Hank the chihuahua

One of the hardest things for me to endure while traveling is being a witness to the ever present animal cruelty around the world. It absolutely breaks my heart, and it's not something I'm able to grow a thick skin to. It's my weakness, or should I say, my strength?
I tried not to think about it when I saw a "dog meat" restaurant in Laos and Vietnam, or when I saw a cart full of dogs crammed tightly into a cage on the back of a moped in Vietnam, on it's way to the butcher. These images will always haunt me.
I try to tell myself it's part of the culture but my brain isn't accepting this excuse. I can accept every other part of the Vietnamese culture, except the idea of dog being on the menu.

puppy in Cambodia, scratched raw from fleas

What prompted me to write this blog was a little dog I saw while I was in Hanoi. Directly across from the balcony of my hotel was the porch of a local family. They had a little chihuahua that they kept in a small birdcage, which was barely big enough for him to turn around in. I'll call him Hank. I was shocked that anyone could treat a helpless animal in such a cruel manner. I saw from the clothesline that this family had small children. I questioned their ability to be adequate parents if they treated their dog in this inhumane way.

Hank's horrible living conditions

Precious little Hank remained in his cage all day and all night. I wondered, "What's the point in even having a dog?" I frequently went to my balcony to check on him. Not once was he let out of his cage. He was forced to lay in his own pee due to the lack of space. He whimpered, but his owners never paid attention to him. They would go out to the balcony periodically to grab clothes off the line, but never once even acknowledged Hank. He paced methodically in the 4 inches of space available, a heart breaking characteristic of a mistreated animal that has been caged for long periods of time. He didn't even have a bowl of water! How can this treatment be justified?! I was infuriated as much as I was saddened.
When I saw a man appear on the porch, I hollered over to him, begging for him to let his dog out of the cage and give him water. I pointed at the cage and I know he understood that I was implying the ill treatment of his dog. He just gave me a smirk and walked back into the apartment. Grrrr!
It drove me crazy that there was an animal suffering only a few feet from me, and I could do nothing about it.
At night, they put a board against the cage, causing him to be even more secluded. It was torture. I'm sure Hank longed to run free. Chihuahuas have so much energy! It was wrong to do this to him!
I seriously thought about buying the dog from them. I would have easily gave them $100 to rid them of their "burden" and give Hank a life worth living.
I talked to the Vietnamese men at the front desk of my hotel and let them know that this situation was really bothering me. I told them I wanted to report this family to the police for animal cruelty. The men rolled in laughter. "There is no such thing in Vietnam! We eat dog here!" they cackled. "I know! But you shouldn't!" I huffed. They all licked their lips and rubbed their tummies as they explained how delicious dog meat tasted. Extremely disgusted, I walked out of the hotel, into the hectic streets. My head was spinning and I couldn't bare to hear this idiotic talk for one more second. I'm convinced they were dropped on their heads as children.

a sick puppy in Laos

I thought about how I could help these vulnerable creatures and began to feel overwhelmed. I couldn't do it on my own, but it has to stop! To begin with, these people need to be educated!
Culture aside, it only takes common sense to know that you shouldn't eat an animal that is as friendly and loyal as a dog!
Dogs are such a special gift to humans. They have all the qualities that are admirable in a human. They're loyal, forgiving, affectionate, sweet, patient.... and always happy to see us. They brighten our lives. Let's face it, DOGS ARE AWESOME!
What would we do without man's best friend?! They are highly intelligent animals and experience emotions, just like us.
Any sane human can plainly see that canines are supposed to be pets, not a meal. It's barbaric!
Sadly, animal cruelty isn't confined to Vietnam. It happens everywhere, and it happens to all kinds of animals. Although I've focused soley on dogs with this blog, I've witnessed tragically poor treatments to cats, elephants, camels, monkeys, mules, horses, bears, alligators.....
The degree of animal cruelty is definitely worse in third world countries. There are no laws against it. If one does exist, it isn't reinforced. I often see small children finding entertainment in throwing rocks at dogs. I sternly scold them each time I see this happen. Their perception of dogs is much different than it is in the western world.
Growing up, we always had a dog, which was treated just like a family member. My dad is also a huge animal lover. The only 2 times I've ever seen him cry were when our dogs died. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.
As you know, I have a miniature pinscher named Harley. I couldn't imagine treating her in this horrible manner. I protect, love and cherish her like any mother does with her child. Animal rights is something I feel very strongly about.

I feel a rush of anger when I see someone mistreating an animal and will always, always, always say something to the abuser, no matter who they are. If you kick a dog in my presence, be prepared to deal with me.
The abuser may not always understand English, but they clearly grasp the concept from the angry look on my face as I give them a thorough tongue- lashing.

Fact: I'm a vegetarian.
Why? First and foremost, because I love animals. To say that I'm an animal lover is an understatement. About 5 years ago, I saw a video on animal cruelty called "meet your meat". http://www.meat.org/ I was sobbing inconsolably by the end of it. That's all it took. I haven't ate a single piece of meat since. I absolutely refuse to be a part of the heartless killing of animals. Animals are my friends, and I don't eat my friends.

We all know what goes on in slaughter houses, yet many of us turn a blind eye. "If slaughter houses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian." ~ Sir Paul McCartney

My heart went out to the endless amounts of dogs I saw in India that were painfully thin, had large bloody sores and old unhealed fractured legs that caused a disabling limp. Many times, I would go out of my way to give them food and fresh water. I have to say, these were some of the smartest street dogs I've ever seen. They were living in some of the cruelest conditions imaginable, which had forced their survival instinct to kick into high gear. In Nepal, I would always have food in my bag in case I saw a dog. That way, I felt like I made a little difference. This would, in turn, cause me to be followed for hours by my new tail-wagging friend.

rough looking dog in Nepal

I'm an ambassador for animals all around the world! Ha!
I hope this makes you more aware of the hardships of third world countries. If it's hard living for the people, it's even harder living for the animals. 
If you have any ideas of how to help, please message me.
Hopefully, in time, these clueless people will understand the way animals deserve to be treated. Until that day, they continue to suffer. I can barely stand the thought of Hank suffering in his little cage another day :(