ANIMAL WELFARE? WHY?

Do you remember reading or watching “The famous five” when you were growing up, or maybe “Tin-Tin” or watching “Beethoven” the adopted mischievous yet adorable canine? Tin-Tin’s endless adventures, him and captain Haddock, surely you must have loved finding clues and following on until we got the bad guy, hahaha “we” because we all felt like an integral part of the whole adventure, all the sniffing and scurrying, the dead ends and the starting over, it was exciting! If you paid close attention, in fact, even without paying much attention, you probably noticed that it seemed Tin-Tin couldn’t have sniffed out any bad guys without the faithful Snowy, nor could the famous five have bagged any criminals without Timmy, come to think of it, Mystery Inc. would not have done much without the timorous yet ever reliable Scooby doo to the effect that the whole show is named after him!

Are you beginning to see where this is probably going? Snowy, Beethoven, Timmy, Scooby doo? Dearly cherished pets and loyal friends. Although the ones listed above are fictitious characters, but what they represent is a true reflection of our daily lives. We live with various animals for various reasons. Some help keep us safe, some guide those who are visually impaired and some, companions that keep us company so that we don’t feel lonely and so on. It is evident that the presence of animals is practically vital as they are instrumental in achieving comfort in our daily lives. Our relationship with animals cannot be avoided, we live in the same space, and we exist in the same time. Our co-existence with them serves a biological purpose which cannot be nullified.

Biodiversity is key in our existence here on earth. Our dependence on each other regardless of our differences provides enormous benefits as our economic activities are supported by bio-diversity;  the elements that make up the economy are dependent on biodiversity; agriculture and food production, the climate and sustainability hinge on biodiversity, production of health products, Tourism are all economic components that thrive on biodiversity. Our interaction with plants and animals is very vital, without which it is arguable that human life is a near impossibility, the extent to which we rely on the creatures around us is colossal, the complexities of which are explained simply by the life of Mowgli and the jungle.

Bringing it all into perspective, animals help us be happier, whether or not we are cautious of their performance of this role in our lives. It only stands to reason that we extend the same courtesy in an effort to make them happier. Some may question, how is one to measure the happiness of an animal seeing as to how animals cannot articulately express this to us? Well we ask; must our liberality in ensuring that others are happy hinge on whether or not one is able to express to us their desire or extent of happiness? Shouldn’t our offering of the same be based on the condition of our hearts and also the goodness of the same? Some argue that because animals are not classified as rational beings, one shouldn’t be bothered with their welfare. This begs the question, should our extension of happiness and offering of it to others be based on the rational abilities of the receiving party? 
Jeremy Bentham, an 18^th century philosopher expresses that “the question is not can they reason? Nor can they talk? But can they suffer?” Pain is assuredly one of the negations of happiness for most beings. We can ensure that the cohabitants of this planet experience minimal or no pain at all as long as it is up to us. Actor, Joaquin Phoenix, rightly says “it takes nothing away from a human to be kind to animals” it does not make us weak or inferior; rather it speaks greatly of our character and extent of enlightenment.

This is why All Creatures Animal Welfare League exists; we would like to improve the understanding and conduct of our society toward animals. To say hey, as you pursue your daily endeavors, please remember to deliberately show compassion and kindness animals, they are our companions and co-habitants of the earth. Our lives are made more pleasurable by the animals around us, let us return the favor and make they lives more pleasurable too.