A study in the commonality of life's most basic rights and freedoms between that of dogs and men. Both suffer when they are abused and cheated from having a life of freedom and happiness they deserve. Nowhere is this more true today than inside Chinese occupied Tibet..
This is the life for those who have no freedom and peace...
Although I was raised in America, I was born in India and spent the first two years there. Like many other babies, I have no recollection of my infant years. Since I was little, I had a passion for animals, dogs especially. Whenever I went to my friends’ house, I would always spend majority of the time playing with their pets. I had always thought how nice pet owners are and how well treated their pets are. Then came time for me to take a trip to India when I was in 5th grade and my perspective on animals changed.
Spending my summer there, my love for animals increased within just two months. Everywhere I went, I saw dogs of all sizes and colors roaming the streets. The leash and collar I had picked out for the new puppy my grandfather had gotten me seemed useless as it sat in a dusty corner of the house.
The one experience that really hit me was the time when I went into the city and I saw a black puppy bathing in the sun. I remember the feeling of being struck with sadness and awe at the same time. A puppy that seemed no older than my two month old pet had an expression of joy as it peacefully slept in the dusty, hot weather and loud traffic. At that time, I hadn’t compared the differences in India and America until I saw the distinctions when I arrived back home.
Coming back home, I saw that the methods in raising a dog is different between America and India. Another thing that I also saw was the fact that people are living the way dogs are. Even in America and India, Tibetans are happy with where they are and they live their lives freely in different places. In their own homeland, however, Tibetans are limited to what they can do and are often told what is allowed and what isn't allowed; much like a dog of an abusive owner. Tibetans are treated like lowly dogs who aren't expected to have feelings.
People often say that dogs and humans are different, but they are strikingly similar. An abused dog, much like an abused human, will probably just cower in the corner and is unable to say anything against the owner. People and dogs are alike, and if we don't recognize the helpless needs of them, we won't be able to achieve anything in attempting to understand what's going on.
