What would if you’ve ever only known happiness? There was no hate, no malice no contempt that ever came anywhere near you what could that feel like? Rather, what wouldn’t that feel like? It’s quite plausible that you wouldn’t know, but now imagine the exact opposite. In case you’re wondering, I’m talking about our loyal canine companions. It’s a well-known fact that I’m an animal person, a model student after my sister the teacher when I was young, to be their voice because they don’t have one. It came to me after a pretty ghastly but typical dog-eat-dog experience here on the island.
It was once again a hot muggy night, walking back from my favorite spot on the pier reading until the suns last rays reflected off the sea. It was there I spotted a neighbor who was waiting for her husband, as we spoke she handed me a piece of bread for dinner which I was duly grateful.
He (we’ll call him Brian) emerged from the night, slightly kava drunk ready to go back to the house which was quite a walk but luckily, Brian holds much power in the village so, we found a truck. There’s one thing you need to know about Brian, he has two very loyal dogs. I did not say loving dogs, and I did not say happy dogs, but they would die for him.
As we boarded the back of the pickup I realized the two dogs we’re still on the ground and was wondering what we would do with them, either A) just go and they’ll follow us home later or B) pick them up and take them with us. Since Brian was already in the truck I figured we would take option A, which of course was until Brian reached over the bed of the pickup, grabbed the older dog by only his left front leg and hoisted him up onto the truck. As the dog cried in pain, so did I, on the inside anyway because what I just witnessed was something that I’ve never seen before, let alone imagine anyone could pick up a dog like that. It was quite the gruesome sight and as he picked up the dog and it yelped terribly he turned to me and just smiled like he dropped a piece of food that maybe he still wanted to eat. Unfortunately it only seemed to be an injustice to me and I’m sure to many of you reading but that’s just one more thing about life as a Peace Corps volunteer, learning to deal with culture that isn’t your own.
Is it cruel if an animal has never experienced joy? If its never been where the grass is greener? I was going to go on a tirade about animal cruelty in this country but if that’s all it’s ever known could that be the comparison of a dog only ever knowing love? I’ll let you be the judge of that but while everyone has their own views and mine are obviously leaning one way, it’s something hard to swallow but things are done differently everywhere and treating their animals is most certainly one of those ways.
(Oh and as for what happened to the second dog I immediately jumped out of the truck and picked him up and put him in the back in case you were wondering)
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