I used to spite Animal activists, thinking they were just attention seekers out to get free donations on the pretext of protecting animals but I now believe they’re fighting a good cause. Humans really mistreat animals and we’re all guilty to a certain extent.

Growing up, we had a couple of dogs at home because my father loved dogs but I remember they only ate once a day, usually at 8:00pm and that was a tradition many dog owners in our neighbourhood practiced. They were let out at night but locked up the rest of the day which I think is not right. 

On good days, our dogs were fed fish and unsalted beef but most times, they ate leftovers from our dinner. But there were also days they went hungry either because we forgot to feed them or there weren’t any leftovers and I remember this because I specifically asked my parents how dogs survived without food. 

I don’t remember my parents ever buying dog food from the supermarket and I’m not judging my parents here or other people with pets but the point I’m trying to make is that as humans, we go out of our way to get these animals but aren’t ready or willing to give them the care they deserve. 

I have seen pans cats and dogs eat out of and few people clean them regularly. In many homes, it’s usually a discoloured or damaged plastic container they no longer use. Some people don’t even care to take their animals to the Vet. If you don’t have the time or can’t afford the care, don’t keep the pet. In case you’re wondering where I’m going with this rant, it’s all these animal cruelty reports making the news lately. 

From the American Dentist who killed Cecil the Zimbabwean Lion to the gorilla shot at a Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio, US after grown parents let their young son climb into the gorilla’s enclosure. I’m not even going to try and step into those parents’ shoes and say things like "Oh well if it was my son, I would want him saved.” I would not let my child climb into the enclosure in the first place. 

I was 7 or 8 eight when I first visited a Zoo and I think that’s the earliest I would let my children visit for two reasons. They would grasp the purpose of the visit, which is to learn about different animals and I don’t know why people take babies to Zoos, but more importantly, older children would also understand the danger in getting too close to certain animals. 

Even then, I would watch my kids closely because children are curious and will sneak away from you in a matter of seconds. I cannot believe that the little boy in that Zoo incident got all the way down into that enclosure on his own. There was another case of a woman at another Zoo also in the US who climbed into a Tiger cage to retrieve a hat! 

She wasn’t mauled by the Tigers but I’m sure they too would have been shot to save her life. Her children were right outside the cage and I remember calling her names I cannot repeat here because that was such a stupid thing to do. It’s crazy how people swim and go surfing in crocodile and shark infested waters and then demonize the creatures whose only crime is thriving in their natural habitat. Humans are supposed to be the smarter species!