Goin' to the Dogs?
Yet another Western excess ... the Dog's Goodies Food & Fashion shop in Wiesbaden, Germany, serves as today's example of people with just too much money in their pockets and not enough of an idea of how to use it wisely.
I know this is by no means the only such shop but it is the one someone just drew to my attention, so I'll use it as my whipping-boy. The owner, Janine Saraniti-Lagerin, is a former florist who knows how to make her way through the world. Her success is not the problem I have with this place and the others of its ilk. The reason I would add this shop to my list of sad head-shakers is the fact of its developed countries' success.
"Selbst im Ausland kennt man uns schon. Wir bekommen Anfragen aus Polen, Rumänien, USA, Russland, Italien, Spanien und noch vielen mehr" declares their website . "Even in foreign countries they know us. We get inquiries from Poland, Romania, the USA, Russia, Italy and Spain, and many more."
What stands out for me in that list is the absence of any third world countries. Their presence on it would be an impossibility. Their concern is not the pampering of dogs with garlic cookies and whole-grain muesli bars. It is, rather, the feeding of their children, too many of whom suffer from rickets and other diseases born of malnutrition. Their concern is the little ones who are starving.
What is completely beyond my comprehension is the western world dog-owners who fail to make those hungry little ones their concern. Own your dog, sure. Pamper him a little with an extra bone now and then, sure. Just get a grip on reality and remember that dogs survived for millenia without any minty biscuits and they can continue to do so. Children, however, do not survive very long at all without food. If you're a dog owner with that much disposable income; if all that extra change in your pockets is dragging your drawers down off your backside, I have a suggestion. Scoop up all that money and count it out. Maybe add a little extra even, and then take it right down to your local food bank. You could also take it your financial institution and exchange it for a money order which you could then send to any organization that helps the hungry little ones, worldwide.
Give the dog a rawhide bone to keep it busy while you calculate the monthly cost of visits to places like Wiesbaden's doggie shop and write out some cheques to send off, instead. Each one of those money missives you send will help to make your world a better place, a little bit at a time. You may never look into the eyes of someone starving to death, but it doesn't mean it's not happening. Don't fall into the trap of "out of sight, out of mind".
Remember the world's hungry the next time you fill your dog's bowl with ordinary kibble or table scraps, and feel good about what you've done to help.
I know this is by no means the only such shop but it is the one someone just drew to my attention, so I'll use it as my whipping-boy. The owner, Janine Saraniti-Lagerin, is a former florist who knows how to make her way through the world. Her success is not the problem I have with this place and the others of its ilk. The reason I would add this shop to my list of sad head-shakers is the fact of its developed countries' success.
"Selbst im Ausland kennt man uns schon. Wir bekommen Anfragen aus Polen, Rumänien, USA, Russland, Italien, Spanien und noch vielen mehr" declares their website . "Even in foreign countries they know us. We get inquiries from Poland, Romania, the USA, Russia, Italy and Spain, and many more."
What stands out for me in that list is the absence of any third world countries. Their presence on it would be an impossibility. Their concern is not the pampering of dogs with garlic cookies and whole-grain muesli bars. It is, rather, the feeding of their children, too many of whom suffer from rickets and other diseases born of malnutrition. Their concern is the little ones who are starving.
What is completely beyond my comprehension is the western world dog-owners who fail to make those hungry little ones their concern. Own your dog, sure. Pamper him a little with an extra bone now and then, sure. Just get a grip on reality and remember that dogs survived for millenia without any minty biscuits and they can continue to do so. Children, however, do not survive very long at all without food. If you're a dog owner with that much disposable income; if all that extra change in your pockets is dragging your drawers down off your backside, I have a suggestion. Scoop up all that money and count it out. Maybe add a little extra even, and then take it right down to your local food bank. You could also take it your financial institution and exchange it for a money order which you could then send to any organization that helps the hungry little ones, worldwide.
Give the dog a rawhide bone to keep it busy while you calculate the monthly cost of visits to places like Wiesbaden's doggie shop and write out some cheques to send off, instead. Each one of those money missives you send will help to make your world a better place, a little bit at a time. You may never look into the eyes of someone starving to death, but it doesn't mean it's not happening. Don't fall into the trap of "out of sight, out of mind".
Remember the world's hungry the next time you fill your dog's bowl with ordinary kibble or table scraps, and feel good about what you've done to help.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home