ANIMAL WELFARE

Southland Times, Issue 20226, 11 July 1927, Page 8

ANIMAL WELFARE

LECTURE BY MR FORBES. THE HUMANITARIAN SOCIETY. Last night Mr J. A. Forbes delivered an address in the Theosophical Hall on the principles and objects of the Humanitarian Society of New Zealand. He explained that this society was formed for the purpose of directing attention to certain forms of cruelty to animals which the ordinary S.P.C.A. did not deal with. Reference was made to the wearing of furs and feathers, the securing of which involved intense suffering on the part of seals and birds. Coursing and pigeon shooting matches were condemned as cruel and unmanly forms of socalled sport. As the result, no doubt, of the agitation against coursing with hares, it was satisfactory to note that automatic tin hares were now being used instead of live ones. People should in every possible way discourage animal performances in circuses, as these unquestionably were responsible for harsh treatment of horses, dogs, cats, etc. Jack London was so incensed at the way these poor creatures were treated that he wrote a book, “Michael, Brother to Jerry,” depicting animal life in circuses and other places of amusement. Zoos, where wild animals were confined, should be abolished, as it meant that lions, tigers, etc., were banished from their natural and free surroundings to a life of misery where they were exposed to the curiosity of unthinking people. No animal should be taken from its natural haunts, nor should birds, which had wings given them to fly, be confined in cages. Nothing could be more prejudicial to a child’s character than permitting it to engage in the abominable practice of bird destruction. Vivisection of animals had been receiving a good deal of attention of late as the result of the importation of monkeys to be operated upon in the Dunedin Medical College. Many doctors and scientists declared that the torturing of animals in the supposed interests of science had never been of any real benefit to mankind in the prevention or cure of disease. The meat diet, Mr Forbes said, was responsible for a very great deal of suffering which could be avoided. People could liye healthy and happily without ever touching animal food of any kind. He himself had been a pledged abstainer from animal flesh for 20 years, and to this fact he mainly attributed his present active and healthy life.

It was pleasing to observe the increasing interest taken in the prevention of cruelty to animals nowadays. One hundred years ago there was no law to prevent cruelty, nor was there any society in existence for that purpose. Now every civilised country had its laws for the protection of animals. In New Zealand alone there were 12 S.P.C.A. societies in existence, and once each year an animal welfare week was held when teachers, clergymen and editors of newspapers were asked to draw attention to the duty of kindness to animals. It was important that young people especially should be taught their duty in this matter, for it had a very intimate and important bearing on the development of character.