For those of you who don't know, I live in Orange County, California, but recently quit my job on December 18, 2012. I'm south indian, and there also happened to be a family wedding in Hyderabad, India in the end of December so I've been here since around December 25th and I'm leaving January 29th. My family is very rich in India, and most of us live in a large area of land in one place, not walled off yet, with 10 or so houses, a pool, a large lawn, and a clubhouse area. It's beautiful and the perfect area to retire. Sitting at the clubhouse, it looks like a resort. It's beautiful. However, because this is India with non-existent animal control, and because the land is only half-walled off, many animals come on to the property. It's breathtaking, because we actually get peacocks who come into the area to play and eat. However, on the other hand, we have stray dogs in the area as well. I've probably spent maybe 9 months to a year over the past twelve years on this family land, because I've visited India maybe six times for about two months a piece. I, nor anyone, has ever had a problem with stray dogs attacking or doing anything harmful. However, some of the family considers them an eye sore.
I actually find many of the stray dogs so loving. They are afriad of humans because most of them get shoo'ed or hit with sticks if they hang out where food is being served, but I took the time to pet one and it was so loving, licking my hand, almost purring like a cat. I befriended one just earlier in the month. This is one among maybe 4 adult dogs, along with 4 beautiful puppies.
About 6 hours ago, I notice one adult dog basically passed out on a footpath where we often walk. What was especially unusual is that it did not seem to even try to move as we walked near it. They are usually very fearful of humans and I thought nothing of it. Then 30 minutes later we walked by the same dog; still, it was almost comatose. We have a driver here and he too seemed to notice it and it seemed to affect him.
In the car, my mother tells me that for unknown reasons a beautiful adult peacock was found dead this morning in the lawn right beside the clubhouse, right where we all sit and eat. It was buried right when it was found, but apparently it was very early in the morning and only two family members saw it. The story really seems to move the driver. He slowly told us that he thinks the peacock may have been posioned. He said yesterday the cook asked him for industrial pesticide that he procures for the family for killing plants. He said he gave it to him thinking he would use it on the plants. Then, later yesterday, he followed up with the cook as to where it was going to used and the cook told him that one of my greatuncles gave the order to put large amounts of the pesticide in some raw meat and set it outside so that the dogs may eat it and die. He told them not to do that but did not do anything else since he already had given the pesticide. The driver then went on to say that he thinks that the dog we saw on the footpath probably was poisoned with large amounts of pesticide and although just a drop can kill a tree (when mixed with a gallon of water), he wasn't sure how long it would take to kill a dog and felt bad because he thought the animal was in pain. We asked the driver to double check with the cook to see if he actually put out the poisoned meat yesterday and he confirmed that he did.
I obviously became very upset with this. It's one thing to kill an animal for self-defense or for sustenance, but it's another thing totally to kill an animal because it is an eye sore. And on top of that poisoning an animal with industrial strength pesticide. It's mind boggling to me.
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What've I've done:
- I had my mother call the local vets. Not available till tomorrow morning. But with the language barrier and everything I'm really relying on her to make this happen. Not sure how feasible this is because the dog is no longer on the path (I was in the car when I was told abut this, and when I got back 4 hours later the path was clear) and because the dogs are afraid of humans and the land we live on is huge.
What I want to do:
- I've thought about this, and it's one think to not do anything when tragedy occurs far away, but it's another thing when it happens on your doorstep. And regardless or not if the peacock died due to poisoning, it's so fucking symbolic that one of the majestic birds would die right where everyone would see in the clubhouse lawn the morning after the night the dogs were posioned. I don't know for a fact if any dogs died. I plan to address my family at the next common meal (dinner tonight was not at the clubhouse, so tomorrow morning), and just make it about what my personal philosophy demands without pointing fingers, or passing judgement. I plan on just stating that I found out that someone poisoned the stray dogs and whether or not that actually happened, if I hear about something like that in the future, I could no longer stay on this land and would have to stay elsewhere. Because I feel strongly about animal rights, and my personal philosophy requires that I cannot stay in a place were this occurs. That is all.
