Farm Sanctuaries
Meeting rescues from the farm . Will make you want to stop the harm
One of the reasons we find it so easy to support the use
and abuse of cows, chickens, pigs and many other farm
animals is the complete (and not accidental) disconnection
we, as a society, have made from them.
Most of us are against violence towards cats and dogs, and
find it shocking when a handful of countries around the world
consider them fair game for the dinner table. That's because
our exposure and connection to cats and dogs makes it clear
that they can think and feel, and seek happiness and pleasure.
But by actively distancing ourselves from the animals we eat,
it becomes all too easy to forget about their suffering and so
as we pay people to hurt and kill them we can push to the back
of our minds the fact that there's really no difference (in terms
of their ability to suffer) between the 'food' animals we kill
and the companion animals so many of us love and care for.
This is where farm sanctuaries come in. They are truly special
places that can help us bridge this moral gap we've created.
They are places where farm animals of all different species
can finally be understood as the individuals they really are.
Sadly, sanctuaries can only give refuge to a few of the billions
of animals abused and killed for meat, eggs, dairy and other
products each year, but these lucky few become ambassadors
for their species and can help us remake the connections we've
been all too eager to lose in the name of a clear conscience.
I strongly recommend that you follow as many sanctuaries as
possible on social media where you'll find endless stories of hope,
kindness and inspiration, as well as seeing these misunderstood
creatures as unique individual characters and gentle souls.
If you're lucky enough to live within reach of a sanctuary
most also offer trips, tours and volunteer opportunities.
Some even offer bed and breakfast accommodation
in picturesque countryside surroundings and are the
perfect place to rest, relax, rethink and recharge.
Getting involved, however little, in the lives of sanctuary animals
will hopefully inspire you to show them the same kindness and
respect already shown to the animals we value on something
other than the taste of their flesh and secretions, or the
monetary value of their dismembered body parts.
You can check out a handy interactive map of global animal
sanctuaries here, and a list of many of the best (in the
English speaking world) can be found below.
"The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them,
but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity."
George Bernard Shaw
but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity."
George Bernard Shaw
