World renowned conservationist and UN Messenger of Peace Dame Jane Goodall has spoken out about the impact dogs have had on her life in the hope of drawing attention to the role man’s best friend plays in our lives and changing the perception of them to end the dog meat trade in Asia.
The video was released by HSI as Dr Goodall, the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, was unable to attend South Korea’s first ever global anti-dog meat conference and wanted to show her support to the many organisations involved and trying to create a brighter future for Asia’s dogs.
Having previously spoken about the special place dogs have in her heart and how much they’ve taught her since childhood, in the video she expands on this message talking about the impact dogs have on her life and the special role they play across the world to many people, saying: “I’ve always had a great love for dogs. When I was a child, I had a relationship with one who taught me so much about animal behaviour. They’ve been domesticated, they’ve been man’s best friend for maybe 15,000 years or more, and in that time, they’ve done so much for us.”
Dr Goodall continued, “They’ve guarded our belongings, they’ve guarded people, they’ve guided the blind, they’ve helped autistic children to read – this and so much more. And so, to actually kill these wonderful beings for food seems very, very sad for me. And I hope this conference will bring this out into the open, and people will talk about it, and maybe things will change.”
The annual South Korean ritual ‘Bok Nal’ is currently taking place and 1 million dogs are expected to lose their lives for this dated habit. With many of Asia’s dog lovers saying they wish dog meat eating rituals will end, voices like Dr Jane Goodall will hopefully draw attention to the cause and encourage debate among those less forward thinking.
Enter your email and never miss out on receiving our best articles:
