ANIMALS

I love animals, they are such magnificent creations of God. I love cats especially, so did my family. To count how many cats my mother used to raise, it could reach over 50.  My mother used to tell me about her childhood, how her family was living in a mansion at Bellamy Road, which was now demolished and turned into a highway next to our National Library.
Many years back it was just a mansion there for her family surrounded by jungle. Being next to the jungle, she described that many animals came to their garden and field; such as monkeys, goose, cats, dogs, peacocks and squirrels. I can picture it like a beautifully made-up movie scene. Now all of that is lost due to modernization.

Kuala Lumpur now has become a concrete jungle; there is no place for any creatures to roam about. Even if there is, they are considered pests. Stray cats and dogs can be found in many streets and be treated harshly. There is no clean food or water offered to them. I feel sick of other human beings treating animals badly, after all they are inhabitants of the Earth ain’t it?

As a cat lover who had many cats as pets, I am more biased when people ask the question “Cats or dogs?”, but I have not been biased anymore since an incident happened.

I was walking back home late at night through a dark alley, one which I have to pass through to get home every night after finding a parking lot. There was this dog, it does not look like a stray as he was mighty and white. It look like it was being taken care of by an owner beforehand as he was clean and strong. It came up to me and walked alongside me. I was scared at first as there are many fierce dogs around the neighborhood, I felt safer with its presence. The dog seemed like a friendly one, he slowly followed me as I walk back home. Before I was about to reach, another pact of stray dogs were surrounding the path that I must cross. They started barking at me and ran after me. I tried to remain calm until one of them tried to attack me. The mighty white dog pinned down the strays and protected me. I felt thankful and headed back to my apartment.

The very next day, I got bread for the white dog. He seemed happy, but he had no home. If I lived in a bigger house I would have taken care of him. He would sleep under a big tree or cars on a sunny day and there was no shelter for him when it rains. He did not roam far from the neighborhood. He would walk around and greet people but he seems to be looking for something, perhaps he was looking for his previous owner who abandoned him. Weeks later he went haywire chasing cars along the street. He was lonely waiting for someone, I can sense it. So was I. I never understood why people say why dogs are men’s best friend, I can slowly understand now. Their loyalty is unmatched, not even to humans. And from then on I was never biased, I would love all and serve all.

One thing I do not understand about us humans is that, many of us don’t have a conscience for them. Every day I can see a dead animal on the road, dogs and cats. They are so busy that they could not even step the brakes to save a homeless living thing crossing the road. Some cruel ones that kills them for human benefits are not even comparable to animals. I may have lost hope in humanity, but I have not lost hope in animals yet.