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What About the Animals in Haiti?

After first hearing about the tragic deaths of thousands in Haiti, my heart fell and then I thought about the animals. What about them? Feeling conflicted because the news reports covered human devastation so deep that it was hard to grasp, I thought twice about posting a story about the animals in Haiti on my blog.

What would people think? I’m worried about dogs, cats, birds, and livestock when more than 200,000 people were feared dead. Can I really post a story about stray dogs and scared cats when people are homeless and hurt?

I looked at other pet blogs and found one story about K9 Dogs that were used in search and rescue. They sniffed out bodies and located people–still alive–trapped under collapsed buildings. These hero dogs amaze me–still no story about the animals.

I called several animal welfare groups and contacted a source at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). IFAW rescued hundreds of stray animals in New Orleans after Katrina hit.

IFAW and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) have agreed to head up a coalition of groups to address the needs of animals in Haiti following the earthquake. In addition to the massive humanitarian crisis, there are an estimated 5 million head of livestock in the country (mostly goats), a large stray dog population, an untold number of companion animals, and native wildlife all adversely affected by the earthquake.

Members of IFAW and WSPA, as well as other animal welfare nonprofits are concerned about a possible outbreak of rabies, leptospirosis, or another zoonotic disease. “We need to set up vaccination and feeding programs as soon as possible,” says Ian Robinson, IFAW’s Emergency Relief Director. “Finally, we need to get acute critical care to the animals that need it most. There’s a lot to do.”

Another source I spoke to feared that the stray dogs–a major problem prior to the earthquake–would either eat some of the bodies or be killed for food.

I wound up posting a story on IFAW’s and WSPA’s efforts to mobilize on behalf of the animals. In cases like these many people put human safety over animals every time–not seeing a link between the two. What we fail to realize is that by helping animals, we help ourselves. Compassion should cover all living creatures.

As a blogger who writes about animals and animal welfare, I’m often asked, “Why worry about animals when there is so much human suffering?” The animal rights activists I know don’t want to see people hurt. It’s just that we are deeply troubled by the suffering that humans inflict on animals–think factory farming, fur, animal testing, dog fighting, and other animal abuse.

We are supposed to be the higher animal with the more evolved brain. Animals are intelligent too. They have their own intelligence. They communicate, feel pain, and can experience joy.

We need to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s words when he said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

In Haiti, and in other places around the world, we need to practice compassion toward all creatures. On a practical level, by taking good care of animals, we reduce disease and take better care of ourselves. On a more enlightened level, treating animals with respect, makes us better human beings.

How do you respond when people ask, “With so much human suffering in the world, why should we care about animals?”

January 25th, 2010 | Tags: , | Category: Pet Views

16 comments to What About the Animals in Haiti?

  • Mary
    January 25, 2010 at 9:48 AM

    In my mind, no need to feel conflicted about it…..it’s all suffering….it’s all beings.
    Great post!

  • LindsayDianne
    January 25, 2010 at 9:49 AM

    It’s really hard for me to handle this Haiti thing at all. Or really, any sensationalized rescue effort. There are thousands of people dying everyday. Natural disasters? Sure! But we should care all the bloody time. Not just when word hits on CNN or Twitter!! If you are an animal rights person that has a cause EVEN when it’s not big news, you’re miles above the people questioning you who are mostly trendy helpers!!

  • Edie
    January 25, 2010 at 11:39 AM

    As you say, helping animals is a health issue for humans — if you feel the need to excuse focusing on animals. I don’t think you do though. The people who judge what type of living creatures you chose to care about lack perspective and, well, compassion.

    Thanks for this thoughtful post.

  • Eric Goebelbecker
    January 25, 2010 at 11:47 AM

    I agree with you, and I am happy to see efforts begin to help the animals there. It’s a dilemma – when hundreds of thousands of people are killed and many more are injured and left homeless, animals do get neglected.

  • Eric Goebelbecker
    January 25, 2010 at 11:52 AM

    BTW, my response to why we should care about animals is “compassion.”

    It’s the capacity for compassion, even when it’s not necessarily in our best interests, that makes us better beings, just as you said.

