In the beginning, when the world was new, Creator populated it with animals. He sent the four-leggeds into the mountains and across the plains. He poured those that swim into the waters. He lifted the winged ones into the skies and set them free. He placed those that creep and crawl into the earth mother where they could prosper. These beings were to be our brothers and sisters, and their nations were to be respected as were our own two-legged nations. In the beginning the laws were simple, the way was clear to us.

Over time we moved forward with our own purposes and survival. We hunted but did not take more than what we needed. We befriended some of the animals and brought them into our homes and our daily lives. We were mindful of the balance Creator had shown us in those first days when the world was new.

As time passed we became more greedy and we began to forget to respect these other nations with whom we were meant to live. Not only did we put the horse to the plow, but we beat him if he was slow. Not only did we ask the dog to be our companion, but we chained him down, cut off his ears and his tail, and beat him when he did not speak our language, or starved him if our resources were low. When once we had hunted a few wild animals, now we mounted them on walls, tore their hides from their carcasses and left the meat to rot, and trapped them for fun. We began to keep them in tiny enclosures and forgot to allow them to see the rising sun. At every turn, if they did not heed our foreign tongues, we showed them whips, chains, electric prods and our anger toward their nations which we feel are so inferior to our own.

We have forgotten how it was in the beginning when the world was new. Some people have forgotten more than others. Some people have thrived on dominance and aggression. They have forgotten how to respect others and what it means to love and show kindness.

Last week one hundred sled dogs were seized from a breeding kennel in Colorado. Eight had already died and their bodies were stuffed into dog food bags. They were starving, neglected, and in need of veterinary care. One might think that this is a case of neglect. Perhaps the owner was in the hospital, dead, or in some other situation in which he couldn’t care for the dogs, but no, the owners stood idly by and watched as these dogs starved and died.

When most of us think of sled dogs we think of firry animals with glossy coats and strong muscles. We think about the will to work, the drive, the thrill and excitement of pulling into that harness. We don’t think of starving dogs staked out, or dead and stuffed into a feed bag.

I do not know what it takes for someone’s heart and mind to be so twisted that they can allow such tragedies to befall animals in their care. I don’t know how people can pass an injured animal on the street, or not speak out when they see abuse against an animal occur. I’d love to perform the same tortures against such people as they, in some cases, have carried out for years, but I cannot, because I don’t believe that cruel acts are just and right. While such individuals might be condemned to eternal damnation, that is a matter for Creator to decide, and my place is simply to act as I can for the good of all animals. They are my brothers and sisters, and I strive to treat them with respect.

“The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth.” Henry Beston, The Outermost House, 1928

How soon we forget.

How completely we have forgotten.

I want to cry out against every injustice committed against the animal nations. I want to save every animal who has suffered, to bring them into my home, into my daily life, and show them the respect they deserve. I want to learn to speak their languages, to dance their dances, and to know their wise thoughts. The better I know them the louder I can lend my voice to their stories, and work toward their protection and survival.

I imagine a world in which there are no cruel reprobates allowed to lay a finger upon an animal. I imagine a world in which our brother nations are treated with respect, kindness, and humanity. I imagine a place where we communicate instead of command, depend on one another for survival rather than act solely out of greed. I imagine a land in which we remember that what we do to the animals we bring upon ourselves, a reality in which we recognize them as our brother nations once more. I recall a time in which the world was new, I dream of that era where animals knew freedom not fists, love without anger, gratitude instead of greed, and honor rather than cruelty. I hope such a place is now a reality for eight dogs who were starved and stuffed into body bags. May they run free and strong like never before.



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