Exploiting animals for entertainment is a human tragedy

"Our problem is not that we don't have power, so much as that we tend to not use the power we have." - Marianne Williamson

Animals have a long history of servitude under humans. They've been our food, our clothing, our transportation, our subjects for experiments, our helpers, our companions, our entertainment. Without animals civilized societies would not exist.

I focus on the exploitation of animals solely for entertainment purposes. This includes family-oriented rodeos and animal circuses. Ancient blood sports — bullfighting, dog fighting, cockfighting and the most vicious of all, bear baiting — are still common in some parts of the world. People may risk their own safety and lives for the thrill of the moment, but this is unnatural for animals, they do not volunteer for any of this treatment. No matter what people might gain from these events, the senseless cruelty breaks my heart.

We don't hear much about the animals that are abused in movie making. The Canadian documentary "Cruel Camera" gives a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes. I suspect there is alot more we don't know about.

Sadly I also have to add Thailand's Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi on the offenders list. "The Temple's popularity is based around claims that its tigers were rescued from poachers and live and move freely and peacefully amongst the temple's monks, who are actively engaged in conservation work," says CEO Dr Barbara Maas. "But this utopian facade hides a sinister reality of unbridled violence towards the Temples captive tigers and illegal trafficking of tigers between Thailand and Laos." http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/7/15/lifefocus/1535960&sec=lifefocus

Perhaps it is the persistent belief that humans are superior to animals that makes us assume the right to exploit them. This is flawed logic. It makes more sense that a status of superiority is achieved when we treat animals respectfully. True, animals think differently from us, they do not get their thrills the same way we do. But they do not deserve to be abused because they are different from us.

In our day and age the moral argument that human life has greater intrinsic value than animal life is a cop-out excuse. The fact is we have become lazy toward our responsibilities. A Vancouver Sun article said, "Our moral failing allows cruelty to be casually entrenched. We have, at least, the obligation to face our role in determining the way animals are treated in a honest fashion and consider the standards we expect. Our wiful blindness also make it easy for government to avoid its responsibility."

Maybe I'm one of the few who is saddened by our acceptance of this type of brutality. Maybe as an animal lover and a pet owner I have a different perspective of human-animal relationship. Maybe because I see the potential in the human spirit I know we can do better.

Kudos to animal welfare groups like the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , World Society for the Protection of Animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, League Against Cruel Sports for their accomplishments. It seems the most effective way of protecting animals is pressure from these organizations to change the laws.

Animal protection is currently a hot topic. And it won't diminish any time soon as human created environmental issues, especially oil spills and deforestation, continue to be a major priority.

In February 2011 the world became aware of the harsh life of sled dogs when 100 dogs were culled in a horrible manner at Canadian dogsled tour company Howling Dogs Tours and the incident swiftly made headlines globally. It is my hope that the public outrage will bring change to this industry. As well as address animal cruelty at all levels.

Hopefully the accounts of these highly publicized incidents will be the jolt that will make us stop and question our way of thinking. It's about time.

• The case against animal rights BBC
• Entertainment Animals - History Libraryindex.com

• Paradise lost A report (Exploiting The Tiger: Illegal Trade, Animal Cruelty and Tourists at Risk at the Tiger Temple) released by an animal welfare group alleges illegal trading of big cats at the Tiger Temple in Thailand

• Proof of animal intelligence
• The animal rights controversy
• A closer look at the Whistler, BC sled dog industry