Show kindness and compassion to stray dogs

Sir Frank Peters

If it weren’t for dogs, none of us would have any sincere friends

Sir Frank Peters

It’s quite a common occurrence in Bangladesh to see people, garbed in their best attire, throng to the mosques during Ramadan at the designated prayer times.

And so it ought to be. Prayer never did anyone any harm. In fact it’s proved to be most beneficial and I have yet to hear someone say ‘don’t pray for me’.

While we observe the comings and goings of the piety among us, there is little to no evidence of they giving any thought or consideration to the plight of our friends, the hapless street dogs and puppies, they encounter on their way to or back from prayer. And not only is that extremely sad, but a clear indication that compassion is tethering on the rink of extinction.

In the majority of homes there is some leftover food that could readily provide a nourishing meal – or even a tasty snack – for our canine friends that roam the streets in search of evidence that humanity and kindness still exists in society if one were to look hard enough.

Instead, out of sheer laziness, predominantly self-centred thinking, lack of empathy with the less fortunate, total inconsideration, or sheer ignorance, the food is confined to the dustbin to decay, rot, and be of no benefit.  That just couldn’t be right in the eyes of Allah or man.

Such wastage of life-giving substance is a blight on humanity itself and much to our shame, not credit.

Countless tons of food is shamefully discarded every day throughout Bangladesh in homes, hotels, restaurants, and eateries like KFC, Dominoes Pizza etc.

Most homes, except the poorest of the poor, who can’t afford food sufficient, even for themselves, continuously throwaway good nourishing, and life-sustaining food.

Instead of giving it to their canine friends; those starving dogs and their cute puppies who roam the streets in search of food and a friend who will bestow a little help, show a little human kindness and compassion, and who encounter all forms of abuse and brutality on their ever precarious life-threatening journey.

Have we become such an indifferent and heartless society that we won’t even give what we don’t need... what we discard as waste ... to help fellow travellers on this earth who are down on their luck? And still expect to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? How preposterous is that?

Where is the level of compassion within a human being, if they can’t even give what is worthless to them to benefit the canine homeless, destitute, and hungry?

Why should stray dogs suffer from hunger when food is abundantly plentiful?

Dog is an anagram of God

A dog is the only creature on earth that loves you more than you love yourself and, not too surprisingly, it’s an anagram of God.

If it weren’t for dogs, none of us would have any sincere friends. A dog is the most sincere creature Allah created: totally trustworthy and impeccably reliable.

Stray dogs especially help mock and break down the false facade of humanity we endeavour to project as good, decent, honourable and caring humans.

No dog deserves to live a stray dog’s life as they do in Bangladesh. A little bit of compassion and consideration is all that’s necessary.

                                     Be kind to dogs APPEAL

Make it a daily routine to save all the leftover food (bones especially) that dogs would eat in a plastic bag. Food that would normally go into the bin, and simply give it to the first dog you meet on the way to school, work, or mosque.

Just throw it on the ground near them and and they will open the package as if they were opeing a gift-wrapped Eid treat.

People often ask how can an individual make a difference.

This Ramadan, help restore compassion, humaniy, kindness and charity to Ramadan and make that difference.

Niceness is priceless – it costs nothing to be nice and it’s never too late to make change.

(Sir Frank Peters is a former newspaper and magazine publisher and editor; a humanitarian, canine admirer, human rights activist, and an Honorary Member of the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters.) <SirFrankPeters@gmail.com>