Expert: Robin Flynn - 6/14/2006

Question
Robin,

I am sure that being an animal lover, I don't need to elaborate on the Korean dog meat trade. This is something that has me so depressed at times, I can't function. I think that most pet lovers in the US really don't even know what goes on over there, and truth be told, I wish I didn't. I decided to research this a couple of years ago....and well, a couple years later I still get upset over it and cry myself to sleep for those poor animals. I even saw a video that had some pure-bred dogs who had once been pets. Seeing that put me in a deep depression for a good 3 weeks, at least.

I have talked to Americans who have lived in Korea for a time, many said that it is not that bad over there, and that the websites I visited probably over-dramatized and used scare tactics. That may be the case, but the fact that this goes on at all is something I have a hard time dealing with.

I am not sure what my question is to you, exactly, but being an animal lover, do things like this get you down as badly as they do me? There are days when I just can't handle it, I know that sounds dramatic, but it is true. I love animals so much....and I cannot believe that other countries treat companion animals that way. I know that there are things that are being done, but it just isn't enough. Do you think it will ever end? I pray to God that it does.  

Answer
Hi Lisa,

Believe me when I say you are far from being alone in your thoughts. Our reaction to the horror that animals endure is far from dramatic. What¡¦s scary is when people don¡¦t react, when they don¡¦t care that this cruelty exists. We, should ask, why are ¡§they¡¨ so complacent, not, why are we so dramatic. Everyone is different in their ability to cope with situations but I will say I have had the same bouts of depression and serious crying sessions over the torture and cruelty that people inflect on animals. And, honestly almost every single activist I know has had the same reaction one time or another. I¡¦m not a psychologist but I can sincerely say becoming active has been my saving grace. As I began to learn about the abuse that exists in the world I would always shy away from it because I couldn¡¦t handle it and I really didn¡¦t think I could keep it together. But what I found is that the feelings never go away. It¡¦s not the knowledge that creates the suffering; it¡¦s the suppression of the feelings and denial of reality that creates our sadness.  However, if you jump into it and face it head on instead of avoiding it, the feelings over time will subside because they aren¡¦t as shocking as the first time you learned about them. We have mechanisms in place that allow us to deal with bad situations. You do not have to watch the videos; you don¡¦t have to read all the horrific details. You can join lists that educate people in a more subdued manner ( ie HSUS.) PETA2 writes information in a gentler manner that allows you to read it with out the scary details. I don¡¦t know your situation but if you are not active in a cause that helps animals I suggest you look into becoming active. The support that I receive from my activist friends is immeasurable. It is natural for the human animal to express emotions and be comforted by another who feels the same. I also attend seminars and conferences, I like to see all those animal lovers in one place and I like to meet inspirational people who lead organizations, change laws, and save countless animals. It¡¦s all very inspiring to me and it makes me feel like I belong to something bigger and it gives me hope that we will win some of our battles and hopefully one day win the war. I belong to several local AR groups and we occasionally protest and we are all on the same activist alert lists which are great for arm chair activists. I can sign 3 or 4 petitions a week (online- it takes a second) or work on a campaign and then later on down the line, find out that we won! That feeling alone keeps me from crying for weeks. ƒº Humor always helps too! There are a lot of positive changes that happen in the AR world. Unfortunately, when we first jump into the animal rights all we read is the horror. And, sadly in the case of the Korean dogs, these are not isolated situations. That is simply what they do. However, there are activists that have broken in to compounds and stolen dogs and brought them to a better life. Or AR Organizations have broken down a business and rescued many animals that would have otherwise lived out a horrible fate. And there are organizations working to stop this cruelty. You should become active in this area, the more action you do and the more you read will help and eventually the shock will subside and action will kick in. It definitely takes a little courage at first. But when you see things improve over time it will make you feel better. I know becoming active has made me a stronger person overall.  

Because you mentioned the Korean dog situation I thought you might like to read about organizations in Korea who are helping these dogs and cats. Don¡¦t look at the video just read about the steps they are taking and look to see how you can help.

http://www.koreananimals.org/

Information link.
http://www.animalkorea.org/bbs/view.php?id=meat&no=2


It is important to start looking at the positive side of AR. There are many positive outcomes that would have never happened if people didn¡¦t fight against what they believe is wrong. Read about these PETA   victories http://www.peta.org/about/victories.asp  But always remember, if it gets tough and you need a break, take a break. Every animal advocate understands this.  If you are not aware of any local groups in your area, please let me know where you live and I will make some suggestions for you. If you live in MA I can suggest many groups. And you can always contact your local shelter or the Humane Society and inquire.

I have respected animals my whole life, my companion animals could always bring a smile to my face when no one else could. I have always loved walking through the woods or fields and watching animals interact. I grew up in Wisconsin so I have had opportunities to interact with wildlife and farm animals. All have their own amazing qualities and special ways of communicating to me.  And even today when I read about something sad just having my cat sitting next to me purring always makes me feel better. Sometimes I just need to look at pictures of happy animals and I bounce back. Check these out: http://www.animalliberationfront.com/News/AnimalPhotos/No_Speciesism_Here.htm

It also helps me to watch slide shows of animals being rescued and looking happy.
http://www.animalliberationfront.com/slideshow4.htm

This link shows actions by activists around the world. I should say not all of these are legal actions but nobody gets hurt. I just like to see comradery around the world.

http://www.directaction.info/

I have included a couple of links that talk about the feeling we encounter and some support options.  

http://www.blessedbonds.com/self_care_for_animal_givers.html

http://www.satyamag.com/jun05/jones_fear.html

http://letters.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2006/03/08/animal_activist/view/index19.ht...


I hope I could shed some light on your question. Please let me know if I can help in any other way. And by the way, God is on our side.
For the animals,
Robin