The Practice Of �releasing Animals�

After writing that post on Dr Veeranoot’s Temple Dog No.2 and reflecting on why people tend to dump animals at places of worship, it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps some people think they are performing “fong sang” (in Chinese) which literally translates to “releasing lives”. This is an age-old practice in the Chinese culture where during auspicious occasions like birthdays, religious festivals or even commemoration of death anniversaries, devotees would release animals like birds and tortoises (often associated with longevity) or purchase animals from slaughter-houses and release them to give them a chance at life again.

I’d like to add that it is often thought that such rituals would bring the devotees “merits” and often performed with such intentions. This is a common misguided motivation of doing good, ie. that it will bring good in return.�Doing good for the sake of getting some good in return, by all counts, is not doing good at all! There is a more correct term for that; it’s called “barter trading”.

But let me get back to the topic of “fong sang”.

In this day and age, this practice has, unfortunately, turned into yet another money-making venture by unscrupulous vendors. Often, we hear of vendors trapping birds and other animals as festivals approach, knowing that devotees will be coming in droves to purchase these animals for the purpose of performing this ritual. What’s worse is that these same vendors will be waiting to re-trap these animals, especially birds, the moment they are released. Then these animals are resold again, all for profit. It becomes a vicious circle of being trapped, released and trapped again. The classic case of humans using animals to make money, in the name of culture or even religious belief.

The other issue is where the animals are released to. Releasing a fresh water fish into the sea is literally killing the fish in a horrifying way. Releasing chickens in the jungle where they cannot fend for themselves is equally bad. So is releasing tortoises (which have been captured from their natural habitat) to temple ponds which are poorly maintained.

Here’s an article I wrote many years ago on this issue:�https://sites.google.com/site/kindnesstoanimalsinc/wisdom-of-releasing-animals, where residents of a nearby island defended their act of dumping dogs as “fong sang”. That was sadly, a most misguided act. I remember my visits to the island and speaking with the residents there. It was a futile effort as they were bent on dumping the dogs. It also did not help that I couldn’t speak their dialect.

I hope practitioners of “fong sang” will now think of “protecting animals” instead of just simply releasing them. Times have changed. If at all devotees still insist on practising it, than the practice itself has to be done thoughtfully and responsibly. For example, releasing a dog in the temple grounds: Who will look after the dog? While the residents of the temple may not harm the dog and will possibly feed the dog, who will get the dog neutered and medically treated if he is unwell? All these need to be taken into account and provided for before the dog is “fong sang”-ed to the temple.

But alternatively, why not get stray animals neutered and rehomed? Or, sponsor the activity? Isn’t that a wiser and more beneficial way of “fong sang”, knowing that one is really saving a life?

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2013/07/26/the-practice-of-releasing-animals/

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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