Friends Not Food :x

Animal rights are a highly debated topic in our daily lives. With every chicken that we devour to fill our grumbling tummy is another life taken; is it “right” for us as humans to determine the fate of these animals? I personally believe that no one has the right to hold god’s power against anyone or anything and that every person chooses his own path, even animals. Sadly, not all animals are able to decide their own fate.

For centuries, dogs have been a loyal friend to mankind. From keeping us company at the loneliest hours, to guiding the blind across the road, they’ve made such a huge difference to our lives. Nowadays, dogs are cared and loved by humans very much, people are now willing to pay a great price and cater for expensive breeds just to show their affection to dogs. As much as dogs have been a friend to us, unfortunately they’ve also become a part of our food supply. Ever since the days of war, we’ve been slaughtering man’s best friend for food to be served as stir-fried dog dishes, dog chops, grilled BBQ dog and even brewed as dog soup .

In China, people treat dog meat as a traditional delicacy which they tend to consume during winter to keep their bodies warm. There are two widely used techniques to butcher a dog. The one man technique was to hit the dog twice on the head with a wooden plank to sufficiently daze it to make it safe for him to plunge his knife into its jugular vein without getting bitten. He would then hold the dog up by the tail until it bled into unconsciousness - he would then proceed to butcher it with the dog coming in and out of consciousness. With the two man technique, one man would hold the dog up by her tail while the other pulled the neck back with a wire round the dog's neck. The first man was then able to each down, again without fear of being bitten, to sever the jugular vein. Since the dog was in no way stunned, she would struggle, howl and urinate until passing out. The watching dogs would shake and howl. The dog would then be flung onto her back and the butchering would begin - consciousness returns when she's lying flat but she'd be too weak then to even struggle much.

Buddha once quoted “When a man has pity on all living creatures then only is he noble. “ He tells us that we must care and love every living organism that we share our environment with. Dogs are a gift to mankind, they’ve given the blind sight, they’ve guided the lost back home and they’ve kept us safe while we sleep soundly in our warm beds. They’ve been through thick and thin with mankind and still stayed loyal to us no matter if we’ve beaten or tortured them. Have they ever complained and bailed on us at the time of need? Alas, we’re the one bailing on them when their brothers and sisters are butchered. Can’t you see, all we want is just justice!

References :

1. Ron Brackin, January 14, 2011, Where were you when the sky fell? . Retrieved April 30, 2011, from http://ronbrackin2.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/where-were-you-when-the-sky-fell/

2. American University, September 29, Animal Rights. Retrieved May 1, 2011, from http://www.stanford.edu/group/ccr/blog/2008/09/animal_rights.html.