Olympics Fail to Carry the Torch for Animal Welfare

The Olympic Games bring together nations from all over the world for competition, camaraderie, and ... animal abuse?

In 2004, it was the stray dog problem in Athens and other Greek cities, which had animal advocates around the world concerned that the governments were looking for a "quick fix," like poison. Following worldwide protests, the Greek government proposed the alternate solution of rounding up thousands of dogs, sterilizing and vaccinating them, and distributing them to existing shelters around the country, as well as temporary shelters set up for the duration of the games. In the weeks before the games, many people were still uncertain whether slaughter or sanctuary would win out, but in the end, the dogs were rounded up and then re-released once the Olympic Village was vacated.

For the 2008 games, the Chinese government decided to spruce up their image by removing dog meat from the menus of designated restaurants. They also attempted to sanitize their image by reducing the animal population in Beijing, rounding up dogs and cats and killing them (brutally, by many reports) years in advance. This culling process wasn't limited to strays either: people were encouraged to kill their own pets before they were seized in accordance with new "one family, one dog" rules. The Chinese went one step further and sold a souvenir based on one of the Olympic mascots -- a key chain with a live goldfish in a plastic bag. The fish didn't live long, but that didn't seem to dampen the souvenir's popularity.

Now London is preparing to host the 2012 Olympic Games, and animal welfare is once again in the news. Although London doesn't have the stray population of the previous two cities, the massive global event has a way of disrupting life for animals and people no matter where it's hosted. First there was the story of hundreds of stray cats who would be buried in the construction of a stadium. The latest news is that London has taken steps toward addressing animal welfare in its food plan. While the organizers have committed to 100% cage-free eggs, the RSPCA says they should -- and could -- go further to include higher standards for other animal products that aren't included in the plan. With approximately 14 million meals consumed during the games, the food policies can have a huge impact, in both the short-term and the long-term.

Send an email to the Chief Executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, asking him to prioritize animal welfare in the Olympic Food Vision with higher standards for all animal products and a commitment to vegetarian and vegan options.

What happened to Gandhi's famous quote about the greatness of a nation being judged by the way its animals are treated? I'd like to see nations compete to earn that gold medal.

Photo credit: paul-simpson.org