With a recent announcement handed down from the Governor of Bali, a large bite has been chomped off the hand of those who supply dog meat and from the taste buds of those who choose to consume dog flesh. Its paper decree that the practice cease, is a leap in the right direction and the signal sent is to be thoroughly and whole heartedly celebrated.
There is no doubt the announcement will be exhaustively and minutely scrutinised to the fullest extent. There will be debate argument and disagreement about legalities and intentions. There will be many who see it as nothing more than a toothless paper tiger, a threatening piece of political propaganda, ineffectual and self-serving. In the end they may be proved right but an awful lot can happen between now and many endings.
The Bali Dog has been thrust into an International view and that's huge. Their survival has been hopefully extended on the wave of awareness. Their incredible suffering on that level has hopefully been eradicated.
From where the Bali Dog currently sits in the scheme of reality on Bali all news is good news. It's of course completely unrealistic to think this announcement will be the panacea for all issues. Completely naïve to believe that motivation will drive good intent and outcome.
But for now the Bali Dog has a small window of opportunity to be just a dog on an Island, a sentient being, free from fear and suffering.
​And for that, they are a flickering flame for the millions of other beings whose sentience is abused second by minute by hour by day.