Zoos and Pets

[Will]

With the exception of working animals, like sheep dogs, guard or guide dogs etc, I do not like the notion of keeping pets; and Zoos I despise.

This is probably a minority view, but I am used to that.

Free Willie and every other creature; send them back to nature (or leave them there) where they can live and die Free of the human craving for ???? - whatever the hell that craving is.

[SteveP]

You do realise zoos are vital for the conservation effort don't you? Humans exert a huge pressure on ecosystems so we need to cultivate animals to top of natural populations to prevent extinction.

People paying to see them, it aids education and also pays for the zoos survival.

[Will]

You do realise zoos are vital for the conservation effort don't you? Humans exert a huge pressure on ecosystems so we need to cultivate animals to top of natural populations to prevent extinction.

People paying to see them, it aids education and also pays for the zoos survival.

Zoos are only 'vital' when animals' habitat is destroyed. And even if man's greed for living (or profit) space were not reversed, who learns anything about the real life of wild animals from the zoo experience?

Does the Animal Planet or Nat. Geo. channels give us documentaries on creatures in zoo habitats - no - because a zoo creature is not 'normal', ie wild.

[PadmaVonSamba]

Zoos are basically animal prisons. I am a member of one of the best zoos in the world. You have to consider the evolution of the zoo, from a cruel amusement to a place where in some cases it is the only hope for some species preservation and education to humans about the devastating impact humans have on the animal world. The zoo I am a member of also rescues and helps injured manatees and other animals and returns them to the wild. They support programs to stop poaching. They do a lot of good, but of course, this is not the perfect world for its inmates.

Ideally all living creatures would just live in the world, freely. But that isn't going to happen any more, and so we can't just gripe about it. We have to create the improvements we want in this world. Humans have screwed up the planet in many ways, and it is just a sad fact, and modern zoos exist within that greater context. So while zoos are bad in so many ways, we all share the responsibility to some degree for the situation the animals of the world are in. Some zoos are trying to make things better. It probably isn't much, but it's better than nothing and unfortunately, without them that is what some animal species would have.

One thing I will add, is that it is a huge financial investment to properly care for animals in captivity. Good quality Modern zoos take very, very good care of the animals they have, with 24 our veterinary staff and so on. They can't afford not to. So, while money may be evil, it is as much a factor in helping animals as it is a lure to those who poach.

My lama always wants to go to the zoo when he visits. He chants prayers for them, and a lot of times they come up to the edge of their enclosures to him. Especially the snakes. Maybe he chants in Parseltongue (Harry Potter)!

[PadmaVonSamba]

Free Willie and every other creature; send them back to nature (or leave them there) where they can live and die Free of the human craving for ???? - whatever the hell that craving is.

Here is a news story that happened last October in a town near where I live. A guy kept all kinds of large animals, tigers and so forth in cages on a rural farm. This is not the way to care for animals. Then he let them all go free and committed suicide. What do you think happened to the animals....

http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/ ... Zanesville

We have a German Shepherd Dog. He was rescued from being exterminated at the dog pound. Dogs, cats & humans have evolved together for many thousands of years. The dog family and the human family are now part of the same family, even though we are in different samsaric realms.

[Thundering Cloud]

As far as pets are concerned, I suspect my cat would strongly disagree with you.

She's an indoor/outdoor cat, which means she goes outside whenever she wants to. She doesn't wear a collar (she hates them), and the yard is not fenced in. If she wanted to "get back to nature", she could just walk off into the woods any day of the week. But she doesn't -- and why would she? Living here she has clean water, a warm bed, three squares a day, and a personal masseuse. She knows what's good.

[LastLegend]

Human destroyed the environment and have created the cage to save the animals. Human is then the writer, director, and the actor.

[Jikan]

On the topic of pets:

The commercial puppy/kitty/parrot industry is really bad news. There are some good operators out there, but generally it's samsara reproducing itself and people profiting at the suffering of animals who have no choice in the matter.

There's more to it than that, though.

I have two rescue cats. They make good companions, true, and they scare way a few mice now and then. More importantly, I'm able to organize their lives in such a way as to make sure they have contact with the Dharma: they've met teachers, they hear the teachings, they see Buddha-images. At one time or another, they were my parents, so this is a way for me to repay that debt: instead of starving or freezing to death, or getting eaten by a coyote, they instead play with toy mice and eat dried Japanese tuna flakes for lunch. Maybe next time, they'll be cleaning out someone else's litter pan.

We're talking about adopting a few people next.

[Will]

For every Buddhist like Jikan who exposes pets to the Dharma there are 10 thousand humanoids who use them to feed their craving for attention and/or controlling some creature; other than themselves.

I still say, leave animals alone, except to set them free from cages - whether homes, yards or zoos.

The buddhadharma has only one taste - Freedom

[muni]

We can stop to explore nature for our bussinesses because animals are created for our pleasure or whatever idea.

Cats and dogs bussiness for big money must stop. Many are abandonned after "the present" is not so new anymore!

Sterilisations and medical help in countries where sick harmed dogs are begging for some rice or dying of starvation.

Protection for fear (paramita!) Goose ( ok not always pets) their liver is so delicious after the animals suffered strongly for us.

I saw in a poor zoo few months ago, a tiger in a very small dirty and dark cage. He was sleeping, just like the people who are misusing/mistreating him!

Sentient beings are all in their cage. So this is a very good example to me how we harm, while sleeping in our personal goldon cage of samsara.

[muni]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOqt4eyw4hc

http://awnnepal.org/blog/category/zoo-check