By Titus Kakembo
International animal life activists have appealed to Ugandans to comply with the requirements for observing the rights of animals.
Addressing journalists at Hotel Africana on Wednesday, the activists said the traumatized chicken and animals tied on trucks, in precarious positions for hours on end need salvaging from the pain.
“During that traumatizing time they are not fed or given water from points A to B. As they get over the shock of a maiden drive in their lives, they are thrown here and there with the limbs knotted. The mammals are traumatized when they witness fellow animals being brutally slaughtered,” noted World Animal Protection campaign manager Dr.Victor Ayamo.
He stated with concern that it does not take a visitor more than an hour, on Kampala Road or Jinja Road, without seeing animals with tails and heads tied on metal bars.
“Then there are pigs grunting on a motor bike with the leg rubbing the tar mark or hitting a bumper of a lorry,” Dr. Ayamo stated.
Warning that the days of this treatment of animals and birds are numbered, he said animals and birds treated in this manner would be rejected by key stakeholders.
“Companies like Carrefour, KFC and domestic big supermarkets will not buy your products unless one adheres to certain international parameters,” Dr. Ayamo cautioned.
The animal activists also implored Ugandans who rear birds and animals to desist from using antibiotics which are a danger to both the animals and human beings that consume the meat.
“Like it is in Uganda where cancer, high blood pressure and obesity are on the increase and people have stopped reacting to antibiotics, so it is in Kenya and Tanzania. Industrial farmers are using antibiotics on poultry and animals. These drugs are indirectly transferred to our bodies when we consume them,” Dr. Ayamo stated.
The World Animal digital communicator Ian Mulewu said in The Peking Order 2022, being launched in Uganda farmers are cautioned that by 2030 chicken raised in cages would not be accepted by the consumer who controls the global market.
“There are limitations to the number of birds to be kept in a given space. The Chicken need to perch, jump, scratch and peck to enjoy their full life. This saves the farmer losses of those that die of heart attack or rearing overweight birds that fail to move,” Mulewu elaborated.
Mulewu said there are existing laws in the constitution that prohibit a wounded animal, in transit or fight from being slaughtered.
The participants were treated to video footage which reflected animals and birds to have feelings, and emotions which is why humans ought to do everything to reduce their suffering. “Animals can experience a wide range of different sensations and emotions. Forcing them to get pain, distressed and anxious. By improving the public’s understanding of animals’ emotions, we can help to advocate for their welfare. Help us alert the public about the harm these animals are suffering,”
