|
     |
|
|
Articles
I didn't like this kind of set up at the best of times. For the sake of an occasional canter, these animals spend most of their days confined in narrow stalls. In cold climates, such as Canada's, horses remain cooped up all winter, virtually motionless, incarcerated - the word is not too strong - in quarters ludicrously cramped considering their size. The suffering that these naturally gregarious creatures endure from such isolation, as well as lack of space and exercise is a fact that is often ignored. A dog on a leash, a bird in a cage and a fish in a tank reflect the same greed, emptiness, boredom, self-centeredness and neurotic need for self-gratification that mark our relationship with our world; they are of apiece with the other problems that beset modern society: pollution, climactic chaos, the contamination of our food chain, the exhaustion of our natural resources, the breakdown of our social fabric, war, drugs, violence and a growing gap between the rich and the poor. We use high sounding words like compassion, humanism, altruism, activism, care, love, they just serve as a verbal smokescreen that hides our tendency to treat not just animals, but other people and nature itself as mere merchandise, as objects of pleasure, comfort and satisfaction. Pseudoscience is the right word for zootherapy, a poorly documented treatment for the fever and not for the disease. The prevalence of pets in rich, industrialized societies is, in fact, one of many indicators of major social problems. Animals are being used as living Prozac, a kind of tranquilizer to ease the chronic ills of life in a decadent society. But they’re not curing anything. On the contrary, avoiding your problems just makes them worse. If pets are that good for us why are 70 % of owners get rid of them within 2 years? Because they’re more trouble than they’re worth. How many more feel obligated, out of moral duty and guilt, to endure for years an impossible or unsatisfying relationship? Whereas no one can possibly deny that we are exploiting animals for food, clothing, or scientific research, it is much less obvious in the case of pets. One of the main reasons for the ambiguity is that animals themselves seek and appreciate our company. For many people, this seemingly natural attraction is the proof that animals and humans have a noble, natural inclination to love each other. But the case is not so simple. |
