Doggy Dog World Part 2

What brought on the previous article rambling on about the morality of caring for dogs more than fellow human beings, is because of a recent incident concerning the killing and eating of a dog.

Last year's Metro Manila Film Fest included a movie called "Oro". First things first, I didn't watch any of the offerings of the MMFF. I usually don't because they're usually garbage pushed by the big studios to promote their "products", both human and material. I heard the recent line-up was much better since it featured "indie" stuff. Whatever.

Oro had a scene which involved the slaughter and eating of a dog. Apparently, the scene was so graphic, that the Chairperson of the Film Development Council of the Philippines asked a representative of the film production team about it. She was told that it was  just a goat and some prosthetics. As it turns out, that was a lie and they really did kill and eat a dog.

Personally, I find lies much more offensive than the death of an animal. Nevertheless, this didn't sit well with animal rights groups. Social media, or the "outrage machine" as I like to call it, raised a big stink, as expected. The whole thing devolved to a he-said, she-said. Some say a pig was used. There was talk that two dogs were killed. I don't have the patience to dig into any more to this story because this story isn't the ultimate point. Besides, you probably already know how the story goes.

The point is this: there was outrage over the killing of a dog. In response to this outrage was outrage that the outraged people were more outraged over the killing of a dog than the outrageous killing of four people, which was a true story (The "Gata 4" Massacre) that the movie was based on. Taking the outrage a step further, and making it more topical, people expressed outrage that people are more outraged over the death of a dog than the thousands allegedly killed in President Duterte's  outrageous campaign against drugs, which is outrageous.

I hate social media.

If I may go off on a tangent, social media, I've observed, is just full of people signalling their virtue and trying to one-up one another in appearing more virtuous. The first group of the condescenderati wanted to appear all good and noble in protesting the dog slaughter as animal rights is still kind of chic. They were outdone when a second group protested the misplaced priorities of Philippine society in holding the lives of dogs higher than the supposed hundreds of people being killed every day. Taking it a step even further, and advertising their leftist street cred, some even argued that dog-eating is done because the poor do what they must to survive and its just those privileged bourgeois who whine about it and forbid the oh-so-noble Filipino "tradition" of eating canines. They never mentioned that in the Social Studies books.

I am aware of, and have no problem with, the dog-eating that happens in many parts of the country. However, I wasn't aware that people would go so far as to elevate it to some kind of proud cultural rite. Sometimes people are just hungry, you know?

So back to square one. Was all the outrage about the butchered dog, when our own countrymen are butchered, misplaced? Well the whole thing stands on a flimsy premise: that the people outraged over the dog are the same people who cheer on President Duterte's alleged killing of suspected criminals. It's possible to be outraged by both. They're not mutually exclusive. It's just cheap rhetoric. The outrage over the dog just seems amplified and high-profile while the outrage over the ever-rising pile of human corpses seems muted.

Perhaps the real kicker in all of this is that something was done about the dog but nothing is being done about the killings in the streets. With regards to the movie, people were reprimanded, people were suspended and awards were revoked. As for the humans...? That's the thing that really stings, eh?

Maybe we are really going to the dogs.

Doggy Dog World Part 1

A week ago, a stray dog wandered into the parking lot outside the office building. Normally, there's nothing unusual about a stray except that this was no ordinary mongrel. It looked like it had a breed; a Rottweiler by the look of it. It was a very big dog and would have been even bigger and more intimidating if it wasn't visibly starving. It was weakly limping about with its legs shaking. It's ribs and hip-bones were sticking out and its guts looked stuck to its spine.

Many regulars, myself included, felt pity for the creature and donations of food soon went its way. One of the security guards looked after the dog and even expressed his openness to the idea of adopting it. It was clear that with food and care, it would be a good dog to have. It looked like it would have had a good physical appearance, if fattened up, and it had good temperament as well. It was very, very friendly in a way you wouldn't expect from a normally mean-looking breed. Still, maybe it was just friendly out of desperation. It isn't wise to quickly trust a strange dog. The prudent thing would be to test it and see if it growls around certain types of people, if it zealously guards its food or if sudden noises and running set it off but I digress.

The reason for sharing this is that it brings to mind a common criticism often leveled at dog owners or people who are kind to dogs in general. "Why can't you extend the same kindness to fellow human beings?" There are street dogs and there are street people. Is it wrong to be more caring to stray dogs than people?

