It's a (miserable) dog's life
60Last night on our way from mountain bike racing, we were passed on the highway by a pick up truck. On the back of the truck was the sorriest, skinniest, most nervous looking Greyhound I have ever since. Bent like a bridge, tail between his legs, ribs protruding, obviously freezing cold in the blowing winds on the open backed truck, fearing for his life, as the vehicle careered past us, my heart jumped into my mouth.
With scant regard for the fact that the teenager and his friend were in the car, I decided to follow him in the hopes that, well, I was not actually quite sure what I was going to do if I managed to stop him or if he stopped on his own. Offer him money for the dog, perhaps? Merely ask him about the dog? I had no idea, but I could not allow this moment to pass with an easy conscience. So I followed the pick up. We drove for miles, until I realised that we were driving into a "ghetto" type area, a township as such. The roads became worse and worse and I eventually had to concede that this was dangerous and that I should turn back before something bad happened. With a heavy heart I watched the pick up drive into the distance, the sad creature along with it, and my even sadder heart along with him.
I slept fitfully, wondering if there was any way in which I could hand in my notice as a human being, resign and leave planet earth. If this is what it means to be human, to inflict this misery on a living creature, then I want no part of it.
And matters were not aided by my Facebook profile the following day, which told the story of a dog which had been hog tied and dumped in a field to die. I wondered what we, as humans, have become. That we can tie up a dog and leave it to die, that we can stone to death an animal, or set it on another in a bid to watch them fight to the death, and earn money from it. I understand that dog fighting is motivated by money (greed), but even then I cannot understand this cruelty. More so, I cannot understand cruelty merely for cruelty sake. What are we teaching our children that they think this behaviour is acceptable? What will our world come to, as this callous disregard for other forms of life escalates out of control?
I am the proud owner of the world's most spoilt pet, and I have to admit that the rewards of seeing him happy is far better than seeing him pitted in a fight to death with another of his kind. Not that I can imagine Miniature Dashchunds engaging in this type of behaviour, other than perhaps becoming bait, which saddens me. The worst and most vicious trait about him is his possessiveness (in his tiny demeanour) about his toys, his food, and even my son. I have often gone in to kiss the teenager good night, not realising that the small dog is cuddled up with him, and as I have bent to kiss my son's cheek I have suddenly become the victim of an attack. As I bend there is a growl, and then a nip on the nose as he defends his "territory". It is hilarious, and somewhat alarming. He has, however, given back ten fold what we have invested in him, with his quirks and his foibles, which are hugely entertaining, from opening all the presents under the Christmas tree, thinking that all of them belong to him, to his trying to break the squeaker on his toys, and investing inordinate amounts of time in this activity, while we listen to the "phee, phee, phee" as the toy takes a proverbial bashing.
I understand that some people own dogs and animals merely for useful purposes, working animals, to protect, or to serve (this goes for more than dogs), but surely we as humans, dare I say evolved beings, have realised that an act of kindness is worth more than one of cruelty, even to an animal. Does it make sense that the dog which you want to protect you and your property will be more eager to do so if you have lavished love on him. I can assure that this is this case (studies have proven), because the threat of having his environment altered and the threat of the loss of this comfort outweighs that of being beaten each day. Dogs which have been rescued alter their loyalties so easily, because they have never had a loyalty to a person who has starved or beaten them, and made them live in abject misery.
Our Mini Mini's place in our household has already provided three years of hilarious pleasure, much like all the animals who have preceded him, the menegarie which we have had in our house - from birds, to guinea pigs, to rabbits, to hamsters, to cats and the plethora of dogs, both mongrel and pedigree, and I relish the next few years of having him tucked up under the covers with me in winter (snoring and farting) and lazing around trying to find the cool spot on the floor in summer.
From as far back as I can remember my parents taught compassion towards other living creatures. That's not to say that the odd cockroach or mosquito have not been swatted because they are a nuisance, but to look at a dog, or other animals which can form a bond and grant pleasure in return for their comfort, it is difficult to understand how anyone, adults and especially children can inflict pain, can listen to their cries and still continue with the torture.
I guess I can only hope that for the mite on the back of the pick up, his journey did not end badly, that he was being transported to a better life, where he would be fed up and looked after. I guess I am naive in thinking that we as humans should ever have been "put in charge" of other living beings in the hopes that we might do a good job of it. After all, merely reading the news sadly proves that, on the whole, we are irresponsible and selfish, greedy and do not care of what is entrusted to us. War, murder, rape, torture, the list is endless, so why should animals, sentient beings, escape our tendencies?
Is this really the legacy we want to leave? Are these really the values we want to instill in our children? Can we not just "give a dog a bone" (and shelter and some love) and make it's life a little better?
