Category: Animal Rights

We are in 2018 and the only piece of legislation we have in T&T with regards to animal welfare dates back almost 100 years ago. No, I am not kidding. I’m talking about the Summary Offenses Act of 1921.

Therefore, is it really surprising to see how many animal abuse cases we hear or read about? Is anyone being harshly punished for committing such atrocities against our animal friends?

Now as a Vegan, every single animal in my eyes is the same. Meaning, even though they have their own unique personalities and traits, their lives are equally important to me.

So what do I exactly mean by this? It means that I don’t have a dividing line. There is an invisible line that sometimes is drawn between the animals people choose to defend and advocate for, and the animals they choose to eat.

EVERY ANIMAL IS A LIVING BEING

Even though we seem to think the animals we choose to keep at home and those in factory farms are different from each other, they are actually the same. They all have eyes to see, noses to smell, ears to listen, and hearts to beat…

So when talking about mistreating or abusing animals, whether they are dogs, pigs, cows, chicken, turkeys and so forth, I see no difference. Abuse is abuse and should be punished in the harshest way possible.

But for the purpose of this blog post, I am referring specifically to our animal, home companions. Almost daily, we hear and read about dogs and cats being beaten, tortured, poisoned, abandoned, neglected and starved.

But what is there in place to protect these innocent beings from the hands of pseudo-humans who take full advantage of them? Certainly, not the archaic laws we have in place to deal with these very serious offenses.

These laws are nothing but a hard slap on the face of hundreds of animals going through indescribable pain and suffering.

Why do you think we hear so many stories of abuse? Because the perpetrators know there is nothing proper in place to deal with these crimes.  Therefore, they are rampant committing all kind of atrocities against those who cannot defend themselves.

WHEN are we going to seriously address this issue?

Let’s take a look at some sections:

SECTION 78

“In Sections 79 to 80 (inclusive) “animal” means any horse, mare, gelding, colt, filly, bull, cow, ox, steer, heifer, calf, mule, ass, ram, ewe, sheep, lamb, boar, sow, barrow, hog, pig, goat, kid, dog, cat, or any other domestic animal, whether of the kind or species particularly mentioned or of any other kind or species whatsoever, and whether a quadruped or not.”

SECTION 79 (1)

“Any person who cruelly beats, ill-treats, starves, overdrives, overloads, abuses, tortures, or otherwise maltreats any animal is liable to a fine of four hundred dollars or to imprisonment for two months.”

$400TT for beating, starving, abusing and torturing a “domesticated” animal? What kind of nonsensical law is this? Most perpetrators can pay this fine on the spot and never spend a minute behind bars.

The rest of section 79 and section 80 are so OLD that talks about the treatment of animals that are used to carry loads. We are in 2018!  This is a rare sight. These laws definitely need upgrading to match the current state of affairs in our country.

SECTION 81

It is a little more promising. It states:

“A constable or the owner of any animal in whose view an offence under either Section 79 or 80 is committed may apprehend the offender and take him before a Magistrate or Justice to be dealt with according to law. Such constable or owner may similarly apprehend the offender if information of the offence is given by any other person declaring his name and place of abode.”

Basically, police officers have the POWER to make an arrest in a case of animal abuse if reported by someone. But how many police officers would seriously take down the information provided and pursue an arrest?

Now, some people might say…Listen, the police cannot even cope with the current crime situation in the country let alone handle crimes against animals. I don’t like to think this way. One, because I don’t believe animal lives should be considered less than any other but also because if a crime is committed, it is the responsibility of the police to make an arrest if necessary. Full stop.

SECTION 82

It basically deals with restitution:

“If any person shall, by committing any offence under Section 79 or 80, cause injury or damage to be done to any animal or to any person or property, he shall, on conviction for such offence, pay to the owner of the animal (if the offender is not the owner) or to the person who has sustained the injury or damage, such sum of money by way of compensation, not exceeding five hundred dollars, as the Court shall adjudge.”

Again, this is a slap on the wrist and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. It is interesting because it also affects people and property and not only animals.

Section 83 to 84 talks about bull-baiting, cock-fighting and similar offenses. Those who are the perpetrators of such crimes will be liable to a fine of $400 or to imprisonment for two months. The fine given is so ridiculously low that I am sure those in charge of these illegal activities can pay it without blinking.

SECTION 87

It deals with animals held in pounds. And to my amazement it states:

“Except for gross negligence, no officer or servant of the Trinidad and Tobago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or person having charge of any place set apart as provided above shall be liable in respect of the death or sickness or deterioration of, or any accident or casualty to, any animal detained in such place under this Act”.