It's easier to feel sorry for an animal than a fellow human being. Not all animals, mind you but those animals which are cute and are often made into pets. Dogs are probably the go-to for this. There's a certain "innocence" attached to dogs. There's this idea that dogs are just these good, noble and loyal creatures who would wait forever for you outside a Japanese train station. They are, after all, man's best friend. Hence, it's always a bad thing when a dog dies in a movie. There's nothing quite so deliciously villainous as the designated bad guy signalling his evilness by kicking a little dog.

 But yes, this particular guilt-trip is familiar. The life of a human being is more important than that of a animal. Yes, but is it more important than a dog? I say yes but only because that's something I agree to as a member of civilization. There are many people in society that are living arguments to the contrary. There are people who are no better than dogs. The President seems to believe so. There are people who literally act like dogs. Even this whole damn country is going to the dogs.

We owe human beings more than dogs because the lives of people are more important. I'm disturbed that I can't seem to articulate why this is so. The fact that I secretly question this is probably a reflection of my dwindling compassion, inner corruption and ever-warping sense of morality. I have to remind myself that if, hypothetically, me and a dog were both drowning and a person chose to save the dog over me, I'd be a little bummed.

How about a third option. Can't one be nice to both dogs and humans? Why should anyone care, really? The universe doesn't seem to care. God doesn't seem to care. The sun shines alike on both the flowers and the weeds, the good and the wicked. If good is being done, does it matter to who or what it's being done to or will the argument shift on how being good to an animal is not a sign of good morals? If actions towards animals are free of any moral color, does that mean it wouldn't be wrong to torture a dog?

This is getting out of hand.

How did feeding a stray dog turn into a debate on morality. Overthinking things is hell. The world is a frightening place, cold and gray. Sometimes all you can do is just do what you believe is right. Back then, giving the dog some food seemed like the right thing to do. So sue me,

A few days later, the stray dog disappeared. The security guard told me that it had simply wandered on, maybe to the next lot. It was a stray after all. It's either on it's next great adventure or stewing in some idiot's pot. Typical. Did our supposed acts of kindness even amount to anything? Does anything ever amount to anything?

Speaking of dog meat...

It's A Dog's Life

Our neighbor had a dog named Spring. They took him in one day and I wasn't too keen on the idea. Spring was male but I had two female dogs. I didn't want any more puppies so I managed to have one spayed but I digress.

Spring was a particularly feisty dog. The name suited him. I didn't know where they found him but one thing I noticed was that Spring could stand to be around people but didn't want to be touched or held. He would always recoil from outstretched hands. Perhaps he was a stray used to abusive people but I wasn't sure.

Our neighbors are a small group of security guards. Given their line of work, you couldn't tell exactly who was in the house at any given moment. They clearly worked irregular shifts and the house was just an area to bunk before their jobs. I assumed Spring was taken in as a deterrent against thieves. The house they were occupying was by the gate and outer wall.

One thing that was clear was that Spring wasn't well fed. They fed him scraps at first but it wasn't enough. Spring looked for food elsewhere so it led to him always bringing in garbage from the outside. It got so bad at one point that my mother complained to them personally about the mess. To our surprise, the guard who was there at the time denied that the dog belonged to them. It probably belonged to one of the guards but it wasn't clear who. Again, the house was basically a barracks where whoever could just come in and out. 

Whoever the owner was, he didn't seem to be around anymore or maybe he stopped caring. I suspect that Spring wasn't being fed anymore because the garbage kept piling up and Spring was getting thinner. I felt sorry for him and decided to feed him a little dog food every now and then. Little did I know that this would cause him to bug me to no end. Whenever I arrived, he would jump around and run circles around me until I gave him something. He ate hungrily; almost desperately. My other dogs didn't like it one bit. If dogs could express emotions, envy and indignation were probably it.  "How could I feed a dog that wasn't even mine?" they must have thought.

Spring was annoying but I have to admit he grew on me a little.

One day, Spring didn't come out as usual to beg for food. I found it odd since I was used to it at that point. Then the next day came and still no dog. I thought, somewhat innocently, that they must have taken him somewhere else.

As I came home one night, I asked one of our help about Spring and how I didn't see the dog for days. I didn't think much about the question; it was just small talk. She answered me, rather plainly, that they had Spring killed. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't taken aback by the reply. She tried to tell me the details of how they did it and where they did it and how she couldn't stand to see it but I made it clear I didn't want to hear it. I didn't enjoy my dinner or the rest of the evening.

