Love For Animals

I’ve never eaten at a sushi restaurant in Japan before. I haven’t even been to too many sushi restaurants where I live, but one thing is for sure — it’s probably rare for someone to see a live fish gasping for oxygen, i.e. dissolved oxygen, while it has skewers pierced through its body as pieces of its own body lay on top of it. It’s been said that the Japanese like their fish very fresh and raw. Well, this preference is very much reflected in their cuisine.

Of course, the preference to eat something that is alive or cook a live crayfish on a sizzling grill is a practice seen as being very normal in Japan and many other countries as well. They like their seafood really fresh, and apparently to some people, a couple of seconds or minutes make a whole lot of difference in freshness. I would think that in some Asian cultures, particularly the Japanese, they’ve witnessed the live cooking/eating practices since they were young. It’s very normal to them, but it’s such a culture clash when you’re not used to seeing people eat things while they’re still alive. It almost seems cruel. Yet, I know that the ethical belief that it’s cruel runs mostly off of the fact that it’s a cultural difference, which explains why I’m more apt to thinking it’s disgusting and morally gross.

So far, scientists do not know for sure whether fish experience pain in the same way as a chicken, cow, or human feels pain. Obviously fish have nerves, but some scientists believe they may lack a specific part of the brain that senses pain. On the other hand, there are some scientists that believe fish are very capable of feeling pain in the same way as any other animal would. If the latter is true, I can’t even imagine the torture that they have to endure as they’re slowly eaten alive while suffocating and being picked at by people who are taking their sweet time.

My dog is a labrador/shepard mix (probably mixed with more breeds though) and just turned nine years old. It seems as though her age is interfering with her ability to hold in that ungodly smell within her—the GAS! I have to give her some credit though because she doesn’t fart all the time. It happens rarely but is becoming slightly more noticeable.

I’ve learned that when certain breeds get older, their intestines start to lose their muscular tone; hence the doggy farting. Other reasons may include a poor diet, lack of exercise, constipation, or eating their food too quickly, which causes poor indigestion. Or, it just depends on the dog breed. The following dog breeds are considered the top 10 gassiest breeds according to seefido.com:

1. Mixed Breed (Check one for my dog)
2. German Shepherd (Check two)
3. Labrador Retriever (Check three)
4. Boxer
5. Poodle
6. Doberman
7. Cocker Spaniel
8. Rottweiler
9. Beagle
10. Dalmatian (I’ve actually experienced a heavily farting Dalmation! Air-freshener required! )

Of course, it all depends on your dog. I think it’s just an age factor with my dog since she gets a 30-minute walk everyday and eats dry dog food, never any wet dog food. She really only farts once in a blue moon, but I thought this was interesting. For those of you who have gassy dogs, remember to make sure your dogs get the appropriate exercise and a healthy diet suited for their needs. Oh! And keep those air fresheners in hand!

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A while back, my friend and I were walking on the street and we noticed a pair of eyes peeking out at us through a blanket. Then we both realized it was a small dog, some type of terrier. As our eyesight zoomed out a bit, we saw a homeless lady cradling the dog. As soon as we passed the lady, my friend tells me how bad she felt for the dog and how she was a little upset at the fact that homeless people don’t give up their dogs. She thought it was wrong because she felt that homeless people can’t even take care of themselves, let alone their dogs.

I just sympathized with her point, but I also suggested a hypothetical situation, which involved her as the homeless person. I told her to imagine what it would be like and whether or not she would give up her dogs (she has two). I explained to her (something along these lines): Imagine losing everything. And your dogs were all you had left. Sure, you could try to find them a better home, but what if no one could take them? Would you give it to a shelter (probably no-kill), but would that guarantee a good home for your dogs? Some kind of home is better than no home, right? Maybe, maybe not. But you do know one thing for sure, and that is the fact that you love your dogs. Some people see their pets as their best friends. It’s hard for them to give them up. But really could you imagine giving up your dogs in a situation like that?

She didn’t answer because she knew that if the situation was real for her, it would be a difficult decision to make. It became evident in her mind that it wasn’t a situation that had a clear-cut solution, at least when feelings are involved.

I think that it’s hard to witness an animal fall to the same fate as its homeless owner. It’s unfortunate for the animals because their life is being led by the owner. Yet, in my opinion, I don’t think it’s wrong for a homeless person to have an animal companion. We don’t know what this person is going through or what reasons he has for keeping his animal(s). It’s all speculative. Also, maybe homeless people find stray dogs, befriend them, and “take them in.” It’s very possible that a roof over an animal’s head isn’t always the answer to finding good care and love. If an animal finds a loving bond with someone who is able to care for the animal, whether homeless or not, that’s really a point to consider. Perhaps animals find “homes” in the people themselves, not an actual roof.

Suggested Related Links:

Feeding Pets of the Homeless

Lucky Dog Show - Interview with the Founder and Executive Director of Feeding Pets of the Homeless (Non-profit Organization)

As autumn approaches, so does hunting season. I’m sure that most hunters do not actually hate animals. As weird as it may sound, some hunters probably appreciate and respect wildlife. This can be apparent if you’ve ever heard a hunter talk about how “beautiful” an animal is in all its size and glory. As to why they kill animals, is beyond me. The idea of hunting animals as a recreational sport just boggles my mind. I cannot understand the point in it.

