Animal Day

Be it a stray cat, a disowned dog or a runaway hamster, there is no doubt of the impact that animals have in our lives. And I'm not only talking about pets/domestic animals, but also those you see behind the bars at zoos - the malnourished sun bear, the three-legged Bengal tiger, the chained baby elephant.

Why, you wonder, am I talking about animals? Well, yesterday (4th October) was World Animal Day, which came and went, I believe, without much impact or hype. Every day you see videos/pictures of sharks being hunted for their fins, cats being locked in cages and burned, puppies being set on fire, hung on nooses, beaten up and thrown against the wall. We could only shake our heads and express our disgust whenever things like that surface on Facebook or Youtube. Waves of protest and outrage usually ensue, followed by petitions and letters advocating for harsher laws and penalties. But sadly, none of these cases ever made it to court.

Photo taken from here

Photo taken from here

So the next time you witness the man next door beating his dog whenever the dog chews undies into tatters or digs a hole in the backyard, or a neighbour's child putting a kitten into a box and kicking it around, think about it: what can you do?