All of God's creatures have rights, a fact that most people don't seem to recognize. This includes both human and non-human animals, but not all of them can speak for themselves.
Don't give a goat as a gift
Though some charities tell us we should,
Don't give a goat as a gift
Though we're made to believe it's "all good".
For goats will degrade and destroy precious land
They'll drink precious water, turn grass into sand,
They'll rapidly eat every bush that's on hand
Don't give a goat as a gift.
Don't give a goat to the poor
Give them plants and some tools and a bore.
These will help them to grow even more
And food for the future ensure.
And please think of the fate of these creatures so sweet
Who'll be milked 'til they're dry and then butchered for meat,
Empowering the poor to grow plant food to eat
Is undoubtedly better for all.
Each Christmas major charities urge us to give goats - and other animals
- to
people in poor countries, and whilst it's admirable to help the poor, giving
animals is not in the best interests of either the recipients or the animals
concerned. Animals require food and water - both of which are in short
supply in poor, semi-arid countries. If allowed to forage, animals will
rapidly destroy the environment, turning vegetation and grass into dust and
leaving the land even less productive than before. The harsh environment
will be hard on the animals too, and with no laws to protect them, many will
lead miserable lives and be inhumanely slaughtered. It's ironic that our
major charities are promoting the raising of animals as a solution to world
hunger when the
worlds hunger problem would not exist at all if the food fed to animals
raised in the West was fed directly to humans.
For more information, visit The Heifer Project - What's Wrong With Gifting Animals...
Go on to: Farewell to Livestock Farming
Return to: Poetry by Jenny Moxham
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