 28th September, 2003 Volume 10, Issue 11 |
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Stand against animal cruelty
Large
fish in bags, parrots, mynahs and other birds in cooped up cages for sale,
snake and monkey dances, pony rides, horse racing and horse shows,
porcupines tied to trees by the road side and elephants used for safaris are
a few means how they exploit animals for human entertainment. A large number
of animals are also killed for human consumption.
According
to Penny Jayawardene, animals should not be exploited for the sake of
children. "Children should be told that it is wrong to kill animals for
food and their skin." Commenting
further she said, the existing animal rights laws in the country have to be
strictly implemented, and it is the police who can take immediate action on
this issue. The police are doing a good job, but there is much more the
police need to do". Meanwhile
speaking to the Sunday Leader, Sagarica Rajakarunanayake of Sathva Mithra
said a greater awarness must be created among the people, to bring out the
issues and needs for animal rights in the country. "It is only then
that political leaders will be
pushed to reform these laws, thereby ensuring justice for animals. It is
useless handing politicians memorandums and proposals and waiting for them
to act," she said. No
action "Many
animal rights organisations in the country talk about what they plan to do
with regard to animal cruelty but have done nothing for the benefit of
animals," Rajakarunanayake said. According
to Rajakarunanayake many seminars for the protection and upkeep of elephants
are being held. "However elephants are dying without any solutions
being found," says Rajakarunanayake. "The
best way to solve the problem of animal cruelty," says Rajakarunanayake
"is to work at community levels, to awaken a wider society". Shanthi
Sanjaya on the other hand with her friends, fights for the rights of
animals. "I have informed the police on many occasions with regard to
illegal slaughter houses at Majid Place, Orugodawatte, Mallika Lane
Wellawatte, Moratuwa (next to poilce station) and Maligawatte but no action
has been taken up to date. Sometimes the police officer at wellawatte
doesn't even take down my complaint," says Shanthi. According
to Shanthi during the Haj festival hundreds of cattle are illegally
transported in various parts of the country for home slaughter. "I made
repeated complaints to the Pettah, Dematagoda, Maligawatte and other police
stations but they failed to take action," she said. Cruel
conditions According
to her fowls are transported in cooped up cages in the hot sun. "Their
legs are tied and they are thrown about while unloading. Such cruelty can be
seen at E.W. Bastian Mawatha, New Messenger Street, Charlemont Road, or
Marine Drive. On W.A.Silva Mawatha I saw a man weighing a chicken with a
broken neck" says Shanthi. "Shanthi
however says her neigh- bour's pet dogs are starved at night, because they
have to guard the house. These Alsations and Pomernarians have starved looks
on their faces. But there is no one to take action against such
cruelty" says Shanthi. Edith
Zellweger lives in Switzerland. But through her oganisation Aktive
Tierschtzgruppe Salez (ATS) she has undertaken the total funding of the
sterilisation programmes of stray dogs in Kandy. According to Rohini de
Silva, since October 2002 no dogs were killed at the dog pound. But
despite the existing animal rights organisations, funds are still needed to
carry on the programmes for animals.
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