BREAKING UPDATE: Animals Australia investigation sparks Bali Government commitment to close the Bali dog meat trade.
Every year, seven times more dogs are slaughtered in Bali than in China’s notorious Yulin Dog Eating Festival. Thousands of dogs and puppies — many of them stolen companion animals — are butchered for human consumption.
Dumped in bamboo crates, terrified dogs await the nightly slaughter with legs tied and mouths taped shut. They may be left like this for several days, without access to food or water, until eventually, one by one, they are slaughtered in full view of one another.
This image contains content which some may find confronting
Though only a small portion of the community consumes dog meat, the consumption overall is growing — and as Animals Australia’s investigation into the dog meat trade has documented, unsuspecting Australian tourists are among those eating it.
This image contains content which some may find confronting
Public outrage has understandably accompanied this news. Worldwide, concern for animals and their welfare is rising — as is the public’s determination for positive change.
If the push for change succeeds and the Bali dog meat trade is outlawed, this will be a great victory for animals and may save many lives. But without cultural change, Bali’s dogs will always be at risk. Only when those who have been culturally conditioned to see dogs as ‘food’ widen their circle of compassion and see them as worthy of love and respect will Bali’s dogs truly be safe.
The power of inherited thinking
The power of inherited thinking can be difficult to comprehend, but every one of us is a ‘victim’ of cultural conditioning.
We have inherited beliefs from generations before us about which animals are ‘friends’ and which are ‘food’. We too have been raised in a society that has normalised the slaughter and consumption of sentient animals — animals who are capable of experiencing fear and suffering just like the companion animals we share our homes with.
Our outrage at the killing of dogs in Bali speaks volumes about who we are. When we see an individual suffering, we want to help protect them. We’re compassionate and want to extend kindness to all.
Fortunately, we also have an opportunity to create a kinder, more caring society by widening our circle of compassion to those we have been taught to see as ‘food’. Consuming the meat of cows, pigs, or chickens is no more “normal” or necessary than that from dogs. We’ve simply absorbed a way of thinking and eating from those around us, without even realising it. Recognising this gives us the freedom to choose what we eat in ways that reflect our own values.
When we look at animals through our own eyes, we can instantly appreciate cows, sheep, chickens, fish, and pigs as the unique individuals they are. We now know that cows have best friends; that sheep can learn to respond to their own name; that chickens exhibit cognitive abilities beyond those of young children; fish experience a range of emotions including playfulness; and that pigs show empathy and can play computer games designed for chimpanzees…
Understanding the uniqueness of each individual animal, and that they share our ability to suffer, changes our perspective on the current laws that allow animals raised for food to suffer in factory farms and slaughterhouses.
That dogs can be labelled ‘food’ in some cultures, and their suffering ignored, only indicates the power that inherited thinking has over us. Asking ourselves, ‘have I too been indoctrinated in a way of thinking without realising it?’ can be life-changing and life-enhancing for us — and for animals. Freeing our thinking and allowing our eyes to look at animals through the lens of compassion rather than ‘culture’, will free them from cycles of suffering that they have been trapped in for generations.
What greater contribution can we make than helping shape a kinder future… By choosing to eat meat-free, we can change animals’ lives in a very real way, every single day.
Want to help protect all animals from cruelty?
More and more Australians are recognising that all animals deserve better and joining the global movement in kinder eating. In fact, Roy Morgan research indicates that an Aussie decides to reduce their meat consumption or go meat-free every 5 minutes!