I really don’t believe in the “conservation efforts” of hunting. I think it’s ridiculous. It’s just a way to mask the controversy over this “sport” and to allow it to continue. Many conservation agencies support hunting because they say it helps to control over-population issues. And according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the NRA-ILA, hunters (and fisherman) “fund nearly 75% of the annual income for all 50 state conservation agencies. Through license fees and excise taxes on arms and gear, sportsmen contribute $200 million per year for wildlife conservation.” This fact is something to really consider. I personally don’t think hunting is necessary to control over-population; I think nature will handle the “problem” on its own and that the ecosystem will suffice without the help of hunting. Yet, the sport of hunting continues to gain support as long as hunters keep putting money into the pockets of certain associations and agencies. And with support comes excuses that will try to undermine ethical objections against hunting.

For example, conservation agencies know who provides the bulk of their funding and, for the sake of that, those agencies support hunting. Not to mention, conservation agencies probably see hunting as a “liability” that nature can withstand if carefully regulated (thus, the creation of hunting season). The idea here is that every group is appeased in some way.

Aside from the excuse that hunting is a conservation effort (which, by the way, is pretty much the only real reason that allows them to even get close to having a sound argument in support of hunting), there’s just no point in hunting animals for sport. There’s something eerie in wanting to kill for the pleasure of killing or “just because.” Maybe some hunters don’t see anything wrong with hunting because it’s been a tradition within their family. But that’s exactly the point too—among so many other reasons I won’t get into right now. There are just so many people that have become so desensitized by the fact that we can do whatever we want if nothing else gets in the way. It’s like some people don’t even have their own ethical belief structure anymore, but a belief structure based purely on the law itself and what it allows. The law isn’t always influenced by ethical choices, but more commonly by special interests. So don’t just look to the law and think that things are right because some guys in suits said so.

Hunting is not a sport. It’s killing for entertainment, pleasure, and sense of pride. In the early days of hunting, it was done as a means for survival, but now, it’s just developed into this recreational sport—a sport that celebrates the idea of stealing life away for the naive and obnoxious pleasure of killing. Basically.

Suggested related links:

Animal Rights: Arguments For and Against Hunting

Thoughts on Hunting

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: What Do Hunters Do For Conservation?

I’ve asked myself this question on countless occasions. Am I a terrible person for eating meat? Or as most animal rights supporters will say, “How can you support animal rights and eat meat if it causes animal suffering?” I understand their point as I have come to ask myself the same thing, but a lot of the times I feel conflicted about whether eating meat contradicts what I support.

I once visited a forum and read a comment that was posted by a vegan, in which she compared eating meat to murder. And although, I can see where she’s coming from, I just can’t shake the feeling that the comparison seemed to be a pretty unfair analogy. Murder is associated with spiteful and evil intentions, whereas when people eat meat, it’s not like they’re doing it out of spite or hate. I doubt many of the people that eat meat take pleasure in killing or seeing an animal die.

Is the act of eating meat not a part of the circle of life, of the order of the food chain that makes this world and every being on it function in a sustainable structure? Hypothetically speaking, if animals were able to engage in complex reasoning like humans, would we expect them to not eat meat either? What I’m getting at is this, why is the actual, particular act of eating meat thought to be so evil? Is it not natural? Which reminds me of a memorable quote:

“Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it.” –Mark Twain

According to Twain’s quote, “cruel” is being associated with one who “inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it,” so then is it still cruel to eat meat, because eating meat doesn’t necessarily inflict pain to animals for the pleasure of doing it. If we consider the slaughterhouses or factory farms that don’t treat or kill the animals in a humane way, I do agree that it would be very cruel, and I wouldn’t support places like that. For that reason, why not go for organic meat where the animals are raised more naturally in open spaces and where the farms abide by humane treatment standards of animals as set forth by the Humane Society of the United States or Humane Society International.

This blog isn’t meant to challenge any vegan or vegetarian on their personal lifestyle, but it is for me and anyone else out there that also feels torn between their love for animals and their meat-eating lifestyle. I think eating meat is natural, but I think what slaughterhouse establishments do to their animals while raising them is sickeningly unnatural (i.e. force-feeding of ducks and geese to swell up their livers up to ten times their normal size for the sale of “foie gras” or immobilizing calves to tiny boxes before killing for the sale of veal). This type of treatment I cannot support, and I will not even eat any of those so-called “delicacies” because of how that treatment is totally unnatural, repulsively cruel, and incredibly inhumane. Because of this treatment in slaughterhouses, many people refrain from eating meat because they don’t want to support that kind of cruelty. However, I don’t think the act of eating meat itself is synonymous with the cruelty of those slaughterhouses.

My logical side of my mind says that there are ways to eat meat and be a humane person too, but my heart fights with taking a life for food when it’s not the last resort. For the question of being a terrible person if you eat meat, I say that no one should be judged for eating meat. Although, I do admit that I’m barely hanging on to this meat-eating lifestyle…

Suggested Related Links:

Ethical Food Revolution Picks Up Pace With 62% Rise

Should We Eat Meat?

Why Animal Rights?

WashingtonPost.com - For Meat-Eating Authors, A More Tender Approach

Gawker - Vegans

Ban Foie Gras - How You Can Help