Here is a story to share for today. I would put it as a case of innocent cultural difference.
You probably know that certain communities in the world eat dogs. Not only is it a delicacy, but rather, it is their staple food. Dogmeat is sold in their markets, dogs are bred in their homes as food (like village folks breeding chickens meant as food for the family). Apparently, another reader told me about a youtube which showed how children in that culture go select a cute puppy (as our village folks select a chicken for slaughter) and the mother slaughters it in the kitchen. Then, the family sits down at the table and eat the puppy, which just hours ago, was running around happily in the compound.
Ghastly, I know (just hearing about it made me quite nauseated and very sad)…but that’s their culture.
Think of chickens running around in our villages. It’s quite the same scenario, really, just a different animal, that’s all.
The above is not meant in any harsh way, but just to drive home a point that when people eat meat, it can be any kind of meat.
So now, back to today’s story… Apparently, some years back, some people from this dog-eating culture came to Malaysia as expatriates and went to one of our local shelters to adopt some dogs.
Before releasing the dogs, the shelter manager asked them what they would do with the dogs should they leave the country.
That’s when they point-blankedly said they weren’t intending to keep the dogs as pets, but they were going to eat the dogs.
Of course the shelter manager explained that in our country, people adopt dogs and cats from shelters as pets, not as food.
The expatriates understood, and left. They did not insist on taking the dogs (thank goodness!) and no way would the shelter manager have allowed them to, anyway, after knowing their intentions.
So, all was in goodwill as it was a case of cultural difference and cultural (mis)understanding corrected in the nick of time!
Hence, let it be in the record officially that all adoptions advertised by us are to be treated only as “adopting as pets” and not food, whether it’s food for humans or food for other carnivorous animals.
We understand that certain people might have a need for certain animals as food or their carnivorous pets might have a need for certain animals as food, so we ask for their understanding and respect that the animals we publicise are only to be adopted as pets.
Let’s eat less meat, shall we?
How about a veggie Sunday today?
Comments
2 responses to “A case of “innocent” cultural difference?”
I’ve heard about it & watched it in documentaries. Once a kampung near to where I lived, was abuzz with stories of their missing cats & dogs when a group of foreign workers stayed there. Pet owners were frantically looking for their pets while non animal lovers were happy with lesser animals. ):
Seriously, these so-called expats shouldnt be practising their cultures in a different country, esp when its against the social norms. Its disrespectful to begin with and Ridiculous to expect everyone else to accept their culture with the attitude that “the rest of the world is also my backyard, hall, guest room and dining hall”.
I wouldnt want to sound like an unwelcoming & judgemental racist, but then again, given the spate of “leased ICs” thats been exposed, I dont take kindly to foreigners who behave with disrespect and without regard for local cultures. The above incident reeks of these so-called expats just expecting to get away with it here as they do in their native countries and then “conveniently” claiming ignorance of our social norms n culture.