Animal Welfare (The Drama)
Maybe it is my fault …
Few years ago, I wrote an article, and it was spread really fast on the Internet. The article is originally written in my blog and still can be found there. It is called “Politik Satwa” (Politics of Animals).
Politik Satwa is an article that I wrote to make people aware and open their eyes about the dark side of animal rescuing in Indonesia. As you might know, the animal welfare issue and topics has just been a hot issue on the past 5 years.
As the use of social media influences people to do more on the real life, it can also be used to bring their bad habit to the public; lies. These liars know how to make profits and money to the target, the animals lovers. These kind of people know exactly that animal lovers feel pity to the stray or abused animals, so they are presenting themselves as a heroic person who saved lots of animals and asking for a public donation. A huge number of donation was received back then.
The sponsors or the people who donate, only know that these people has saved the animals, and doesn’t really think forward about the fate of the animals later. They didn’t check the background of these new heroes and forgetting that these people are prematurely love animals. They don’t have any experience to run a shelter, they don’t know how to spend money wisely, even they don’t really know about five freedoms of animals, or basic animals need. The worst of all, the money that should be spent for the animals, are used for getting drunk or personal needs.
That’s sum up everything about the Politics of Animals, except the fact that these guys are a true marketer for themselves, a true influencer for their followers. Sadly, they are occasionally spread bad rumors about people like me and what my organization did routinely.
I am 28 by the time I write this story. And I’ve been volunteering for an animal welfare organization (legal) for the last 6 years. We are one of the very first legal modern-age animal welfare organization in Indonesia. And proudly said that there are no animal welfare organizations in Indonesia that has better volunteers work than us. In fact, we do not have enough fund to do anything, but we always survived !
Looking back then, I was never a pessimistic person. My dream is always for the animals in Indonesia to have a better life. Then I decided to work behind the screen along with other wonderful people inside the organizations. These people are the best, they never need any public recognition nor fans who adore them, they just constantly doing the best for the goal; for the animals. They are the wonderful people.
I start with applying as a regular volunteer, build the website, the system, and learn how to deal with my crazy volunteer-mates. I was the one whom they said as the only normal guy in the team. I was also the most-bored person in the organization because I was the one who only talks about projects, programs, and the timeline. They drink, they smoke. I don’t. They think I don’t know how to chill and relax. Yeah … but I get along.
Then I become a volunteer coordinator because no-one want to fill the position. It was a tough job of course, but I can tell that this is one of the job that will give you a great knowledge in your life.
Then I stop become a volunteer coordinator and do more works with the organization programs. Do all the plan. Make sure it’s all executed, along with Mrs. Ina as the program manager.
Then suddenly, I do more and more works. I mean. Really …
Build external relations. Get the fund. Sponsorship programs. And many other projects which I couldn’t tell publicly.
There are times that it feels so f*ckin’ hard just to stand on your own feet because of the overwhelmed pressure of the works, but once I realized then ..
you can’t stop being active if you are still an activist. And you shouldn’t.
Back to the story of the intrigues activities of the animal welfare world. I always tell people that they cannot generalized the situation in every country and every case.
Animal welfare and its activities are very complex. It depends a lot with the economy levels and the culture of a district. You shouldn’t judge people only by looking at the end-result. We do progress, the fight will always take time. And sometimes, just to make one little step can take a really huge efforts.
There are more of what it’s seen behind. People always tell bad about others, and to react, I always have this in mind: it’s better to #shatafakap unless you really have experienced bad things with them. People in the animals rescue group often have sharped intuition, but more of them let their feelings lead toward the intuition, makes it mixed with bad personal issue and agenda.
Not a very different situation here, in Indonesia, people keeps telling bad about others, and arguing, complaining about what other rescue groups or person doing. And often, it leads to a stupid fight.
Consider me, as the ‘borderline’ guy standing between the current-seniors and the next-generation concerned activist, I do feel that I have more responsibilities to fix this.
I know that these guys are eventually good guys, but I kind of annoyed by the facts that dog lovers in Jakarta or Cat lovers in Yogyakarta or reptile lovers in Indonesia had a fight each other. They have an option to unite and save more animals, but they choose to get more dramas in their life.
Impolitely, I feel like I wanna punch them in the face and tell them: “Helllooooo…. I am 28, you are way older. Who’s being the kid here?”
By the way, I kind of distract right now since the beautiful girl across my table just smiled at me, so I am going to finish this shortly with a clear message.
Yes.. maybe it was my fault …
who started triggering people to think wide-open about the bad-side of animals rescue activities in Indonesia, but it is your duty to react wisely and selectively do what’s the best for the next. You need to stop talking bad about one another except you have experienced it directly.
You need to identified and separated between a bad people who steals money and people who ask for donations for the good of animals.
You need to identified and separated between a bad people who only want to be the top of the likes, and people who still goes to the street without needing any publications or acknowledgements.
You need to identified and separated between a bad people who run an organizations for profits, and people who run an organization for a clear vision and missions.
You don’t have to talk bad about people, because you can’t hide a dead-body forever. What’s good will eventually becomes great, and what’s bad will fall. Just focus to do the best. We still have a very long fight, and we can’t do it without one-another.
I, choose to prove myself rather than joining the bad vibes. So let me close this article by quoting this one more time:
“Man is by nature a Political Animal” — Aristotle
Love,
Angelous Bobby Fernando
