eaten. Cows get their nutrition from plants. Personally, I feel there is a difference. In nature, carnivores eat herbivores unless food is scarce...not as matter of course.
A quote from the article "An Olympic Disgrace" discusses this issue better than I:
"Of course, one can say that some of these dogs and cats are being killed primarily for food, as was my friend the collie, their fur sold as a byproduct of Chinese culinary tastes, and so what's all the fuss? Asians eat dogs and cats; Americans and Europeans eat cows; and each of us can point a finger at someone else's gastronomic cruelty: the prisonlike conditions in American factory farms, the Japanese whaling, the French force-feeding of ducks and geese to produce foie gras...What seems particularly dismaying, though, about China's treatment of domestic dogs and cats is that these mass killings are perpetrated against two species that share our hearth and home and with which humans have had a long, familial and affectionate relationship, albeit an ambivalent one...
Set against the great human persecutions that China supports, the loss of these 2 million dogs and cats may seem insignificant. Nonetheless, each one of them is a life, full of consciousness and joy, as anyone who has lived with a dog or cat knows. Many of them are pets, mourned by Chinese families. It's one more shadow cast by the Olympic flame."
What does it say about a country or a culture that has such disregard for animals...especially animals that have aided man for centuries (would we have progressed as well without the help of our dogs, horses and cats?)? I admit to a bias here. I simply do not understand people who do not like animals and find that treating them cruelly is o.k. I personally see it as a character flaw. When someone tells me they 'hate' dogs, I know our relationship will go no further. Think about it. Animal lovers seem to be more open and kind. Yes, some can take it to the extreme...but in general, you have a population of people who want good for all living creatures and see themselves as stewards of the earth. Animal cruelty is accompanied by human cruelty, and neither benefits the soul of humanity and the preservation of our planet.
We humans are no better than our animal cousins, though many think we are. This has led to a disconnection within human society and spirit. Animals need us now more than ever. We have been given intellect and with that, power. It's been too long that humans have used that power to destroy, rather than create and preserve. I choose to use my power helping animal rescue and educating children on animal welfare. Maybe you will find your power is best used helping the homeless, or battered women, or teenage mothers, or volunteering at a local animal shelter...etc. Either way, the question to ask is: What am I doing to help? Are my actions moving me towards something good? There are many causes out there that would benefit from a few hours of your time. The feeling of helping a being in need is the best reward.
Ghandi said it all, almost 100 years ago:
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
No comments:
Post a Comment