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Last month, I received an email from one of our ardent readers who preferred to remain anonymous.
The reader was not happy with how Kenyans mistreat animals. He gave examples of carrying poultry on top of speeding matatus, motor bicycles or hand-pulled carts.
He also highlighted the mistreatment of donkeys and cows despite their many benefits to humans.
His request was simple: please create some awareness on this topic.
It is indeed appalling how a majority of Kenyans mistreat animals. In the creation hierarchy, animals might rank lower, but they deserve better.
Animals contribute food, labour and unconditional companionship to humanity. It is, especially worrying how some donkey owners whip them while laden with farm produce. This is despite the existence of many laws that safeguard the welfare of animals; but sadly, there is a bit of apathy from the public, consumers and also law enforcers. With more public awareness and intentional attitude change, we can treat our animals better. The world is changing very fast in the realm of animal welfare, which comes with many other adjustments along the whole value chain.
It may not be evident on this side of the world, but in the developed world, consumers wield a lot of power in determining how the end products are produced, especially the treatment of animals.
Animal welfare crusaders are successfully driving the enforcement of laws that prohibit the abuse of animals. Market punishment through inaccessibility of products from animals whose welfare was abused has reinforced good animal husbandry practices.
Some consumers, for instance will not buy milk or meat from intensive farms where there is evidence of animal welfare abuse.
This has also spread to pet owners, who will not buy puppies from owners who convert their dogs into “puppy production machines.”
The same approach is being used in the tea and coffee sectors by barring access to international markets of tea or coffee produced in a setting that does not take care of the environment.
In Kenya, this is yet to be adopted, and you will see people selling puppies by the roadside without bothering about their history.
Although there are many animal welfare organisations and Individuals driving the agenda of animal welfare, a lot that still needs to be done.
However, it must be commended that the meat industry has made some good progress with the establishment of franchise butcheries that sell meat from certain ranches that observe animal welfare.
It may take a while, but we shall get there.
In the meantime, we must play our rightful role in upholding animal welfare, appreciating their usefulness in providing food, labour and unconditional companionship.
[Dr. Othieno is a veterinary surgeon and currently the head of communications at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Kenya. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of FAO but his own]
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