To be blunt; it needs to stop.
I don't think that there is anything more horrific in this world than animal cruelty. Yes, we have cancer. Yes, children die. And yes, there are wars across this world. But as humans, we have an element of control. An element of understanding and empathy to what's going on around us and, a choice. A choice of how we deal with it.
But animals, they don't have a choice. They don't have a choice when a group of men from Indonesia throws a cat in a crocodile infested pool. They don't have a choice when an underground organisation in China steals beloved pet dogs from their homes and cooks them alive in boiling water. And they don't have a choice when a group of kids throw around baby signets and set their nest on fire, just because its' fun. It's that lack of control, lack of power, which to me makes it more horrific than anything else.
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand that in this world we all have our own unique cultural values. We, here in the UK, eat beef and a lot of it. But in India, the cow is sacred, an animal that should be respected, revered even. So there of course is a delicate balance when one raises the issue of what is right and wrong in regards to the treatment of animals. What one culture says is sacred murder is another cultures main fast food ingredient.
But when it comes to intelligent creatures, those who can guide a blind person around danger or sniff out an IED in a conflict zone, what gives us the right to use those as food?
I love animals, all of them.
No - I'm not a vegan or vegetarian, and don't wish to be. But what I can't comprehend is why you would steal and torture an intelligent creature for a festival that has no cultural or significant importance?
Quite frankly the treatment of dogs at your festival is barbaric and in-humane and sheds you of any shred of compassion and humanity what-so-ever.
We; humans, animals, insects and every other species all have the god given right to be on this planet. So what gives you the right to capture and torture these poor helpless animals for your own self-satisfaction?
There are plenty of meat options out there that we as a race consume on a daily basis. That, despite others opinions are bred for that very reason; our consumption.
But stealing an innocent life because it goes well with your lychee's, in my book, is not a good enough reason.
So I urge you, plea you, implore you and tell you; stop. Stop now before this gets out of hand.
Because that dog you're about to cook alive could have saved your life, not something you can say about many other animals, is it?