Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Whine for canines.


This post is not for the faint-hearted, especially those who own dogs.

You see, on my way home today I saw a burly guy pulling a dog by the leash and yelling to his drinking buddies that they have a "pulutan" (dish) to go with their beer.

I throw a nasty sneer to the man, as I imagined the horror the poor dog will experience when they held him down and bring the knife to his throat and the two by four to his head. I could imagine the hideous cry of panic and pain he would let out. The callous indifference of her captors and killers who would quickly perform the dirty deed - skin him, roast him, cook him and eat him. I imagine them having a long party as they devoured their delicacy.

Yes, I can see you grimacing with horror now. I know. That's because in your country, dogs are considered man's best friend. In fact some are treated better than people. There are people who would even send their dogs to dog camps for recreation, serve them expensive yuppie food, buy them designer clothes, and you talk to your dog as if they are people and can understand!

Actually, I too love dogs and I cried silly the day my pet dog died. But most street dogs here will repulse you. They are wretched, mangy and dirty. They have that look that comes from too much indiscriminate screwing around. Most are basically street mutts who pass themselves off as pets. They are good for barking at strangers and letting you know someone is lurking outside your house. Most however, appear to lead tormented lives, scratching and clawing at themselves all day.

For a second, imagine yourself being a dog in the Philippines and see how you would like it. Try sleeping in somebody's dirty, mosquito infested car night in and night out. Try living with vermin like mice and endless parade of cockroaches and blood sucking ticks. Try existing in a world where some people think your flesh goes quite well with beer or other alcoholic beverages.

I have thought of that and yet every time I tried to feel empathy and sympathy for other dogs, the emotion just dissipate. And it's common for other Filipinos. The best description of which is when a neighbor's dog died. I saw them put the dead dog in a big plastic bag and carted it away. Later, I asked him if he had buried the dog.
"No", he said nonchalantly. "I threw him on top of a garbage dump somewhere."
"He's just on top of a pile of garbage inside a plastic bag?!" I asked astonished.
"Well, what more should I do? I don't make space in my brain for the dog. I've got too many things to think about."

Yes, life in the Philippines! Survival is hard enough for the humans, so chaotic and crazy. Who has space left in their brain to think about the dogs?

For them they are just another hard luck creatures like themselves trying to survive in this dog-eat-dog, and I dare say, human-eat-dog world.

Let me go pet my cat now...

8 comments:

MEDICALBOOBOOS said...

Wow what can I say. I know when I was in china, dog was hanging from a window, yes I felt repulsed. I cant eat dog, cat, horse, many animals. Chicken is my favourite meat. Cows sheep and chickens are breed specifically for consumption. So I don't feel guilt at eating them.

I cant eat domestic animals however and if it was mangy and disgusting then even less likely to eat it from fear of worm infestation or disease. If dogs aren't wormed regularly it can be quite tragic for us humans, kids have lost eyes through worm larvae .....
xoxooxoxo

Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers said...

Thats so sad...

I had a Phillipine vet wanting to train as a vet nurse. Her qualification as a vet was not recognised here and she was working in a light bub manufacturing factory. I remember being quite shocked when I mentioned the situation to another vet who said it would be hard for her to be considered as suitable to work in New Zealand as a small animal vet or vet nurse when she probably considered pets like ours as food!
Sh never did finish her training...

Tracey said...

Another post to make me sick! C'mon Odette liven it up! LOL. It makes me angry that they eat horses in Italy, but a poor bloody dog?
xxxx

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

Tracey,
was it such a dark blog? maybe iam feeling depressed...i promise to write something nicer next time, hahaha!
xoxoxox0

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

Kirst,
Yes, dogs should not belong in the food chain. I am not proud to tell about Filipinos penchant for dog meat but this is not a "cultural practice" as some might think -this is a commercial trade.
Actually a large majority of Filipinos do not agree with the consumption of dog meat. There is a growing fondness for man's best friend and an expanding pet-keeping culture have added to the disdain for this practice.
But while the dog meat trade has been illegal since the passage of the Animal Welfare Act in 1998, a lack of strong penalties and enforcement has allowed the industry to flourish.
I don't know when the killing of dogs will stop. But i hope soon.
xoxoxoxox

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

Fi,
its sad she was descriminated upon because of where she came from. being a veterinary, i bet she also advocate the animal welfare act, and I am sure she had never eaten meat other than pork, cow and chicken.
not everyone in my country eat dog meat and it is never cooked as dish. men only eat it with their alcoholic beverages.
but i saw a very disturbing site which brought tears to my eyes. http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/dog.html
these are photos in korea, and i cannot bear to scan through because i am already teary eyed. see it for yourself.

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

Mimi,
Yes we have PAWS. This group advocate the general welfare of dogs and cats and it was them who lobbied for the passing of the "animal welfare act". if you had read my comment on Fi, try going to the link i gave her, and be shocked at how bad the situation is in other countries. it's not just bad, but truly disturbing and disgusting.
xoxoxoxoxo

Sid Brechin said...

Once at work I was kind of drafted about an article on dog being eaten in the Phillipinnes. As a dog lover everyone thought I would be on the anti side. However the man I did side with had done it while a sniper in Nam. ( He was from the Phillipinnes ). I also know of a few Canadians who were on a survival course. The got attacked by a wild dog and had to shoot it. Of course they ate it.

I think getting a dog as a side order with beer is disgusting. Not because it was dog but if they could buy beer they could get less beer and something to snack on. I also wonder how such men would treat people more fragile then them.

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin