FMP Blog 1: The Problem.
It’s Week 8 of my Final Major Project of my MA Illustration at Falmouth University. I’ve had a slow start due to other commitments beyond my control, but the important thing is we’re here now.
I’m currently researching ways in which illustration can be used to evoke empathy towards street dogs in Sri Lanka — a place already challenged with its own humanitarian issues. Often, when animal rights and welfare are raised, the question of ‘why aren’t we helping humans first?’ comes up, understandably. Indeed from this perspective, an animal shelter funded and run by western foreigners for example, which provides food, shelter and medicine for cats and dogs, in a context where not all of their human neighbours are guaranteed the same, can be perplexing. Problematic narratives can arise from this, such as animal welfare being framed as a concern only for developed countries (AITC, no date), and perhaps more concerning, a feeling of dehumanisation when animals are perceived as being treated better. Additionally, the added complexity of the animal shelter being visibly run by westerners in a former colony has its own layers: are western people coming here to ‘teach’ us things again? Do white people regard us brown folk as unworthy of food etc., so they give it to the dogs? It can add a bitter undertone to an already fraught issue.
While animal welfare and conservation have traditionally been seen as “developed” country concerns, there is increasing scientific evidence and recognition that these issues are intrinsically linked to human well-being.
— Animal Issues Thematic Cluster United Nations
Of course, this framing is inaccurate when taking into consideration the widely recognised cluster approach adopted by the United Nations: looking at animal welfare as an intrinsic part of societal welfare is key. It might be challenging when it comes down to, for example, medical shortages for humans and non-human animals, but it is important to keep the bigger picture in mind.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a useful way of seeing where these areas intersect. The SDGs specifically mentioned by Animal Issues Thematic Cluster UN are:
GOAL 2 — END HUNGER
GOAL 3 — GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING
GOAL 8 — SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS
GOAL 10 — REDUCE INEQUALITIES
GOAL 13– CLIMATE CHANGE
GOAL 16 — PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
GOAL 17 — PARTNERSHIP FOR THE GOALS
Stray dogs are specifically identified as a ‘population control’ issue (AITC, no date). Humane programmes are followed in Sri Lanka, which include spaying, neutering and vaccinating street animals, though there have been questionable efforts by authorities such as the relocation carried out before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2013 and the horrific shelter in Anuradhapura that was shut down not long after it had opened (Roar Media, 2023). The CNVR (Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, Release) approach that Sri Lanka officially follows is a slow process but has shown strong results, particularly in terms of rabies eradication. However, as Roar Media rightfully points out, it is not as “visually satisfying to authorities” than taking the dogs elsewhere altogether (and away from scenic, touristy places that a CHOGM dignitary might be taken sightseeing).
This idea of the visual absence of dogs is interesting to me because I came across the same notion when mapping out my own relationships with dogs, though in a completely different light. The ‘Dogless Void’ I had described was a period of about 5 years in which I did not own a dog, and I felt their absence heavily. I will discuss this further in my next update.
References
AITC. No Date. “Why Animals Matter”. Animal Issues Thematic Cluster. Available at: https://animalissuesun.org/why-animals-matter [accessed 24 October 2023].
Roar Media. 2023. “Everything You Need To Know About Sri Lanka’s Stray Dog Situation”. Roar Media. Available at: https://roar.media/english/life/environment-wildlife/everything-need-know-sri-lankas-stray-dog-situation [accessed 13 November 2023].
