live animal keyring s- so wrong , so upsetting

[BikBok]

I saw a post on the TMMB about live fish and turtles being sealed into keyrings and left to die.. I was so upset and thought it was a hoax but haven't found anything to show me it's not true.

Sadly it seems it is happening in China:

http://shanghaiist.com/2011/04/02/live_ ... =3#gallery

[phoenix44]

:an!gry

We should totally do that to the one child each couple is allowed to have.

[SamH]

We should totally do that to the one child each couple is allowed to have.

And sink to their level? -.-

[reptilez]

:tears: :tears:

so sad

[Trilobite]

how could anyone think that up and say "thats a great idea!" :facepalm: after the poor thing dies the children would be carrying around a decomposing carcass.

[reptilez]

another link

http://www.odditycentral.com/news/livin ... china.html

[phoenix44]

And sink to their level? -.-

It will make them sit up and think!

[Joshlikesfish]

We should totally do that to the one child each couple is allowed to have.

Good luck carrying it on your keyring

[phoenix44]

Hood ornament.

[Joshlikesfish]

Killing off all the children of one race and using them as hood ornaments... Nice.

[nativelover]

pure cruelty just because they like living squished up with millions of people

[Ice222]

Chinese people aren't really raised to think of small animals as animals, they see them not in a dissimilar way to how we see flowers: Buy them, stick them in the water, replace them when they wilt. Or treat them like any other small cheap commodity: if it malfunctions, you don't fix it, it's cheaper just to replace it. This is true even for more westernized parts of Asia, like Singapore or Hong Kong, it's so normal, that no one even bothers to question it.

Sometimes I think it's the way that the society is raised over there, all their focus is on work, very few people have the time, money or interest to actually invest any effort into their hobbies. My sister was there for a working holiday for 3 months recently. She was working 10 hour days, 5 times a week with a 15min lunch, and that was only considered part-time! I think when people are raised like this, it becomes almost a luxury for them to even give a crap about anyone or anything other than themselves.

[melrick1]

Its amazing how different cultures are. They think it is such a cool novelty over there, whereas me when I was a child had understanding and respect for life and could never be so crule and heartless. This realy is a disgusting and disturbing insight into a culture...

[phoenix44]

You guys should read a book by Aldous Huxley called - Brave New World.

It's quite disturbing, but makes a great read and is all about social conditioning.

[BikBok]

Chinese people aren't really raised to think of small animals as animals, they see them not in a dissimilar way to how we see flowers: Buy them, stick them in the water, replace them when they wilt. Or treat them like any other small cheap commodity: if it malfunctions, you don't fix it, it's cheaper just to replace it. This is true even for more westernized parts of Asia, like Singapore or Hong Kong, it's so normal, that no one even bothers to question it.

Sometimes I think it's the way that the society is raised over there, all their focus is on work, very few people have the time, money or interest to actually invest any effort into their hobbies. My sister was there for a working holiday for 3 months recently. She was working 10 hour days, 5 times a week with a 15min lunch, and that was only considered part-time! I think when people are raised like this, it becomes almost a luxury for them to even give a crap about anyone or anything other than themselves.

has it always been that way? has it got worse or are people starting to change their thinking with more western influence?

I'm so glad my Chinese father was not raised that way. he would not hurt a fly. And yes , he was raised in mainland china until he escaped the communists under gunfire and made his way by swimming to Hong Kong. (when he was a young teen).

I can say that my father, though very traditional Chinese is definitely one that considers all life precious and had pets of his own.

[Ice222]

has it always been that way? has it got worse or are people starting to change their thinking with more western influence?

I'm so glad my Chinese father was not raised that way. he would not hurt a fly. And yes , he was raised in mainland china until he escaped the communists under gunfire and made his way by swimming to Hong Kong. (when he was a young teen).

I can say that my father, though very traditional Chinese is definitely one that considers all life precious and had pets of his own.

Don't think it's always been that way, perhaps it's even western influence and consumerism that changed them that way? And when businesses are exploiting animals to make a sale, people just buy in to what they say, like how your average person here just believes whatever petshops say.

My dad's from Hong Kong, and already considered quite an animal lover, but when he was little, they had no toys so kids often played with insects, eg. tying string around dragonflies and dragging them around on a leash. They weren't taught how to take care of animals really, and a lot of what they do know are from Chinese whispers: say if one person has a dog that is crate trained, another person may visit their home, later when they see another friend getting a dog, they may pass it on as "person A, just keeps their dog in a crate, looks easy, why don't you get a crate for yours?", and so person C will think it's fine to put a dog in a crate whenever they like because they never heard the full story of how the crate is meant to be used.

[ally07]

First off, I agree that the key chains are pretty heinous but let's be fair with the arguments here. Sure, the Chinese have a really bad rep with animals but I think a lot of that stems from their history and culture. Due to their long tradition of eating whatever's available because of their poverty, to them animals are not "pets" - they are food or "toys" at best. I don't think it's fair to just razz the Chinese for this when one could just as easily point fingers at the French for foie gras.

It's sad to say, but I think at the end of the day it's about the monetary value people place on the animals. Farmers raise their animals for the slaughterhouse and nobody bats an eyelid. Sure, the conditions are better (mostly) but it's only because the cow will only fetch a good return if it's healthy - the end result is still death for the animal.

In the case of the Chinese key chains, the goldfish there probably cost them about 2c each because they are mass-bred, thus when the value of the animal drops, the level of care/ concern drops as well - you don't see them putting baby arowanas inside the key chains!

Like I've said, I don't condone what the Chinese are doing, I think it's disgusting, but I think it's just a small part of the human condition in which profit overrules basic animal rights. Don't mourn the fish, mourn the death of human empathy.

...on the plus-side, the goldfish aren't doomed to suffer like Paris Hilton's chihuahuas! &c:ry

[Ice222]

First off, I agree that the key chains are pretty heinous but let's be fair with the arguments here. Sure, the Chinese have a really bad rep with animals but I think a lot of that stems from their history and culture. Due to their long tradition of eating whatever's available because of their poverty, to them animals are not "pets" - they are food or "toys" at best. I don't think it's fair to just razz the Chinese for this when one could just as easily point fingers at the French for foie gras.

It's sad to say, but I think at the end of the day it's about the monetary value people place on the animals. Farmers raise their animals for the slaughterhouse and nobody bats an eyelid. Sure, the conditions are better (mostly) but it's only because the cow will only fetch a good return if it's healthy - the end result is still death for the animal.

In the case of the Chinese key chains, the goldfish there probably cost them about 2c each because they are mass-bred, thus when the value of the animal drops, the level of care/ concern drops as well - you don't see them putting baby arowanas inside the key chains!

Like I've said, I don't condone what the Chinese are doing, I think it's disgusting, but I think it's just a small part of the human condition in which profit overrules basic animal rights. Don't mourn the fish, mourn the death of human empathy.

...on the plus-side, the goldfish aren't doomed to suffer like Paris Hilton's chihuahuas! &c:ry

I suppose that's true, but animals for food serve a purpose, pets as trinkets do not. There also seems to be no laws there to stop animals being treated that way, pet shops in Hong Kong are constantly bringing out new fad animals to sell to the public. The last time I went back it was hermit crabs. They live 15 years... I'd be surprised if the fad even lasts a year before they just get tossed out like an old toy.