BANNING ANIMAL CRUELTY: STEPPING INTO A BETTER WORLD!

Kindness and compassion towards all living things is a mark of a civilized society. Conversely, cruelty, whether it is animal cruelty or human cruelty, is not the exclusive province of any one culture or community of people. The greatness of a nation, its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

Humanity’s true moral test, its fundamental test consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. Concern for animals is a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done.

The abuse of a harmless thing is the essence of sin.

Ever heard about ecological balance? well its not balanced anymore..

For centuries, humans have been torturing animals for personal benefit. These tortures have been selfishly justified by stating the necessity for food procurement, upgrading technology, and for boosting commerce. The most disturbing crimes against animals are the ones carried out merely for fashion, sports, or pleasure. e.g. canned hunting. 

Where are we headed? Of course not towards a better world. Our conscience is seriously missing here. We’ll lose more species of plants and animals between 2000 and 2065 than we’ve lost in the last 65 million years. If we don’t find answers to these problems, we’re gonna be victims of this extinction event that we’re at fault for. Below listed are the practices that prove that we’re losing humanity:

Animal cruelty still in practice

Sacrificing animals for generational passed on culture and traditions

• The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji.

The annual dolphin hunt in the Japanese town of Taiji is defended on the basis of tradition and culture and justified on the basis that dolphins ain’t endangered. These dolphins ain’t just kept in captivity well-known facilities such as Sea world but in small aquariums and hotel swimming pools which are not even less inhumane.

The Japanese government is also resistant to any change, seeing the criticism of taiji as a cultural attack rather than a desire to end animal cruelty.

• And then there is the Faroe Island’s pilot whale drive.

Likewise, tradition is the justification for the brutal Faroe Island’s pilot whale drive where entire pods, including mothers and calves, are driven ashore and butchered with hooks and knives. Known as the “Grindadrap” or “Grind”, the whale hunt is a centuries-old cultural tradition. It was just a natural way of life for islanders earlier but now the island has a thriving fishing industry with exports to the U.S. and Europe.

That’s what we call “The progress” today. Ironical right?

• Eid-Al-Adha

Eid-Al-Adha also called the “Festival of the Sacrifice” is the second of the two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year. And surprisingly it is considered more holy than the other just because of the animal sacrifice. It honors the willingness of Ibraham (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command. But before Abraham could sacrifice his son, God provided him with a lamb to sacrifice instead.

In commemoration of this, an animal is sacrificed and divided into three parts, and religion wins over humanity.

• The Hindu Gadhimai Festival

The Hindu Gadhimai Festival held in southern Nepal every five years has attracted global outrage at the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals. During the 2009 Gadhimai Festival, an estimated 500,000 buffalos, goats, chickens, and other animals decapitated.

 

Some animal sacrifice defenders argue that the animals would die and be eaten anyway. Holding slaughterhouse for scrutiny they dare to ask the difference between an animal killed at a festival (as a holy sacrifice) and one killed at a slaughterhouse.

Slaughtering animals for medicine and food customs

In China, North Korea, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar, Asiatic black bears and sun bears are kept in cramped cages and framed for bile. China is the biggest market for elephant tusks and rhino horns, as well as the helmeted hornbill’s beak.

Big consumers of shark fin soup, Chinese appetite drives the cruelty practice of cutting fins off live sharks that are thrown back into the ocean, unable to swim, the shark sinks to the bottom and suffocates or is eaten. Shark fins are also believed to have medicinal benefits although there is no scientific evidence.

There there’s the annual dog meat festival. Dogs, both strays and stolen pets are rounded up across China and transported in cruel conditions to Yulin. It is called “Yulin Dog Meat FESTIVAL“??? Dogs are bludgeoned and some are scalded and skinned while still alive. I wonder if those butchers are human anymore.

Animal Cruelty for sports and entertainment

Rodeo events are still popular in cattle ranching countries such as Spain, Mexico, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

At the Torneo De Lazo Rodeo in Mexico, bulls are encouraged to gauge horses who die in agony with entrails spilling forth as riders remain unharmed. In India and Spain Jallikattu and bullfighting is still holding despite the opposition of the younger generation.

In the U.K., fox hunting is an example of selfish human cruel desires.

The cruelty with these innocent animals doesn’t end here. There are zoos which are lacking the required facilities for their living. Species which are not suitable for captivity, are forced to live a hell life.

Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow-creatures is amusing in itself.  

Animal Cruelty: In the name of science and research!

Certain animals are made a victim of development in the name of research. The lowest level being when you have to perform a dissection on a frog just to learn what heart looks like. And it doesn’t stop here. Imagine being your skin pulled out so that medicines could be made out of it. It all takes place openly with no regrets whatsoever. Sad but true!

An animal experiment cannot be justifiable unless the experiment is so important that the use of a brain-damaged human would be justifiable.     

Laws and regulations for animal welfare

Richard Martin was among the founders of the world’s first animal welfare organization, the Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals, SPCA in 1824. In 1840, with the blessings of Queen Victoria, it became the RSCPA.

In 1837, the German Minister Albert Knapp founded the first-ever German Animal Welfare Society.

One of the first national laws to protect animals was the U.K. “Cruelty to Animals Act, 1835” followed by the “Protection of Animals Act, 1911”. In the U.S. it was many years until there was a national law to protect animals-the “Animal Welfare Act of 1966”, the delay is quite surprising.

But more surprising is that in India animals are protected by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

In other words, significant progress in animal welfare did not take place until the 20th century.

PETA and ASPCA are two such wonderful initiatives that are trying to make a big difference now and then. Both are American based non-profit organizations.

PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals with nearly 400 employees it claims that it has 6.5 million members and supporters. Additionally, it claims that it’s the largest animal rights group in the world.

Whereas ASPCA, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was formed in 1866. With a motto  “we are their voice”, the corporation is doing great work.

Also just like the ones listed above, there are various other NGOs and initiatives that support animal welfare and seeks a ban on cruel practices.

The Five Freedoms

On the basis of Professor Brambilla’s report of intensive farming of animals, the U.K. government set up the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Committee in 1967. The committee’s first guideline recommended that animals require the freedom to ” stand up, lie down, turn around, groom themselves and stretch their limbs”. The guidelines have since been elaborated upon to known as the ‘Five Freedoms’.

Recently a wonderful step is taken by the High court of Indian states Haryana and Punjab. The high court declares “all animals as legal persons and all citizens their guardians.” This stride can obviously become an inspiration to the United Nations assembly. And they have to think about a universal law against animal cruelty. As the verdict came with the motto “live and let live”, it will definitely make an impact on deaf authorities.

The Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare

A number of animal welfare organizations are campaigning to achieve a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW) at the United Nations.

In principle, the declaration would call on the united nations to recognize animals as sentient beings, capable of experiencing pain and suffering. And to recognize that animal welfare is an issue of importance as part of the social or sustainable development of nations worldwide.

The campaign to achieve the UDAW is being coordinated by World Animal Protection, with core working group including compassion in world farming, RSPCA, and the Human Society International (The international branch of HSUS).

Animal welfare is certainly human welfare

If Grumpy cat and Bao Bao can make us smile, the animal can actually have a positive effect on our health.

When we are sad, stressed, scared, or wondering how we can possibly deal with whatever life has thrown our way, animals have the ability to make us feel better.

Studies have shown that interacting with animals (even fish!) helps lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and decrease depression. Scientists have also observed that the company of animals increases in the hormone Oxytocin. The hormone with a number of important effects shows a person’s heart rate and breathing, reduces blood pressure and inhibits the production of stress hormones.

All of these changes help to create a sense of calm and comfort in the human body. This healing can be emotional as well as physical, as oxytocin makes us feel happy and encourages trust and promotes bonding. Therefore there are hospitals for the betterment of patients which are including animal therapy in the treatment. Not only betterment but also diseases such as cancer can be cured with the help of animals.

It is about time that Animal cruelty be stopped. It is both scientifically and morally wrong. 

I urge you to ask yourself just how honorable it is to preside over the abuse and suffering of animals.

“A better world awaits all of us. But in order to get there, we need to realize what is so wrong with the existing one and make corrections. There is a solid need to put a stop to this cruelty on those innocent and harmless animals”. 

No Law or organization can make that of a huge difference until each person realizes his/her part. But this is the same world with the same selfish humans we are talking about, who are not even bothered that they won’t even have fresh air to breathe or clean water to drink in the future. But that is another topic for some other day, isn’t it? It is high time that each one of selfish pricks for humans shall wake up and take charge to change for better. Hence banning animal cruelty to stepping into a new and better world.

 

Also Read Why human loves dogs more than other human?