Friday, 8 March 2013

The State of Our Hearts

Of late, I have been focusing on the plight of animals in this blog. Maybe, it was triggered by the death of my dog, Oreo. Or maybe not. Because to me, whether the topic is about animals or our human problems, the basic issue is still about ourselves. How we treat animals or those weaker and more disadvantaged than us reflects who we truly are inside.  The group I am talking about are children, old folks, sick people and those unspoken for in society,

It is easy to be nice and invest our time on those richer and more influential than us, even though we may not like them because the relationship can potentially bring us benefits. But what about those whom we have to give  more to and  obtain less benefit in return? Or at least that is how it appears, superficially.

Recently, the euthanasia of 8 service dogs at the Fire & Rescue Department caused a public uproar. These loyal, courageous dogs that were now too old to service the nation were inhumanely put to sleep.

"These dogs have served the nation valiantly and with obvious passion for their work. They have put their lives in danger to spare their human handlers the same danger. Their needs are simple and they expect no extravagant pension or benefits. Many do not even live for many years to enjoy much comfort or care following their retirement from active service. They deserve every chance possible to live out their golden years in peace and reasonable comfort. We owe it to these brave dogs to create these chances for them. And we owe it to ourselves and our society to practice the values of compassion, gratitude, accountability and loyalty that we claim to uphold. " Petfinder.myWagazine

I wonder whether it has ever crossed their human minds how it would feel if they were treated in the same manner. What about our aged parents when they no longer can serve us?  Is the worthiness of life measured by their continuing usefulness to us? Do beings have to earn the right to live? It seems so. Our nation maybe progressing, our wallets bigger but what does it say about the state of our hearts?

To me, these are terrible pictures of the callous human heart and great betrayal. A sad day for humankind.



4 comments:

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    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear CF,

    It is inhuman, sigh...

    Evelyn

    ReplyDelete
  3. A word about strays...I believe these so-called dog lovers ie. people who own pedigree canines
    are no better than the rest who may be indifferent to the plight of these homeless strays
    Judging by the types of strays found of late, it would appear that
    this is the very group of people partly responsible for the increasing
    numbers. One would assume that these pedigree breeds are abandoned after
    the initial novelty of ownership, when the reality of long term care that
    requires much effort, time and money sets in. These people buys a dog much
    like purchasing a handphone , etc. If indeed one has a genuine love for
    such animals, wouldn't it be the same if its merely a mixed breed?
    The sad fact is that humankind wants nothing to do with the less than perfect
    form or the old. Pedigree dog owners (at the risk of making a sweeping
    statement) disgusts me. At least the rest of us remain indifferent but
    we don't profess to be dog lovers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear M,

    To be fair, not all dog owners, pedigree or not are as you described. Many are genuine dog lovers too. Some breeds of dogs are definitely very cute and cuddly so we can get quite taken by them. Yes, it can become a status symbol too, as with so many of our other possessions. However, I still would encourage dog lovers to adopt rather than buy, whether pedigree or not, so that these stray dogs can have a shelter and be free from danger and loss of life. Stray dogs are not well treated here.

    Rgds,
    CF

    ReplyDelete