Introducing animalethos – an ethical approach to animal life
My name is Eileen McLean. I run a natural therapies business, Natural Animal Care, promoting natural medicines and holistic health for animals. I have been active in fostering and rehoming cats and dogs, and supportive of the people out there, day in and day out, working for animal rights and welfare. I am part of the management committee for horse rescue organization Charlie’s Angels, am a strict vegetarian and am against factory farming. I believe animals are sentient beings – they can feel pleasure and pain, they have souls, consciousness and intellect.
One night in early July 2011 I received an email about yet another list of dogs requiring fostering and rehoming due to the persistent problem of backyard breeding, puppy farms, and people not bothering to desex their animals. Many were on death row despite being healthy, young and deserving of life. I sat and agonised over how I was going to help. Yes, I could post the usual plea on facebook, contact all my friends (again!) begging them to foster a dog, send Reiki and pray. But this time felt different. I was fed up. My pain for those dogs resonated out for all the other animals in the world disrespected by humans.
The ABC1 show Four Corners ran an expose on the live animal export trade, animals sent from Australia to Indonesia in May 2011. This expose struck a cord with Australians, and the nation of animal lovers spoke up and shouted out, outraged at the inhumane treatment of livestock being sent across the sea. In the weeks following the Four Corner’s feature, the Government suspended live export with Indonesia. The power of public voices speaking out in support of greater animal rights made this happen.
Ethos came to mind. Ethos involves moral competence, expertise and knowledge to describe emotions and actions, as presented by a person or group of people, in an attempt to persuade an audience.
The three categories of ethos are:
* practical skills & wisdom
* virtue / goodness
* goodwill / kindness
I realized that through ethos the public could be enabled to make educated choices about ethical animal treatment, products and organizations, and in turn advocate for the best ways to help animals.
Pathos is about emotional appeal, and many times we want to turn off our emotions because the feelings can become too much. Shock appeal is also unappealing. We know awful things happen in the world but seeing them all the time can desensitize us, or make us shut down. I believe the best approach is through ethos – the practical skills and wisdom to bring about change, the encouragement of virtue and goodness to know that animals deserve respect and want to avoid suffering, as we all do, and goodwill and kindness for all.
Successes of life should include a heart that never hates, a smile that never fades and a touch that never harms. - Eileen, animalethos
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