Rather than philosophize about what does animal rights mean, I am going to try and apply the concept to a practical situation in my life. I often find concepts are easy enough to comprehend in the mind but to put in to practice in day to day life and live it from the heart can be much more challenging.
Wayne (dog) and I are living in a studio apartment in Northern NSW. It seemed like a good option when we arrived. It’s a vegan household, the people are very open and friendly, it’s on solar energy, there’s a great vegetable garden with fruit trees growing, one can walk to organic food stores, and it’s not too far from national parks and beaches. Right before I was making the decision on whether to take the place a fleeting comment was made “of course Wayne will not be allowed in the house”. Because I would be sharing the kitchen and bathroom I was taken back. I just assumed with a vegan household he could come in the house as he wishes. He is permitted to be in the studio, on the back deck that joins the house and studio and of course in the garden. I chose to go ahead and give it a try, knowing that Wayne had been very comfortable when we visited to check it out and that he liked the people. I thought maybe it could work.
I must say this situation has added a whole lot of stress to our lives. Wayne likes to follow me around wherever I go during the day. He does the same if other people or dogs are around. He takes interest in what others are doing and he certainly prefers company than being alone. He gets quite stressed when I go inside the house without him, he paces on the deck or sometimes if it’s been longer than 10 minutes he will even howl. It stresses me too. I hate going places where Wayne is not allowed to move freely and be himself. I have been doing some volunteer work at an herb nursery. Wayne comes along and plays with their dog Jack. I work and every now and then he will come and say hello, but mostly he hangs out with Jack. It’s awesome for both of us, both enjoying what we are doing. He is not enclosed by fences but I still sense he is safe and secure as well as happy and stimulated. At home there is not that feeling. I have spent less time preparing food than I normally would and less time in the bathroom because of the situation.
Wayne is normally with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when I am living in Australia. And I have known this situation needs to change a bit, because I need time out and so does he. So I felt maybe it’s a good opportunity to challenge this and overcome the separation anxiety both of us are prone to. Funnily enough, last week I went to a work place where Wayne could not go, and I left him alone in the apartment for periods of about 7 hours. My flat mates were kind enough to take him out for toilet breaks. He was fine and so was I, I was wondering if he would howl and stress himself into frenzy but actually he coped very well and so did I. We went for long walks before and after, which we would normally do anyway.
So I realized the house situation is what has to change and I gave one months notice. It gave me a chance to consider what’s important to me and where my values lie. I know I will be challenged every day, that society does not treat animals equally at this time, that Wayne will not be allowed on the plane when I go overseas, that Wayne will not be allowed in many shops and cafes or in the library or many of the places I visit. However, what I will continue to try to achieve on a day to day basis is to co-create situations that allows us both to express our true selves. That’s animal rights. That doesn’t mean Wayne would even want to go on a plane or visit a café, in fact he would probably find it quite boring.
If he gets to hang out with others dogs, if he gets to explore nature on a regular basis, if he has fresh food and water available all the time, if he has cuddles and one on one time, if he has activity around him he thrives. I also want lots of time in nature, access to fresh food and water and interaction with other peoples and dogs and all types of animals, I also like cuddles and one on one time, I also like time to myself to contemplate and I like time to paint, read and work on creative projects.
So Wayne and I are going to search for a new home and hopefully take a step closer to when we can share our living arrangements with rescued pigs, chickens, cows and sheep and live in harmony with nature and all her gifts.