  • Mary-Alice
    January 25, 2010 at 12:57 PM

    I agree with my co-commenters — the compassion we feel for the humans caught up in Haiti’s misery naturally extends to other living creatures in the same position. I don’t really see the conflict — the teams that would help animals are surely not the same teams that are helping humans, given the different needs and skills involved, so isn’t there room for both to do their work? And your point that uncontrolled and suffering animals pose a health problem to humans is an excellent one, and should prompt the relief teams to coordinate efforts.

  • J.C. Bouvier
    January 25, 2010 at 1:55 PM

    We certainly face a wide-range of metaphysical questions with regard to suffering around the world, IFAW’s focus is in aiding animals in crisis around the world and so we continue our work, particularly when asked for help…many thanks for sharing all your thoughts…for more information on our efforts around the world…please visit: http://www.ifaw.org

  • Rod@GoPetFriendly
    January 25, 2010 at 2:11 PM

    “With so much human suffering in the world, why should we care about animals?”

    If people doubt that animals have souls, look into their eyes. The question implies human lives are worth more than animal lives. If true, are some human lives then worth more than others? Where do you stop? Where do you draw the line at what (or whose) suffering gets salved.

    Surprised no one bought up the Ghandi quote … something about the measure of society can be judged by how it treats its animals.

  • Chris
    January 26, 2010 at 3:03 PM

    I couldn’t help but think about the animals after realizing the human toll. Not sure what that says about me. But when I see people suffering aroudn the world, I always think of the animals. We’re a team and animals can’t speak, so we need to speak for them.

    Loved the post!
    -Chris

  • Mary Haight
    January 26, 2010 at 6:28 PM

    I have been asked that question many times when people found I gave my energies to doing what I could for animals. There were actually people who were harsh about it, and all my responses regarding compassion, the least among us, aiding the helpless were marginalized or unheard. For those thick-headed, thick hearted folks, I now answer the question with this: who are any one of us to tell another what cause or good works should guide their giving or become their passion? No one but the individual can say what most resonates with who they are at their core. There are a million causes we can decide to take up, and whatever the choice the good intent should be accepted in that spirit.

  • Jim (DoggyBytes.ca)
    January 28, 2010 at 4:20 AM

    All living creatures deserve compassion.

    Expanding on what Mary Haight said, There are innumerable causes to choose from in our world today. Some people help the hungry in Africa, some people help homeless people, some people volunteer their time to help senior citizens and some people do what they can to help animals in need. The common thread here is the desire or sometimes, the “need” to help and I think that is what matters. When it comes to getting behind a cause, there are enough of us to go around for all of them.

    I absolutely love that Gandhi quote. It is telling.

  • Rocio
    January 28, 2010 at 2:22 PM

    Great posts! – And I agree it is all about being a better human being and extending compassion to all sentient beings.

  • Barbara Kingma
    February 4, 2010 at 12:43 AM

    I enjoyed reading the story about the animals and the comments. I wondered what was being done for the pets in Haiti after the earthquake. I never heard anything on the news, even now there is none. It was day two that the pets were mentioned in New Orleans after Katrina hit.

    As a devout and obsessed animal lover(I have 5 cats) I told my husband we should go to Haiti and collect cats, of course that’s not possible due to our budget and the 5 cats, however finding the news online is a relief and makes me feel better knowing that I am not alone in my compassion for our beloved animals.

  • Fetching News – Week Ending 01.29.2010
    February 6, 2010 at 11:05 AM

    [...] the earthquake that rocked Haiti reminds us once again that not all the suffering is human.  In “What About the Animals in Haiti?”, PetNewsAndViews writes a post that will tug at your animal compassion [...]

  • Rudy Koellner
    February 8, 2010 at 10:00 PM

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  • Elise
    February 9, 2010 at 4:11 PM

    All creatures deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.

    My heart lies with the animals. This has been my cause for many years. I, and many like me, should not be ostracized or looked at as though we have less rights than the animals we want to help, simply because we choose to help the suffering in a form other than human.

    I love the Ghandi quote too. Here’s another great quote, from Albert Schweitzer: “A man is truly ethical only when he obeys the compulsion to help all life which he is able to assist, and shrinks from injuring anything that lives.”