Dear Cecil,
I'm sorry, but I don't agree with your view.
I believe that we need to realise that all animals, including stray are also
living beings, and we should treat hem with respect. The stray dog problem is
not the fault of the dog and it's not the fault of Ingrid Newkirk not saying
anything about it.
It is the fault of the poor sanitation facilities, garbage on the streets, its
is the fault of the irresponsible and careless owners that abandons his dog
when its trouble to look after, it is the owner that refuses to neuter his dog,
and society at large that have not helped in any way to arrest of growing
strays.
Strays don't just attack people for no reason. At times it is the humans that
antagonize the animal out of fun. We can prevent strays from forming attacking
packs by reducing their hunger levels. GAWT, and NGO in Margao has succeeded in
doing this in areas along the coastal belt during the off season, when
restaurants are closed and animals have no food. Offer extra food or uncooked
rice or money to these NGOs instead of just complaining.
NGO's are doing the best they can. 1500 sterilizations by a single South Goa
NGO is quite a lot... perhaps not enough, but as much as they can do with the
resources they have. What's going to solve the stray problem is mass awareness
to citizens, better funding to the NGOS (From the Govt. as well as citizens),
better sanitation, stray adoption camps, regularly providing food to strays to
prevent them from forming attacking packs and systematic neutering and
healthcare to both stray as well as home owned dogs.
While I have nothing to say about the leopard incident, the problem about stray cattle causing accidents is also the fault of human owners being negligent.
It is also silly to state that there are more organisations in Goa protecting
animals than human beings. If that were the case, then we would not have:
these problems of stray dogs & stray cattle
animals would not be slaughtered barbarically in the open as it happens in Taliegao
& Kharebandh every morning
the disappearance of frogs for the jumping chicken delecacy would not be a
matter of concern
the number of harmless snakes killed everyday due to lack of awareness
the number of monitor lizards killed for their skin to make ghumots
the increasing number of undergroud restaurants and spice farms that serve
illegal game meat.
Goan's need our MPs to work more towards providing us the basics of sanitaion,
and sustanable infrastrucuture, but when a leader goes so strongly to say that
he's for bullfights... it takes another leader to put him in place. Simply
saying that Ingrid Nwekirk is targetting a small target is a petty excuse. In
many recent cases, Goa has shown the way for the rest of India, and legalizing
a cruel sport will justify having more cruelty under the disguise of sport in
other parts of India. The foolish promises of Sardinha have already resulted in
a spurt of bullfights with the police unable to stop them.
While everybody is pointing fingers at who's responsible for what and who
shoould citisize who...we must also realise that we should not take this planet
for granted and assume that humans are the superior beings of everything and
every one.. Its possible to solve all problems without a bullet to the brain.
Clinton..
Not a member of Peta though! :)
+46762976399
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Message: 7
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:55:17 +0530
From: "Cecil Pinto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] Letter against Animal Activists in O Heraldo
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Message-ID:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=7571&cid=13
---------
Jose Maria Miranda, Margao
Dr Rozario Menezes, a relentless fighter against stray animals,
especially dogs, who have caused untold trauma and suffering to many
with their bites, is very right when he questions PETA chief Ingrid
Newkirk (Herald, 12 January) about her outbursts against our MP
Francisco Sardinha, who proposes to have bullfights legalized in Goa.
I do not support Sardinha's proposal, and feel that Goa has many
social and economic concerns which our MP needs to tackle that are far
more important than bullfights. Though thousands in Goa enjoy
bullfights, it is cruel to animals and should not be encouraged.
People in Goa as well as tourists would be happier if our MP had taken
up the issue of elimination of stray dogs, who cause mental and
physical torture to thousands in Goa.
However, like Dr Menezes, I too question the right of Ms Newkirk to
criticise Mr Sardinha on this issue, when she and other 'animal
lovers' do not even dare to say a word against the bullfights in Spain
and some Latin American countries. At the same time, she seems
completely unconcerned about the stray cows and bulls that cause so
many motorcycle accidents each year and take a toll of lives.
Ms Newkirk may not be faulted for not raising her voice against the
slaughter of cows, sheep and chickens when diseases affect them. But
why is she silent about stray dogs, in Goa and elsewhere in India?
Does Ms Newkirk know that a courageous constable, who killed a leopard
in Agassaim after it had mauled a few people, was denied an award just
because of protests by so-called 'animal lovers' who felt he ought not
to have killed the leopard? What kind of fanatics are these?
It is unfortunate that Ms Newkirk was not questioned more rigorously
about the role of organisations like hers in the stray dogs fiasco. We
have cases of stray dogs mauling children in some parts of Goa.
Perhaps we are waiting for a tragedy before we initiate action, as it
was done in Bangalore. Despite tall claims made by animal lovers, it
is obvious that the stray dog population is reaching alarming
proportions.
I have myself been a witness of how ineffective some of them are in
catching strays, when called upon to do so. Our culture should not
permit violence against defenceless animals, but what culture is this
that takes up for animals even while they cause harm and even death to
humans?
It is distressing that there are more organisations in Goa protecting
animals than human beings. How can we claim to live in a civilized
society when we are so insensitive to the sufferings of our fellow
beings?