What is even more shocking is that:
- my greatuncle apparently told the cook to not tell anyone, and now the cook is denying that it happened and says he didn't . I don't know what my driver will do with the pressure, but he seems like an honest guy.
-my grandmother thinks I'm crazy because it already happened and she told me we live in a world where people are raped and murdered and so I shouldn't care about the dogs and that the best way to live was not to think about those things. I told it's one thing when a tragedy happens on your doorstep, it's another when you read about it in the paper. The said fucking thing is that she talks about God all the time, and that God is love, and here she is basically telling me to close my heart. Oh, and just "pray" for the animal, but don't think about it!
- my father wants me to stay silent when I told something that I had to mention it to the family. He has tried to guilt trip me by saying that the cook and the driver would be fired if the greatuncle found out they talked, even if it was before they were told not to say anything. I don't think it's genuine because my dad could employ them for peanuts (help is cheap in India) and I said we don't know they will be fired and he is in a position to help them. He actually told me that he would refuse to talk to me if I made my statement in front of my greatuncle (I think he is bluffing, and while I think I will accomodate him because I think the family will tell the greatuncle my position regardless, it may be hard to indulge him because the great uncle is always around.) I'm almost not sure how I will react when I physically see my great uncle. Holding my tongue does not seem right just because my great uncle is there, has a great temper, and because he's trying to cover it up. I don't plan to point fingers or even discuss whether it happened, I just want people to know how close to my heart this issue.
It's so fucking sad to think that poor dog I found on the footpath could barely lift it's head because it was poisoned by industrial strength pesticides. What a way to live, what a way to die. My mother said it right, it would be better to shoot them.
How can one expect peace and compassionate in the world when we are blind to it on our doorstep? It's so sad. I have to do something. Unfortunately, there is no animal control and no animal shelters here. So this is more about how to address this with my family. What would you do?
EDIT: Additional Information:
[22:26:25] xise: My great uncle has a life filled with catalyst that he has used to turn bitter
[22:26:37] xise: so I do feel for him as well, it's no surprise that he is like the way he is
[22:26:47] xise: His wife died in her early forties due to cancer
[22:27:00] xise: His investments went poorly so he has to work into his late sixties
[22:27:09] xise: He's a bitter bitter, angry angry man
I actually find many of the stray dogs so loving. They are afriad of humans because most of them get shoo'ed or hit with sticks if they hang out where food is being served, but I took the time to pet one and it was so loving, licking my hand, almost purring like a cat. I befriended one just earlier in the month. This is one among maybe 4 adult dogs, along with 4 beautiful puppies.
About 6 hours ago, I notice one adult dog basically passed out on a footpath where we often walk. What was especially unusual is that it did not seem to even try to move as we walked near it. They are usually very fearful of humans and I thought nothing of it. Then 30 minutes later we walked by the same dog; still, it was almost comatose. We have a driver here and he too seemed to notice it and it seemed to affect him.
In the car, my mother tells me that for unknown reasons a beautiful adult peacock was found dead this morning in the lawn right beside the clubhouse, right where we all sit and eat. It was buried right when it was found, but apparently it was very early in the morning and only two family members saw it. The story really seems to move the driver. He slowly told us that he thinks the peacock may have been posioned. He said yesterday the cook asked him for industrial pesticide that he procures for the family for killing plants. He said he gave it to him thinking he would use it on the plants. Then, later yesterday, he followed up with the cook as to where it was going to used and the cook told him that one of my greatuncles gave the order to put large amounts of the pesticide in some raw meat and set it outside so that the dogs may eat it and die. He told them not to do that but did not do anything else since he already had given the pesticide. The driver then went on to say that he thinks that the dog we saw on the footpath probably was poisoned with large amounts of pesticide and although just a drop can kill a tree (when mixed with a gallon of water), he wasn't sure how long it would take to kill a dog and felt bad because he thought the animal was in pain. We asked the driver to double check with the cook to see if he actually put out the poisoned meat yesterday and he confirmed that he did.