Why does it bother me so? Spring wasn't my dog after all. A long time ago when our gated area was overrun by stray dogs, we had them taken away. We figured it was a danger to have stray dogs, who were not injected for rabies by the way, running around with all the neighbors having children.I felt a little bad but it had to be done. Did Spring have to die? At worst he was just annoying. The whole affair bothered me a lot. It bothered me so much that I'm writing about this rather insignificant thing when a lot of more important nonsense is happening in our country. After thinking about it a lot, I now know why. 

It just wasn't fair.

All that dog was guilty of was being a dog. It's not his fault why he brought a lot of garbage into the driveway. Maybe if they fed the damn thing, he wouldn't have done so. It just wasn't fair. They brought a dog into their house only to neglect it and then kill it because it was way too much of a bother to buy a sack of dog food every once in a while or maybe tie him up next to a tree.

I don't think any ill of the guards. It was their decision to make. As much as I like the company of dogs, I don't put them on a pedestal like some PETA activist. I felt bad when Jackie died of course, but in the end, a dog is still just a dog. The fact that they have shorter lifespans kind of prepares you for the inevitable and the time after that. Still, I don't know why the fate of some animal could stir such negative feelings in me. That dog was just hungry. It was hungry all the time. Even after you gave him a bowl full of dog food, it was still hungry... for something else maybe.

What a terrible existence.

Goodbye Pig

Today, I had my dog put down.

For the past three or so days, Jackie couldn't walk. At first, I thought something was just wrong with one of her legs and that it would be better after some rest. It didn't and she became unable to lift herself up on all fours. She developed a nasty pressure sore on her elbow that looked like a crater.

She wouldn't eat. I had to hold her up on the grass to get her to do her business but then it just became too stressful for her. One evening, while trying to help her urinate, I slipped and couldn't catch her in time. She fell sideways into the mud but the worst part was that she had this look of exhaustion and resignation on her face and just laid there not even trying to get up. I took her in and placed her on soft mats.

She spent her last days laying down. Her cries kept me up at night. I would go down and turn her over to ease the pain and prevent another sore. She tried hard to get up but couldn't seem to twist her hip. We tried to comfort her any way we could. We gave her water when she was thirsty and cleaned up after her. As the days went on, she cried more and more but she didn't want anything to eat or drink. She would quiet down only if somebody would stay with her and pat her head. It seemed that the loneliness was worse than the hunger. Perhaps dogs are more human than I thought.

The vet said that all he could offer were painkillers but that would only delay the inevitable. Truth be told, Jackie was a very old dog; twelve years old in fact. This was not unexpected but it seemed to all come so suddenly. The vet came over and after his assessment, told me it had to be done.

I didn't want to see it but I felt compelled to stay. I patted her on the head gently as the doctor used the first syringe. I patted her as she trembled a little. The doctor assured me that the procedure was painless. I left when they used the solution that stops the heart and went to my room instead. I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry. I did. I couldn't help it. I cried alone in my room as I always do in  moments like this. I thought I wouldn't. After all, Jackie was just a dog and that she was a very old dog. Still, it was a truly sad and pathetic sight to see.

We buried her underneath a Kaymito tree in a shady part of the yard. The place was a bit overgrown but peaceful and cool. A stone slab and her bowl are all that indicate her final resting place.

Do dogs have souls? My mother believes that when an illness is about to afflict a family member, the dog heroically absorbs it instead. A wives' tale but a comforting thought. I feel regret that I took Jackie for granted many times and that I wasn't the best dog owner in the world. But then again she was a simple dog. She was lazy and thought that the best thing in the world was to eat food. That was easy to satisfy of course, especially since I am of a similar mindset. She would practically eat anything you offered her. My mother and I called her "The Fat Pig", joking that she was a greedy omnivorous pig disguised as a dog. Once, I gave her a banana and she ate it. She would even eat the bland Tambis fruits if you gave it to her.

I miss her already.

At least her suffering is over and that there's no more cries of pain but I think I'm still going to have a hard time sleeping tonight.

Nuts

Today, one of my dogs, Chocnut, had to undergo a minor procedure. She received a cut on her head. I thought it would heal by itself but in retrospect, it was pretty deep and required more attention. When it looked swollen yesterday and still bled despite everything, a trip to the vet proved timely.

She's better now but I still feel upset about it. I should have done something sooner and maybe it wouldn't have been so bad.

Maybe I'll give her a hot dog as a treat tomorrow.

Sad Dog

My dog has a bad leg. She couldn't get up this morning. She's getting better after some medicine. She can move but she limps on one leg.

This sucks.