World Animal Day
How we can ensure animal welfare every day
Today's World Animal Day is a reminder that we are not alone on this planet. All living creatures deserve protection, and each of us can do our bit.
Austria is still regarded as a model country when it comes to animal welfare, and this is even enshrined in our constitution as a national objective. The letters from our readers also show how important this issue is and how much people are concerned about the sad cases of animal suffering.
It is the core task of the "Krone" animal corner to report when animals are mistreated or abused. We follow up on countless reports when the allegations are substantiated and report on them.
Together we can make a difference
It is important that animal lovers pull together, uncover abuses and raise their voices for animals. After all, if "evil machinations" such as the illegal puppy trade remain hidden, nothing will change. For anything to change, people need to be made aware of it.
Using six examples, we would like to show where everyone can take action to promote animal welfare. Because even small actions can often make a big difference!
1. better coexistence - dogs have a permanent place
Dogs are an integral part of our society! They keep us fit and are good for our psyche. But the rifts between dog owners and people without dogs are deep. Recent examples include serious biting incidents - some of them fatal - which have made some people wary of dogs. As a dog owner, it is your job to counteract this and to exercise your four-legged friend in an appropriate manner. Dogs must be trained and managed in such a way that they do not pose a danger to others. Because if things go on like this, the mood will unfortunately soon change.
2. fashion - fur is unacceptable
Not only does your choice make a difference when buying cosmetics, but also when it comes to clothing: More than 100 million animals are murdered on fur farms every year - including dogs, cats and rabbits. There is no humane way to kill animals for their fur. The methods are always brutal. Please also be aware that for every small fur trim on hoods, hoods or other fashion accessories, an animal had to die in agony.
3. pets - are partners!
The situation in animal shelters shows us what the ill-considered acquisition of a pet can lead to. Many a four-legged friend ends up there, having been acquired as a fun pastime during the lockdown. There are a few things to consider before buying a pet! Running costs and vet bills can quickly eat a hole in the budget and you need to be aware that you will be responsible for a dog or cat for at least the next ten years. When making your decision, please don't base it on visual criteria or because it's a "bargain". Qualitative breeding (such as pugs) and the illegal puppy trade produce animal suffering non-stop.
4. meat consumption - quality instead of quantity
Almost every day you make an important choice in front of the supermarket shelf and you may not even realize how much power you have. Because your purchase is always also a production order and determines how well the pig, cow or chicken has fared in its life. It is therefore up to all of us to give meat the status it once had. It wasn't on the table every day, but it came from a trusted farmer and from good, regional husbandry. So if you want to avoid putting animals on your plate that have been kept in poor conditions, you need to rethink your diet. Better less often, but the best organic quality from Austria!
5. wild animals - deserve our protection!
We are all claiming more and more living space and are suddenly surprised when a fox wanders through the city. A little more awareness for the creatures in the wild would be a great help for flora and fauna! It starts with gardening close to nature, where not every blade of grass is trimmed with a robot mower or millions of insects are destroyed at 250 km/h by a leaf blower. And it ends with how we ourselves behave in nature. As winter approaches, wildlife has a real struggle for survival when we thoughtlessly shoot rockets into the air at the turn of the year or go on ski tours in protected areas. Set a good example with care and consideration for the inhabitants of fields, meadows and forests!
6. vacation and leisure - not at the expense of the animals!
Riding elephants in Thailand, swimming with dolphins in Turkey, petting lion cubs in South Africa or bullfighting in Spain: Behind many tourist attractions lies pure cruelty to animals. Elephants, for example, are brutally mistreated as young animals in order to make them docile. Numerous shows and events involving animals also cause immeasurable suffering. At bullfights, for example, the animals are deliberately provoked before the spectacle. The methods used range from blows to the kidneys and drilling needles into the genitals to administering disorientating drugs. Speaking of species protection: whether corals, reptiles, traditional medical products or tropical wood carvings - you should also keep your hands off many animal souvenirs!
The coalition poker has started. It remains to be seen how high animal welfare will be on the agenda of the future government. During the election campaign, the three major parties have kept a rather low profile and prioritized other issues. However, animal welfare is an important issue that is finding its way into all areas of our lives. You don't have to own an animal to care for the welfare of other living creatures.
The question of consumption habits alone can reflect how important animal welfare is to someone. For example, if I thoughtlessly choose the restaurant with the cheapest schnitzel on offer, I have to assume that the animal is unlikely to come from an Austrian farm. It has probably spent its life in a cramped barn without daylight on a Dutch fattening farm and was brought to slaughter maturity in turbo time.
But what if diners could read on the menu where the meat on their plate comes from and under what conditions it was produced? Then many people would lose their appetite and start to rethink. Mandatory labeling of origin and husbandry in the catering trade - as well as in the food trade - would be the right step! We will hopefully soon see whether the next government is brave enough to take this path
Yours, Maggie Entenfellner
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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