The news of a nationwide constitutional referendum to give animals a constitutional right to be represented in Swiss courts reminded me of how far down the development ladder we are in Africa. Many African countries are reeling in dictatorships such that it is a treasonable to even imagine a single constitutional amendment to better the lives of human beings. Most people are living in such deplorable conditions they cannot afford the luxury to think of animal rights.
So, animal rights activities in Switzerland say appointing state funded animal lawyers would ensure animal laws are upheld. Don’t forget that Switzerland already has the most stringent animal laws in the world with a state appointed cruelty cases lawyer, Mr. Antoine Goetschel, having represented dogs, cats, sheep and even a fish in the past. For the love of animals, the Swiss want a nationwide system of animal lawyers.
Back to Africa, most Africans cannot afford a descent meal, shelter, clothing, health care and safe drinking water.
A simple comparative analysis will point out that animals in the west have better lives and more rights than us Africans.
Health Care
In the west, the doctor patient ratio is mostly triple digits. Cuba is leading with 170; Belarus has 220 and so forth. Come to Africa: Tanzania and Malawi is one doctor to 50 000 patients while Uganda has 12 500.
The statistics on vets are mostly unavailable but I gleaned that in the US, vet to pets ratio is around 35 000. That means a dog in the US has better chances of getting treatment than a Tanzanian or Malawian and by extension, better health care.
In Africa, health emergence services are either poor or non-existent. In Kenya, emergence services are run by private companies and are therefore subscriber based. Few can afford them. Hot lines are never working. In the west, even India, emergence services for pets and animals are very efficient. The nearest hospital being 30 kilometers away, there is not a single ambulance in my village yet the west has more than enough ambulances for animals.
Food
According to the recommended feeding amount, Fido, a typical American dog, would eat $1.74 worth of high quality, human grade ingredients, and no risky imports dog food while Fluffy the cat would be consuming $3.87 worth of cat food each day. I bet An African would be more comfortable eating these pet foods than the concoctions that causes him cholera and typhoid he eats in Africa.
It is universal knowledge that many in Sub- Saharan Africa live on less than a dollar a day. In Nigeria, 64.4 % of people live on less than a dollar a day. That means a Nigerian cannot afford to live a dog life in the west. 83.9 % of Nigerians live on less than two dollars a day. That means the majority of Nigerians cannot afford to be a live cat in the US for a day. This is a country that is the eighth largest exporter of oil in the world.
Shelter
I am sure that the living conditions in the west for pets are better than most in Africa. Most houses in Africa are makeshift structures that are a disaster in waiting. Most cannot keep out the elements. Majority of urban communities live in slum conditions that a western dog will contract a million diseases and die within a day.
Security
The greatest threat to an African life is to be snuffed out by a piece of lead from a (in)security agent. Most countries are covert police states. Even in some countries that masquerade as democracies, state sponsored killings are rampant. In Kenya, the government connives with illegal gangs to terrorize and kill the citizenry. A killer mob called Mungiki exists freely and kills with impunity. Recently, the government released its leader from prison.
Kenyan police is a trigger-happy mob. A report by a civil society, the mars Group, indicates that ten suspected robbers were slain in two days in February this year alone. While in the western democracies this would raise a furor, the Kenyan police dabble with extra-judicial killing with impunity.
About three hundred Boko Haram members, a militant Islamic group, were killed by police last year in Nigeria .A video released by Al Jazeera recently, gave a graphic account of police shooting unarmed members of the group in cold blood. The Christian-Muslim conflict in Jos this year claimed more than 800 lives, with the police responsible for most of the deaths.
People are dying daily in Africa from avoidable causes. The authorities treat them no better than mere statistics. African governments are more concerned about the next elections and how best to remain in power than providing security. In most cases, they eliminate their competitors.
The genocides in Rwanda and Darfur are too documented to be cited. When was the last time you heard of wanton mass deaths of animals in the west? They are assured of life than us in Africa.
Animal welfare groups, charitable trusts, humane societies and animal rights bodies are more effective in the west than civil Societies in Africa. Most civil society members are just shouting loud so as to be coopted into government. Some groups, for instance PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) are better organized and proactive than most civil societies here. PETA has 2 million members to boot
If the theory of reincarnation is true, I would wish than I be reborn a dog in the west than a human being Africa!
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