Dogs in bali

[watersiren]

Just to add (because it struck me once I'd sent my post) that Ruthmay is entitled to be put off buying from the company - but what I was concerned that the thread was going rather outside the remit of this forum.

Of course. I understand where R is coming from. For many years, I had the same attitude and would not buy from countries that were high on the list of human rights abuses. However, one cannot bring about change by exclusion. The change has to come from within. You need people involved and educated on the issues. But you need to raise their standard and quality of life first. In many countries where abuses take place (human and animal, although I do not understand the difference; humans are one of the many animal species), people are so poor and are regarded by their governments as worthless as cats and dogs.
If one were to just restrict purchases as a way of protest, then one should not buy from any country in the world. There are serious human and animal abuses everywhere.

 

[Artemis]

Of course. I understand where R is coming from. For many years, I had the same attitude and would not buy from countries that were high on the list of human rights abuses. However, one cannot bring about change by exclusion. The change has to come from within. You need people involved and educated on the issues. But you need to raise their standard and quality of life first. In many countries where abuses take place (human and animal, although I do not understand the difference; humans are one of the many animal species), people are so poor and are regarded by their governments as worthless as cats and dogs.
If one were to just restrict purchases as a way of protest, then one should not buy from any country in the world. There are serious human and animal abuses everywhere.

Precisely.
Much of the food we eat contains ingredients sourced from countries that treat people and/or animals badly.We can avoid battery produced eggs or refuse to eat animals at all but even the most earnest vegans cannot guarantee the provenance of every bit of food they eat unless they grow everything themselves right down to the flavourings and seasonings.

Suarti is providing work in an area where work is scarce and perpetuating an art. Of course she is a businesswoman, without business minded people the whole economy of the world would collapse.I can understand why the OP finds her ring distasteful, after hearing about the death of so many dogs, but unless Suarti personally sanctioned these deaths, I'm not about to boycott her jewellery.

I would rather do what I can personally to help those who do not have a voice. I give the gift of time now, previously I gave money. If you can do neither, you can help to raise awareness but it's important to understand why these things happen, rather than condemning them out of hand, in my humble opinion.

 

[AllThatGlitters]

I send my commiserations to the OP, who presumably is sitting at home naked, shivering and desperately hungry. After all, the argument (boycotting Suarti), if extended to all countries where animal practices are unacceptable to the OP, would result in almost nothing she wears or eats being tolerable. Most of the goods we buy are sourced, wholly or in part, from poorer countries where they don't have the money or the political infrastructure to be 'nice' to animals. Most of them don't even have the resources to care for their own children 'properly'.

Except that I don't imagine the OP is tramping to the Post Office to return the evil Suarti ring, wearing clothes hand-woven from her own sheep and weak from lack of food. Making noise about a simple target is much easier than weighing the facts in a complex issue.

Bali is lush, warm, vibrantly fertile. Plants and animals procreate easily. There are life-threatening animals such as tigers and snakes...and rabid dogs. The people are gentle and delightful. Bali is part of Indonesia; an oddity, the only Hindu Island. Indonesia has a corrupt and ineffective government. Indonesia is poor and badly run. Bali, despite its loveliness, is therefore poor and badly run. It doesn't have the resources to manage its wildlife with clever technology or responsible government initiatives. It does what it can. Dogs are not fluffy pets/ quasi-children in countries like Bali; that kind of sentimentality is only possible in places where we're insulated from life's harsher realities.

Boycotting Suarti simply means that some families will go hungry. Will that help the dogs?

 

[Ruthmay]

Dogs in Bali

Well, all the arguments put forward can equally apply to the Great Basso! and many others I suppose.

Poisoning the dogs is cruel and an extremely long and painful death. I have no answers. I posted just to make people aware.

Reading all the comments would lead me to believe that I should keep the ring! It is in the balance.

And thank you Dr Jude for allowing to make my own decisions on whether to buy from Suarti or not. So grateful.

 

[ringtree]

I hope you have decided to keep your ring because you should not be pressured to feel bad about it, unless you want to make a lifetime commitment. As you rightly say, of course the argument could be the same as Basso and it is...of course, because nearly every purchase made these days comes with a hard luck/cruelty issue as nearly everything is made in China. Although Basso's fake furs are fake and animals are not hurt in the process, but you could argue the environment possibly is....If you feel strongly though, I bet there are animal charities working out there that need help and your support could really benefit them. But Suarti is not involved I am sure.