This is bad for both animalsPhoto: Barcroft Media
When I saw the dog cowering on the side of the road on a horribly hot afternoon in the summer of 2012, I knew, even from a distance, that he was in serious trouble. Bleeding from multiple open and infected sores, and his tongue hanging to his chest, swollen and purple, he needed help—and quickly.[teaserbreak]
I thought I was going to have to slowly coax him to the car and gain his trust, as I have had to do with other rescues. But, as soon as I opened the back door of the car, he shot out from under the brush and jumped straight into the back seat, all in one motion. He didn’t have to be invited twice. Smart!
After months of careful bathing, medications, and physical therapy, he made a complete recovery. I named the young Australian Shepherd mix “Dux,” which is Aussie for “top notch.” He is very active, engaging, and intelligent. When we play, he watches every move I make and, even without training, he responds to hand movements. He seems hard-wired to work and play, and he’s built for it in body and spirit.
He has a huge yard to roam and the constant company of other rescue dogs. It would plainly be cruel to force him to do something completely unnatural and against his nature (like hauling a heavy sled, or sitting in a kennel most of the day). He’s built to run fast, stop hard, and use his smarts. That’s perfect for him and, of course, just fine with me.
In 1994, while working at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, I met the first of many white-faced capuchin monkeys. Oliver was reared as a pet, but the people who cared for him realized that he needed more space, more engaging things to do, and especially the company of other monkeys. Oliver had also become increasingly prone to fits and violent outbursts.
I quickly became very fond of Oliver as I watched him interact with the other monkeys and play in the trees in his large enclosure. Everything seemed a delight to him, whether chasing butterflies or playing tag with friends. He continued to show a great deal of frustration with any attempt to confine him to a smaller area. For safety reasons, we could not go into the enclosure with him, and so we would have to shift him to a smaller section in order to clean and put in new enrichment. Nothing bad had happened to him in the smaller section, but despite placing tasty treats and new toys in that area, it would often take hours to get him over. Once the gate was closed, he would scream at the staff and throw rocks at us. It was clear to everyone that Oliver was aware of his confinement and strove for independence the only way he could.
His ex-humans came for a brief visit several years later and were pleased to see him doing well. Oliver, however, was not amused and launched a large, white rock through the fence and came within a foot of hitting the couple. They laughed and seemed to think it was cute, but I was pretty sure that Oliver really did his best to hit them.
The capuchin is a South American species of primate which has evolved over the eons to be intelligent, social, inquisitive, highly active, and constantly alert to dangers. Oliver’s fits of frustration and violent outbursts were a direct result of his unnatural upbringing, confinement, and lack of opportunity to explore. He should have never had to endure that assault to his psyche, and it was plainly cruel to subject him to that upbringing.
So, we have an intelligent, hard-working breed of dog in Dux and an intelligent wild animal in Oliver. What’s the point? Simply this: strapping capuchins onto the backs of herding dogs for the amusement of people as a spectacle is a savage cruelty to both animals.
These dogs have not been selectively bred to bear weight on their backs. And, capuchins (or any other primates) have not evolved to be confined, strapped in, and have their bodies thrown about awkwardly as they try to remain upright on the top of an animal who can hit speeds of 30 miles per hour (and stop and turn on a dime). This also says nothing as to how the primates have been bred and stolen as babies from their mothers, or all of the “training” involved.
Can it be done? Sadly, yes; it can.
Should it be done? No; it’s nothing short of a match made in hell.
For the primates,
Tim
P.S. For further information, please check out anthropologist Barbara King’s article here.