The World Veterinary Association (WVA) Councillor for Africa, Dr. Gani Enahoro has decried the flippant and dangerous way MANY Africans treat animals as CRUEL
Dr. Enahoro gave this warning during this year’s celebration of World Animal Day in Warri, Delta State, South-south, Nigeria on Wednesday.
He noted that animals have rendered selfless and outstanding social services beyond human comprehension SUCH as helpers for the visually impaired and physically challenged.
The former President Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) REITERATED the importance of dealing PROPERLY with animals BECAUSE OF THEIR use for security DUTIES, detecting weapons and drugs, detecting humans buried in rubles during building collapse or earthquakes.
“Today, October 4 is World Animal Day, when those who appreciate and show sufficient concerns to our neighbours in four legs, who are members of the same ecosystem for which we are just a very proud part as human beings, celebrate their usefulness in various duties as security guards, detecting weapons and drugs, detecting humans buried in rubles during building collapse or earthquakes.”
“Animals have rendered selfless and outstanding social services beyond human comprehension as helpers for the visually impaired and physically challenged, some dogs have demonstrated exceptional capacity to detect various cancers in their early stages with smarter accuracy than the best technology can offer.”
“Large animals have been used in food production as they drag along instruments for tilling the ground, as beasts of burden like donkeys carrying heavy loads across distances where vehicles could not traverse, and as sources of the milk and meat we eat if our faith permits.”
Dr. Enahoro commended Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh for stating that cattle ranching is the only way forward in Nigeria’s economy “in recent times in Nigeria, cattle rearing owned from within and by cultural wandering from sister countries far and near in the name of transhumane have been in the news for the bad reasons, not because animals are bad to own, but due to herder’s unwilling attitude to adopt new and more productive ways of doing things leading to avoidable clashes with arable farmers whose crops are eating up and farms destroyed. Thanks to the unyielding stance of the Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, that we must go for cattle ranching as the only way forward,” he noted.
Meanwhile, few days ago during World Rabies Day, Dr. Enahoro said the World Veterinary Association (WVA) and World Medical Association (WMA) jointly signed a partnership declaring year 2030 as target for total eradication of the transfer of rabies disease to man from dogs.
He said the eradication certainly can be achievED if responsible ownership is promoted when neighbours do not stay aloof but report to relevant veterinary, welfare or police authorities, whenever they observe acts that are cruel to animals including poor housing, street wandering, insufficient feeding and watering, lack of veterinary care and abandonment.
“Animals have displayed absolute loyalty to man across the globe and in Nigeria we have enough testimonies to encourage our love for them.”
“They have been unsung heroes in recent times playing wonderful roles in the ongoing battle against Boko-Haram, where Nigerian Army Dog Unit with Veterinarians and trained dog handlers have taken frontline positions in the battle field, with dogs assisting to detect buried mines and other sundry duties.”
As part of animals’ selfless services to human, earlier this year, a dog called Teacher got a heroes award from the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) during the last World Veterinary Day in April.
According to NVMA President, Hon. Dr. Godwin Abonyi, Teacher detected that a girl wired with explosives was approaching a wedding reception where hundreds had gathered with the evil intention to commit suicide and kill people. But the dog raced and caught up with her, stubbornly refused her from penetrating the crowd until the IED detonated. BOTH the suicide bomber and the dog died in the unsuccessful attack, thereby saving several lives.
“We need to love animals and care effectively for them, like our respected former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo demonstrated a month ago, on September 2, 2017 when he adopted one of the three new born lion cubs inside Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Wildlife Park, christening the cub his cherished native name of Aremu. He donated N1million immediately for the upkeep of the cub.”
“That feat was repeated by a caller at OOPL same day, a Professor Ade Afolabi who also adopted another of the cubs, which he named Ade, his first name. It is noteworthy that President Obasanjo’s first child (Iyabo) is a Veterinarian, who was a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at a time.”
Enahoro cited Ghandi quote who says: “A society is judged by the way it treats its weak & its animals”. Let us stand to be counted for caring for our animals, because unlike humans they will never grow old enough to take over their individual needs and responsibilities.