The big question is  WHY?  If they are not liable for whatever happens to these animals (EVEN though they are the ones who are supposedly taking care of them in the pound)… Who is then responsible for the neglect, accidents or death caused to these animals while in THEIR care?

SECTIONS 88 AND 90

It summarizes how animals are perceived in Trinidad & Tobago. Not as sentient, equal beings, but merely objects that can be destroyed after 48 hours if unclaimed and their bodies disposed like if they are paper.

“If any animal detained under section 85, for any period shall, on the expiration of that period or within forty-eight hours thereof, not be claimed by its owner, or if its owner does not pay to the said Society the cost of the keep and treatment of the animal during the period it is detained, the person having charge of it may, after seven days’ notice published in the Gazette, sell it by auction and apply the proceeds towards the expenses to be incurred under this Act, or may destroy it.”

“In the case of any offence under section 79 or 80, the Court may, if it thinks fit, order as part of its sentence that the animal shall be destroyed and its body disposed of at the expense of the offender.

The Commissioner of Police shall give such orders as may be necessary for the destruction of the animal and the disposal of its body.”

OUTRAGEOUS LAWS

We enslave animals in zoos under the fake blanket of education and preservation  but with the reality of a money-making business exploiting them.

We use them and abuse them as we please knowing that nothing will happen to us if we are caught committing these crimes.  And based on this law the Court and the Commissioner of Police also have the power to sentence them to death penalty…

Imagine, a murderer, a rapist and a convicted pedophile all have ONE thing in common in T&T: They don’t get to die to pay for their crimes. By the other hand, an innocent animal can be sentenced to death if a court of law or the Commissioner of Police sees it fit.

This has to be the most sick, vile, screwed system of all that rewards the guilty while punishing the innocent.

It has to STOP and it has to STOP right here and right now.

TACKLE PROPER ANIMAL WELFARE LEGISLATION

We can start by tackling proper animal welfare legislation in T&T. It is way longer due.

We can all do our part by meeting with our local MP’s and discussing this issue, get lawyers willing to be involved, creating petitions, becoming a VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS.

But for that to take place, a serious change of heart needs to take place in those with power to change policy and enabling laws.

Those in power need to start CARING. Those in power need to be WILLING.

But how many are out there? That’s the million dollar question.

We all love animals. When we see animals in distress or in danger, we quickly try our very best to help. We adopt them, we rescue them, we share friend’s requests for adoption on Facebook, we contact animal shelters and we even volunteer in some of these centers.

We also write letters and petitions on newspapers, social media and denounce animal abuse and the current lack of proper animal welfare legislation in T&T. No one is comfortable seeing animals suffering.

WE ALL HAVE BEEN BORN VEGAN

Think about it, when you were a young child if you saw a little piglet running around your yard it is most likely that you would have tried to play with the piglet rather than run for the first knife you find in the kitchen, stab the piglet to death and then cook it, right?

It’s more, I dare to say that if we are in a traffic jam and we see a mommy hen trying to cross the road with her super-cute little chicks, it is very unlikely that the reaction of people will be: “who has a knife or a gun so we kill this chicken right now and we make some tasty curry chicken?”.

No, it is most likely that people will be taking pictures of the mommy hen and her babies and then post it on Instagram with the hashtag #cutenessoverload.

I dare to say that if I choose to leave my car with a cutlass and chase that chicken with the sole intent of killing it for consumption; more than one person will come out of their car to cuss me and try to stop me. Some might even engage me into a fight; others might even call the police.

All of them will see me as crazy, nuts, cruel, out of my mind…and yet…as they talk to a friend about the whole experience in the drive tru of a fast food outlet, they are ordering a KFC dinner special…

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

But what’s the difference between the chicken we just saw on the road, the one you loved and the one on your dinner plate? Physiologically, there isn’t any difference. Both of them are indeed chickens.

Certainly, it is what we call a cognitive dissonance. The same cognitive dissonance that makes us upset when hear that in some parts of China people eat dogs. It is barbaric and cruel. We create petitions to end this practice immediately; we share Facebook’s posts that highlight this heartless practice. And yet we eat cows, chickens, pigs, ducks…and so forth.

What is really the difference between a dog, a cat or a chicken? Think about it, they are all animals. The only difference is our attitude towards them.  The value we place on their lives, our own perception. The invisible line we draw between animals we love having around and the animals we love… eating.

