By giving importance to competition based education, people start forgetting humane elements like sympathy and compassion at a rather early age. At this juncture, Indian education should ACT to inculcate compassion for animals.
Circus animals cannot experience the freedoms they would find in nature. Instead they are abused and forced to perform unnatural stunts. I am flustered to read of His Holiness’ support for circus performers who use wild animals, and urge that he not endorse their subjugation.
The bullfight involves a ritual of prolonged, agonizing torture of bulls for entertainment. The Catholic Church needs to speak out against the bullfight partly because of the Church’s ability to exert influence in Catholic countries, and partly because the Church is complicit in this cruelty.
Traditional temple festivals in South India use elephants as part of their rituals. Thrissur Pooram, the biggest festival of all, used more than 60 elephants this year, of which 30 suffered clear animal welfare violations. There are various reasons to rethink the use of animals in such events.
In a world in turmoil caused by war, economic pressures and environmental problems, it is easy to forget that we are not the only species living and surviving on this planet. Karuna Society for Animals & Nature is a safe haven for animals in distress, providing first aid and shelter for street dogs, cats and other animals.
Tree House Humane Society offers a proven, humane, long-term, “green,” alternative solution to Chicago’s growing rat issue. The project relocates feral or community cats to new territories where their hunting instincts and mere presence results in reduced numbers of rats, while giving them a safe and secure location where they can live out the rest of their lives.
Pope St. Pius V described bullfights as “a spectacle for demons rather than men.” As a practicing Catholic, I am saddened to say that the moral aspect of our treatment of other creatures is a part of Catholic teaching that our Catholic leaders have long neglected. Pope Francis is trying to put that right. Let’s take advantage of that and ask him to condemn bullfighting.
For centuries, animals have been considered in Liberia as commodities and source of income without regard to their welfare. Since the establishment of Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society, we continue to be active in promoting the welfare and rights of animals and people in Liberia.
Asia for Animals urges India’s Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change to take strong and immediate action to prevent bull taming/ racing, and other associated events, from taking place, by upholding the Supreme Court’s order, prioritising public safety and animal welfare, and India’s international image and reputation.
No other animal has come close to the cow and the bull in sharing a viscerally intimate relationship with humans, or possibly suffered more for it. The spectacular rituals around bull sports involve young men who sought to demonstrate their virility, masculinity, and ultimately, their sexual domination of the raw potent power of an angry bull.
A bull is every bit as capable of feeling anguish, distress and suffering as a human being, and to justify making any sentient being feel thus for the sake of a sport is offensive to the principles of Indian Dharma. In this regard, Prakash Javadekar has betrayed the very Hindu Dharma that he used as a platform to get himself elected in the first place.
Minister Javadekar has announced that he will restart Jallikattu, Bull fighting and Cow races on January 1st which are extremely cruel activities banned by the Supreme Court of India. It is sad that the same government which could not tolerate the plight of cows in the slaughter houses is OK with restarting hideous games involving deliberately disoriented terrified bulls.