Blowing WaterNo to violence includes zero tolerance for animal abuse – and Hong Kong, mainland China can do better
- When we turn a blind eye to animal cruelty or do not chastise children for such acts, we are sending a message that ours is a society that condones violence
Having lived in Asia my entire life, I have seen my share of animal cruelty and have come to realise that it would be impertinent to excuse some forms of animal cruelty, just because some are more explicit than others. The fact is that every inhumane action, no matter the degree of harm inflicted, is despicable and should not be tolerated.
One of the latest viral clips shows a black dog being drowned in what appears to be a swimming pool designed for dogs to exercise in a pet shop in China.
A man is seen placing the animal in a glass tank while another person films the entire 30-second ordeal during which the dog struggles to stay afloat, but eventually succumbs and sinks to the bottom of the tank.
Like other forms of violent crimes, animal abuse cases are largely undetected, mostly because of underreporting. This is due to the blasé cultural view towards animal abuse in this part of the world.
But that is about to change, thanks to a new movement in Asia that is striving to improve awareness of animal welfare and overhaul a societal indifference towards the cruel treatment of animals, especially domesticated ones.
According to the inaugural Animal Friendly Cities Index Report, some of the top dog-friendly cities are New Taipei City and Kyoto, thanks to comprehensive legislation that favours animals. New Taipei City has a zero-kill policy for stray dogs and pets are welcome in many public spaces, including public parks and most restaurants.