If dogs feel pain, don’t cows and chickens feel pain too? If dogs are in need of love and care just like each one us… Don’t cows and chickens have the same needs and desires?

HUMANE KILLING

Due to the meat, egg and dairy industry (and their delusive advertisements) we have a distorted reality of what really happens inside slaughterhouses or dairy farms. We want to believe animals are just given a soft blow to the head leading to a painless and peaceful death. It makes us feel a little better. After all, it is a “humane” way of killing.

But is there such a thing as humane killing? Or is it an oxymoron? Is there such a thing as humane beating? What about humane rape? Humane torture? There isn’t. Killing is killing and regardless of how we kill, these animals (just like us) want to LIVE. Do you  really think animals go willingly to their deaths? No, they fight…they fight with all their might because they know exactly what is going to happen to them. They are very aware.

THE SHOCKING TRUTH

More than 150 billion innocent animals are slaughtered every year in the world. We seem to think of animals as inanimate objects with no feelings or desires. The truth is that animals are sentient beings just like us; they have their own needs, wants, desires and interests.

Some researchers say pigs’ cognitive abilities are superior to 3-year-old children, as well as to dogs and cats. An article in Scientific American describes chickens as “cunning” and compares their communication skills with those of some primates and the fact that they use sophisticated signals to convey their intentions.

When chickens have to make decisions, they take into account prior experience and knowledge surrounding the situation. They can even solve complex problems and empathize with individuals that are in danger.

WHAT ABOUT THE DAIRY INDUSTRY?

Cows are continuously impregnated artificially every year in order to produce milk and then killed when they cannot longer produce it. They are not happy cows roaming free in green pastures as the dairy industry tries to promote in milk cartons. Their reality is very different.

After calves are born, they are torn away from their mothers within hours of birth, which of course causes great distress to both. You can hear the cows calling for their babies for days. Male calves end up in cramped veal crates so their meat is “tender” and females are sentenced to the same horrific fate as their mothers. What have they done to us, humans, to deserve our wrath?

A cow’s natural lifespan is around 20 years, but cows used by the dairy industry are typically killed after five years because their bodies are so worn out from constantly being pregnant or lactating. It is modern day slavery.

Have you ever seen the trucks that have chickens packed as sardines? Chickens are one of the most abused animals. Chickens are hung upside down and have their throats slit, and they’re often scalded to death in defeathering tanks.

Do not let the meat and dairy industry manipulate you with labels such as “free-range” and “organic”. Most hens are living in cramped and filthy conditions. Every year, millions of beautiful male chicks are killed in high-speed grinders because they’re worthless to the egg industry. And don’t get me started with pigs….piglets have their back teeth clipped off with metal pliers and the ends of their tails removed with scissors.

ARE YOU BOTHERED BY WHAT YOU ARE READING?

If you are, it is because you do not want to see animals suffering. It is because you and I know that if you witness any of these animals being abused in front of you, you WILL do something to try to stop the abuse.

The only reason people generally don’t do that, it is because the murder, the pain, the blood, the suffering and enslavement of these animals is happening far away from them. But they are paying someone else to do the killing for them. They are disconnected from the animals and all is needed is for that connection to be restored just like when we were children.

Using euphemisms seem to make things more palatable and acceptable for us. The pig’s flesh become “bacon” and the cow’s skin become “leather”. The pig becomes “pork” and the cow becomes “beef”. Things rather than beings.

We are afraid to show children what really goes on inside slaughterhouses, then perhaps we should come to accept that what is being done to animals in there is plain unjust, wrong and abusive. That’s why we don’t want to show it to children. But instead of trying to stop the pictures and videos..we should try our best to stop the abuse.

If you truly believe it’s wrong to hurt ALL animals, you already believe in going Vegan.You can make a difference in the lives of these sentient beings, just make the connection.

I would love hearing from you, so please feel free to leave a comment, question or simply share your experience.

Zoos are prisons for animals, but what crimes have they committed?

Marty, one of the baby zebras (under one year old) held hostage at the Emperor Valley Prison  Zoo since July 28th, has died. Just short of three months after its arrival. But the Prison Zoo has plans already underway to bring two more victims to their enclosure.

Simba, the lion, has also died in captivity  just three years ago after spending his entire life behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit.

One has to wonder how many more animals must die?  How many more must suffer?

THE TRUTH ABOUT ZOOS

Zoos are nothing but businesses that capitalize on buying, breeding and selling animals for profit and entertainment.

They market their product under many umbrellas, including wildlife conservation. The reality is that 90% of animals in zoos are not endangered.

