TAKING CARE OF STRAY ANIMALS IS NOT A BURDEN BUT A MORAL RESPOSIBILITY
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral
progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”.
Does everyone here recall the terrible massacre that took place in
2022 in Kerala?
According to the Hindustan Times, more than 1,000 dogs, including pets, have
been poisoned, beaten to death with iron rods and sticks, hung by the neck,
burned and buried alive in Kerala.
And not only in Kerala, in Karnataka's Bellary, over 100 street dogs whose
mouths and legs were tied with metal wires were thrown into the forest for no
significant reason.
Another 60 street dogs were beaten up, bound and thrown outside the
municipal limits in the city of Belgaum in Karnataka.
I believe this is just cold blooded murder. An event such as in kerala took place
because a child was killed by a street dog. I am not defending the dog in this
situation but I am defending those 1000s of innocent dogs whose lives were
snatched away from them.
Ruthless killings like these happen to not only dogs but ALL STRAY ANIMALS
across the country. Even though we all categorise as animals, we humans
consider ourselves superior as compared to every other species. They have a
right to live. They feel pain, torture and suffering just as much as humans do.
A few days ago, I saw a video where a camera had been attached to a stray
dog’s collar and you could see a day in its life. People were randomly throwing
stones and sticks for simply walking or for searching for food or water to
survive. Now I would like everyone to imagine how you would feel if you were
in its position, you would feel hurt and vulnerable, right? That’s how every
stray animal in our country feels like every single day. They have a life and
deserve to be treated with respect and affection. Being a kind-hearted and
sympathetic person is not going to hurt you but it is going to help them. By
sharing our home with them, you not only take care of their needs but you also
save a life.
Any street animal would not hurt you unless they are under the impression
that you are threatening them and I can give you that assurance because I have
never been bit by stray animal even though I meet at least 5 of them each day
People brutally torture the mute beings to show hatred and intolerance or just
for the sake of fun and entertainment in some cases.
I would like to tell you a story now, a dog named Hachiko in Japan tragically
died when he was 11 years old. He used to accompany his owner every day to
the train station when he used leave for work. Unfortunately one day, the
owner had a terrible heart attack at his workplace which he could not survive.
Hachiko died after 9 continuous years of constantly waiting at the station for
his owner to come back. He did not meet his owner after he passed away and
so he was not aware of his demise. There is now a statue of Hachiko at the
place he used to wait. This is just an example of how loyal and compassionate
dogs and animals can be when they are loved and valued. I am in true disbelief
that humans can be so heartless and inhumane towards any creature.
Feeding animals, giving them shelter in your house, sending them to animal
shelters, reporting animal abuse, adopting, fostering, raising awareness &
donating are some ways anyone can help local strays. I cannot change our
entire society but I can help bring change in the people around me.
So, I urge everyone here, let us embrace this moral responsibility with open
hearts. Let us be the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Together let us create a world where compassion and love knows no bounds.
Thankyou.