Tag: animal neglect

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THE GRAVE OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER

(People who work in animal rescue and welfare speak of the ‘war’ – it is a war against incredible odds with scarce resources and a never-ending time-frame. I’m not sure we’re winning it. – animalman)

Today I put down a dog. I don’t know if she had an owner and I don’t know if she had a name.

She was just an old dog, probably not nearly as old as she looked, who had spent her whole sad life in a bad place. She was very thin and had bad mange of most of her body, and ticks and fleas and worms. Her hindquarter had collapsed, partly from malnutrition and partly from bad arthritis from old untreated injuries. Her ears had been cut short and were eaten away by flies. Her teeth were stumps, Continue reading “THE GRAVE OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER”

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Personal Philosophy of an Animal Lover

(I have for some time been an advocate for the principle “Let the Punishment fit the Crime” wih regard to crimes against te animal community. Hannelie Carstens, our new offline Spokesperson wrote this provocative essay, and it goes to the very core of the Hopeful Initiative – animalman)

The problem with living as a human being in the reference frame of planet earth is that while being equipped with a mind that has access to both the past and the future, one can live in the present only.

The best thing about being trapped in a human body while living on earth is the opportunity to experience the privilege of developing a relationship and communicating with an animal. This has been my saving grace during my sojourn in this body in this place in space and time.

The worst thing about being trapped in a human body while living on earth is seeing and hearing the things that human beings do

Continue reading “Personal Philosophy of an Animal Lover”
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The Breeder and the Damage Done

Today, while you work, have tea, conversations with friends, lunch, make arrangements for your weekend, and do all the things that enable you to enjoy life, 822 domestic animals will be ‘put down’ in shelters around the country. And that is a conservative estimate. There will probably be a lot more.

We say ‘put down’ when we refer to animals. We do not use the term ‘murder’ because they are ‘only animals’. In today’s society, one ‘puts down’ creatures of a ‘lower order’, where they ‘belong’ – we use euphemisms as shields, lest we should be ashamed…

And we should be ashamed. We should be ashamed because the measures that could have prevented this have been available for some time, because the ignorance that prevails over this scenario is inexcusable, and because the majority feed the problem and sustain it Continue reading “The Breeder and the Damage Done”