If we are really serious about caring for endangered species and other animals in T&T, we would be talking about creating animal sanctuaries while doing away with zoos as it is happening all around the world.

Let’s be honest, everyone knows that caging animals for profit is atrocious. But apparently it is paying the bills quite well and this is the reason why they continue importing animals to be placed in a 7.2 acreage kennel.

But in a country where our national bird is brutally murdered for profit and then its dismembered parts consumed by those who have no heart or national pride…Is it really surprising that a lot of people see animals as mere items that can be used and abused as they please?

For some strange reason, there is this notion that because animals are fed, somewhat clean and their surroundings aren’t “that” bad (according to some people), they are not suffering. And it is perfectly okay and acceptable to place them behind bars and exploit them for money.

If we still don’t understand why this logic is a fallacy, replace the word animal with human being and use the exact same rationale.

Is it okay to hold hostage an innocent man or woman for years (until their death), feed them, dress them, and so forth, but forbid their innate right to freedom?

I can think of many moments in history depicting exactly this point. So if it is not good for humans, why is it good for animals?

ANIMALS ARE NOT SLAVES

Did you ever see a happy animal at the Zoo? The animals look clearly miserable, depressed and distressed (who wouldn’t?) while many others are showing clear signs of abnormal repetitive behavior among other issues.

I know I am not the only one who has noticed that. Has anyone seen Sudi the chimpanzee at the Emperor Valley Prison  Zoo that is in complete isolation but has a TV she never watches?

This is the same chimp that escaped some years ago and climbed a tree in a desperate attempt to evade her prison guards. They sedated her and send her back to her cage.

Sudi is over 40 years old and has spent over 30 years in prison.

Yet, a happy-go-lucky sign reads outside her prison cell: “Yes, I watch TV!”. A happy sign that Sudi clearly didn’t write because what Sudi truly does as observed by everyone, is stare blankly and very sadly in space, day after day.

In those monkey’s eyes, lies the truth about zoos as a place of torture, oppression, depression and complete loneliness.

Animals just like humans, are NOT meant to be confined or imprisoned but to enjoy the wonderful right to complete freedom.

In the past, there was this argument with regards to the educational value of zoos but we are not living in the 1800’s anymore. This is 2017 and anything can be found on the internet. There are complete web sites featuring animals in their natural habitat, with music, narrative, etc.

WHAT ARE WE TEACHING?

If you believe your children need that “close” contact with the animals in order to learn about them, then please ask yourself:

What is it that they are learning when I take them to the zoo? Am I teaching them that it is okay to purchase a ticket to witness and take pictures of caged animals that have lived their entire lives in complete depression and loneliness? Without ever tasting the freedom I enjoy?

Think about it… what does it say about each one of us and the values we are trying to instill in our children? Why do we continue patronizing animal prisons? Isn’t a perfect opportunity to teach children about compassion for all animals and why these places shouldn’t exist?

Some people believe that zoos care for the animals. And all they need to do is to have more space for them. And if they are provided with such space, then the animals are going to be okay and everyone will be happy.

This is perhaps the number one complaint about the Emperor Valley Prison  Zoo. However, the reality is that Zoos can never provide the kind of space that their natural habitat can provide (and the zoos know that).

So instead of trying to expand these prisons and bringing more animals into suffering, we should be working hard in preserving their habitat.

We should be working hard in enabling legislation to bring the full weight of the law to those who endanger them and their environment.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

There isn’t a happy ending to this story if these animals continue being exploited; there isn’t a happy ending to this story as long as zoos continue to exist.

How can we all help and make a difference? Simply by becoming a voice for the voiceless and stopping all forms of support (financial and otherwise) to any organization (including the Zoo) that uses and exploits animals for profit.

We have been fed for way too long the erroneous and callous idea that animals can’t think (apparently every organ in their body works except the brain), feel or don’t know what they want. And due to this, we can do whatever we want with them and don’t feel guilty because we see them as inanimate objects.

They are not inanimate objects. Animals are sentient beings, earthlings just like we are; they do not want to be imprisoned just like we do not want to.  Animals want to be happy just like each one of us desires and just because they are unable to speak, it doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to say.

They say a lot through their eyes, their expression, their behaviour…if we pay close attention.  If animals could form a religion, humans would probably be considered the devil. Speciesism is a hell of a thing.

If zoos are teaching us anything at all, it’s that imprisoning animals until their deaths for our own selfish entertainment (and money) is acceptable.

And that needs to stop, right here and right now.