Vegetarian Star

Every year, businesses that use animals for entertainment or fashion like zoos, circuses and retail make millions of dollars. Many of these industries have histories of keeping these animals in less than ideal conditions, resulting in injuries, premature deaths and numerous safety issues for both animals and humans.

What if, instead of these businesses making money treating animals inhumanely, they generated ideas to attract people to pay money for animal causes that made a difference? That contributed to the conservation of species, ending the cases of abused animals and resulted in an educational setting that was both beneficial to humans and animals?

Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, recently posed this question during a speech he gave while promoting his new book, The Bond: Our Kinship To Animals, The Bond To Defend Them.

He coined this idea a “humane economy,” using the example of the Canadian Seal Hunt. According to many sources, the demand for seal pelts continues to drop, but the hunt continues to be sanctioned by the government. At the same time, data shows many people have a fondness for animals, such as large percentage of the population being pet owners.

“A microscopic amount of people are interested in the fur, but how many of us would want to see and appreciate these seals?” Pacelle asked. “Can’t we monetize that? Can’t we turn that into the humane economy? This old economy idea of clubbing and killing these seals, it is outdated and archaic and will not survive in the new world in which we find ourselves.”

“We can build a new economy that is built on protection of animals,” Pacelle said. “And there is no choice between protection of animals and our own well-being.”

Photo: PR Photos

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