I obviously became very upset with this. It's one thing to kill an animal for self-defense or for sustenance, but it's another thing totally to kill an animal because it is an eye sore. And on top of that poisoning an animal with industrial strength pesticide. It's mind boggling to me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What've I've done:
- I had my mother call the local vets. Not available till tomorrow morning. But with the language barrier and everything I'm really relying on her to make this happen. Not sure how feasible this is because the dog is no longer on the path (I was in the car when I was told abut this, and when I got back 4 hours later the path was clear) and because the dogs are afraid of humans and the land we live on is huge.
What I want to do:
- I've thought about this, and it's one think to not do anything when tragedy occurs far away, but it's another thing when it happens on your doorstep. And regardless or not if the peacock died due to poisoning, it's so fucking symbolic that one of the majestic birds would die right where everyone would see in the clubhouse lawn the morning after the night the dogs were posioned. I don't know for a fact if any dogs died. I plan to address my family at the next common meal (dinner tonight was not at the clubhouse, so tomorrow morning), and just make it about what my personal philosophy demands without pointing fingers, or passing judgement. I plan on just stating that I found out that someone poisoned the stray dogs and whether or not that actually happened, if I hear about something like that in the future, I could no longer stay on this land and would have to stay elsewhere. Because I feel strongly about animal rights, and my personal philosophy requires that I cannot stay in a place were this occurs. That is all.
What is even more shocking is that:
- my greatuncle apparently told the cook to not tell anyone, and now the cook is denying that it happened and says he didn't . I don't know what my driver will do with the pressure, but he seems like an honest guy.
-my grandmother thinks I'm crazy because it already happened and she told me we live in a world where people are raped and murdered and so I shouldn't care about the dogs and that the best way to live was not to think about those things. I told it's one thing when a tragedy happens on your doorstep, it's another when you read about it in the paper. The said fucking thing is that she talks about God all the time, and that God is love, and here she is basically telling me to close my heart. Oh, and just "pray" for the animal, but don't think about it!
- my father wants me to stay silent when I told something that I had to mention it to the family. He has tried to guilt trip me by saying that the cook and the driver would be fired if the greatuncle found out they talked, even if it was before they were told not to say anything. I don't think it's genuine because my dad could employ them for peanuts (help is cheap in India) and I said we don't know they will be fired and he is in a position to help them. He actually told me that he would refuse to talk to me if I made my statement in front of my greatuncle (I think he is bluffing, and while I think I will accomodate him because I think the family will tell the greatuncle my position regardless, it may be hard to indulge him because the great uncle is always around.) I'm almost not sure how I will react when I physically see my great uncle. Holding my tongue does not seem right just because my great uncle is there, has a great temper, and because he's trying to cover it up. I don't plan to point fingers or even discuss whether it happened, I just want people to know how close to my heart this issue.
It's so fucking sad to think that poor dog I found on the footpath could barely lift it's head because it was poisoned by industrial strength pesticides. What a way to live, what a way to die. My mother said it right, it would be better to shoot them.
How can one expect peace and compassionate in the world when we are blind to it on our doorstep? It's so sad. I have to do something. Unfortunately, there is no animal control and no animal shelters here. So this is more about how to address this with my family. What would you do?
EDIT: Additional Information:
[22:26:25] xise: My great uncle has a life filled with catalyst that he has used to turn bitter
[22:26:37] xise: so I do feel for him as well, it's no surprise that he is like the way he is
[22:26:47] xise: His wife died in her early forties due to cancer
[22:27:00] xise: His investments went poorly so he has to work into his late sixties
[22:27:09] xise: He's a bitter bitter, angry angry man
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