EDITORIAL – Animal welfare

In a land where dogs are still eaten to go along with beer and where millions of people worry about day-to-day existence, it’s hard to take animal rights advocates seriously. Sure, Filipinos fed Jumbo the runaway circus elephant and gave him a cold shower and forgave him for the horrendous traffic jam he created as he took a stroll in the streets of Quezon City. Yet Filipinos shrugged off observations from animal rights advocates about the possible maltreatment of elephants at the circus.

Filipinos also found it cute to see pet lovers staging an indignation rally last Sunday over the death of a Labrador retriever from electrocution at the hands of an irresponsible trainer. But it remains to be seen whether the dog’s death would lead to meaningful reforms in the way Filipinos treat animals. There are those who will surely say that before worrying about the welfare of dogs and elephants, people should first worry about the welfare of their own species.

And yet a society is also defined by the way people treat other creatures. Apart from being unaware of what cruelty to domesticated animals means, many Filipinos have no interest at all in the welfare and preservation of wildlife. Nature has its way of retaliating. Because of disregard for wildlife, Filipinos are in danger of losing forever some of the rarest species indigenous to the country.

There is, fortunately, a growing number of people who spend a lot of money to obtain and maintain pets, often lavishing love and attention on the animals. Even the government spends a small fortune importing trained dogs or training canines sourced locally for use in bomb and drug detection as well as other law enforcement duties. Such investments must be protected through effective regulation of animal training schools, veterinary clinics and even pet grooming salons. These enterprises have boomed with Filipinos’ increasing interest in raising pets. There are go-vernment agencies that are supposed to regulate such enterprises. They should begin doing their job.

Public awareness of animal welfare has a long way to go in this country. Homes for stray animals are rare. Few people care about the welfare of animals in zoos and circuses. But awareness can grow one small step at a time. Regulating the growing pet business could be a start.