Death of a dog on the MTR tracks shows up our selective sympathy
Paul Stapleton says outrage over the death of a dog on the MTR tracks smacks of hypocrisy given our callousness towards farmed animals
The recent incident involving the death of a stray dog struck and killed by an MTR train once again reveals a disturbing hypocrisy with regard to the treatment of and concern about animals.
The death of one dog has produced a major outcry and media stories both here and abroad. A petition with 90,000 signatures was submitted to the MTR Corporation and it has publicly apologised while promising to review its policy regarding the rescue of animals on train tracks.
The MTR will release a report on the incident shortly after receiving advice from animal welfare organisations.
In the meantime, a funeral march under heavy police presence was held and flowers were laid near the site of the dog's demise. Media reports say some in the procession were weeping. The tenor of stories and comments in the media has been that the MTR Corp displayed a wanton lack of respect for the life of an animal.
The hypocrisy here, of course, is the apparent inconsistency the general public has with regard to the lives of animals. When a stray dog meets its maker with the help of steel wheels, the event is newsworthy because MTR staff delayed trains on the main line between Hong Kong and mainland China for only six minutes.
This period of time can be used to make an interesting comparison, however. Last year, roughly 1.7 million pigs were slaughtered for the Hong Kong market. This amounts to three pigs every minute, or a total of 18 pigs in six minutes.
Generally, at the abattoir, a steel bolt is fired at the head of the pig, which normally leads to a quick death, probably not remarkably dissimilar to the steel wheels experienced by the stray dog.