RENEWAL INTEREST IN ANIMAL WELFARE
By Pat Dial
Kaieteur News – It has recently been reported in the media that two animal welfare groups – ‘Paws for a Cause’ and ‘Society Rescue, Adoption and Protection of Animals’ – have met the First Lady, Arya Ali, who sponsored her and’ to pledge active and material support.
These organizations have the fundamental goals of improving animal welfare, preventing animal cruelty and controlling the stray animal population, particularly in Georgetown and New Amsterdam. The stray animal population in Georgetown was caused primarily by the heavy out-migration of families who have reluctantly abandoned their pets, lost animals and could not find their way home and announced puppies and puppies. n growing up on the streets. It is hoped that the new animal welfare efforts will graciously help solve the problem of stray in contrast to the current approach of catching the animals and putting them to sleep.
The process of achieving these basic goals involves a number of activities that include finding homes for the animals; temporarily detained in volunteers’ homes until they were adopted; picking up, feeding and spraying vagrants and then releasing them. Two more and more important projects must be undertaken – educating primary school children about necessity and animal welfare methodology and building animal shelters.
Animal welfare could be taught in Biology classes or could fit into Ecological and Environmental studies very easily as the basic premise of these studies is that “All life is one.” That is, all living things are connected and interdependent whether they are trees, mammals, reptiles and other life forms. Therefore, if any species is declining or extinct, human life is affected although it is not immediately identifiable. So protecting and keeping animals, at home as well as in the wild, is for the benefit of humans.
The care and protection of pets is a civilizing force in society. It reduces violent crime and makes human relationships easier and more humane. In the 19th century, when literacy became almost universal in the West, school readers’ love and respect for animals such as, for example, the Royal Readers was used in Britain and the British Empire.
In older civilizations like the Buddhists, the idea that all life is one is irreducible and pets and other animals are treated with great respect and empathy. This is manifested, for example, in the famous Metta Sutra where Man is connected to show loving kindness to all sentient beings.
Building shelters for pets, whether they are birds, turtles, monkeys, rabbits, dogs and cats would be a great improvement. The first one will be built in the village of Paradise on the East Coast of Demerara as a Paws for a Cause project. The Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) had long provided shelter and care for animals, but their facilities are overcrowded. Paradise refuge will have full veterinary services, facilities for children to visit and an easier adoption process. Paws for the Society for Case and Rescue, Adoption and Animal Protection is currently using Social Media to educate and organize adoption. Attempts are also made to restrict or control the use of squads and fireworks, as their explosions cause severe suffering to animals.
Guyana is now entering a new era of economic and social development and this new interest in animal welfare is being considered by many as part of its development.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.)