As many of you already know I am an animal nerd living and working abroad. The last 4 years it was the Netherlands her ¨nerdyness¨ choose to establish somewhat short roots. I have worked in the animal sector in 3 different countries and visited zoos and animal units in many more. You might wonder, are there huge differences in the EU with all these regulations getting pushed onto even the ¨common¨ cinnamon eating civilian on the street. Well yes there are huge differences in animal welfare and even how people view animals and their needs.
In Norway my experience is that nature and animals fascinates people in general. Yet we do not think in depth about it per Ce. We tend to provide the animals with the necessary things and partly view them as family members. We actually treat them too much like a human sometimes if I can be so bold as to say that.
I think us Norwegian people too easily dis-attach though form things, people or creatures we care about as this in our view is apart of life anyhow. People come and go through life and so does animals. It sounds cold I think, but life how I grew up was all about not letting too much affect you whether emotionally or physically challenging moments. I remember when I was young my mother and step dad telling me how it was humane to put a bullet through an animal's head when it was too old to manage anymore. ¨Would we like to be kept alive in suffering Annie?¨ are things they would say or ¨This is better for him¨. It is still a common practice to euthanize companion animals or farm animals like this in Norway. Yes we have amazing green forests dressing the mountain-sides and reflecting their beauty in the fjords. Yes we have wild animals in these mountains too and fresh and fruity air hypnotizing the senses. Yet we still practice cutting off our own emotions when we see suffering. I think this both bothers us as a people yet it is our sole protection from what we fear the most. The fear of actually getting affected by emotion or letting it overtake us has long haunted our people. I think sometimes we cool down our emotions so much that we do not realize how cold we come across. Some of us even lost the ability to center empathy for animals or even people into a thought through action of kindness. Though kindness is in us, we fail to carry it out with grace in our actions and traditions. I hope with all the global influences we have around us that it will eventually change, I know for me it changed a lot yet I also think I have a far way to go with this as well.
The Dutch animal welfare perception is divided I think. You have those not even taking care of an animal just so they will not ¨hurt¨ it with their busy lives. It might sound strange, but these people care way ahead of them, they think their lives do not suit the life of a companion animal. I for example used to work in shelters in this country filled with animal fanatics and many did not even own an animal purely because they did not feel they had the ultimate animal-friendly life! I admire this in a way, yet I can not picture my life without any kind of animal in it in the long-term. No wet cold snout stroking onto my skin in the morning or bad breath in my face as I wake up. No familiar sound greeting me as I get home or appreciating the ultimate cuddling sessions and lets not forget my flaws...that are there and visible to their eyes like anyone else...yet my imperfections are still forgiven and looked past when it comes to showing me how they still love, still appreciate the cuddles. To me animals are so much more than just a beating heart and four legs, more than a cute face waiting for me. It is a pure and mere reflection of the love I know I need but only dare to receive from a fury one that does not mind about my imperfect ways. You would think, sure they do not talk back so of course who does not like that... yet I care to disagree. It is from the animal kingdom I have learned many big life lessons. They show through their rebel behavior when I need to calm and center myself. They evoke an instinct in me to protect and care for them in a way nothing else does and makes me able to open more to people in my surroundings. When I am sad or happy they reflect with their behavior what I need to adjust.
I think some Dutch people share my passion, there are more vegans and vegetarians in this country than in Norway for sure. People also sign up to animal rights or welfare organisations more easily over here or support the local shelters. In my time working in animal shelters here I have met the most amazing people working in shelters for free. Their devotion to a good cause is something I always admire more than anything else in this country. Kindness expressed in a way I wish more people in Norway would. To me these people are the real heroes of society. It would be dishonest of me if I said I do not miss working with them, because half of my reason for staying such a long time in that job was their inspiring way of always helping out just so the animals would be happy and content. I hope they never stop being the amazing people they are in their hearts.
In England I also worked in animal units. The English started the whole animal welfare movement from the gettgo. They started making the welfare laws for animals and rubbed off on many other countries such as the Netherlands, Australia and many other countries that came after them. I think a lot also is to thank to the RSPCA ( http://www.rspca.org.uk/home) which in turn spread the good morals with regards to how you should treat animals. I think that there are a lot of animal welfare organisations both in England and the Netherlands which makes it easy to donate and help out as a private person. Norway has less of these types of organisations yet we did get SPCA Norway a couple of years ago where I helped a bit with the startup (http://www.spca.no/). I hope that will help Norwegians engage more in animal welfare and chipping in where it is needed when it comes to animals in need. I wish us to become more open to science and the papers that establish how to deal more humanely with animals that are suffering.
There are many different people in every country. The reason there are shelters is because people can not take care of their animals anymore or because they fail to do so or even abuse them. And of course, the more people you have the more variations in morals and ethical views you will find as well. Cultural differences also play a part in this of course. Yet historical records has shown that even the most animal welfare fanatic people in the world today used to have a very inhumane way of looking at animals before influences changed the culture and laws of that country. Culture should not be a crutch for change.
Is there anyone that is perfect? No never. Should that stop us to strive for a better way? I think not. Think about that as you stroll in the sun this wonderful Sunday afternoon;)
x Annie
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