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The use of animals in warfare is as old as war itself. Elephants, Horses, Dogs, Dolphins, Donkeys and even bats have been used in war. The beautiful picture of President Trump honouring the dog that valiantly burst into the tunnel in which the iSIS leader, al Bagdadi had taken refuge raises an importat point: are we justied in using animals in war, combat or in situations in which anima life is considered expendable and therefore sacrificed. Since animals do not have either the ability or the requirement to give their consent, the abuse of animals in the name of military serive is taken for granted. It is also a fact that when they have bravely discharged their assigned duties, they are put to sleep when they groiw old and are no longer needed in the Army. India too was following the practice of putting war animals especially Dogs and Horses to sleep when their day was done. It is to the eternal credit of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi that this inhuman tradition has been ended and animals declared old or unfit are sent to a State funded retirement home.
Ever since the beginning of warfare animals have been used in combat. tHE GREEK FRIEZE in the British Museum is an early representaion of a horse in combat. We can see in the picture on the left horses are literally being strangled as they bear the weight of the hoplite and confront the enemy. Herodotus the great historian was the first to draw attention to the courage shown byEques in combat. The Mongols who conquered and ruled the largest Empire in history used horses to ride into batte and with the stirrup which the Mongols invented harnessed the strength of the horse as a force against the enemy. It is said that a force of just 15,000 Mongol Horsemen coquered the Abbasid Empire. The knights of the middle ages faught on horseback and the tall horses were even equipped with armour. Certainly animals used in war were looked after well. Afterall the fate of battle depended on the health and strenght of the animal.
In World War I, on the battle field of Gallipoli withessed the most amazing animal of all performing its dities admist the dreary tench of death and cannonfire. Duffy, the donkey carried innumerable ANZAC soldiers to safety and a grateful country gave the highest military decoration to Duffy whose satute stands, I beleive, opposite the Parliament building in Canberra. The Donkey never flinched in the face of danger like the cannine hero who wom a military decoration in USA for his role in tracking down al Bagdadi.
While human have been grateful for the services and support provided by animals we have to raise the question: Are we justified in using animals in combat. The use of animals to sniff out drugs and mines does not pose an immediate dange to animals. However if they are sent to war their lives are put to risk. The justification for this is the Christian notion that Man has "Dominion" over animals. However, Sanathana Dharma eshews such simplistic notions. Animals are part of nature and putting them in harms way is certainly not justified.
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Ever since the beginning of warfare animals have been used in combat. tHE GREEK FRIEZE in the British Museum is an early representaion of a horse in combat. We can see in the picture on the left horses are literally being strangled as they bear the weight of the hoplite and confront the enemy. Herodotus the great historian was the first to draw attention to the courage shown byEques in combat. The Mongols who conquered and ruled the largest Empire in history used horses to ride into batte and with the stirrup which the Mongols invented harnessed the strength of the horse as a force against the enemy. It is said that a force of just 15,000 Mongol Horsemen coquered the Abbasid Empire. The knights of the middle ages faught on horseback and the tall horses were even equipped with armour. Certainly animals used in war were looked after well. Afterall the fate of battle depended on the health and strenght of the animal.
In World War I, on the battle field of Gallipoli withessed the most amazing animal of all performing its dities admist the dreary tench of death and cannonfire. Duffy, the donkey carried innumerable ANZAC soldiers to safety and a grateful country gave the highest military decoration to Duffy whose satute stands, I beleive, opposite the Parliament building in Canberra. The Donkey never flinched in the face of danger like the cannine hero who wom a military decoration in USA for his role in tracking down al Bagdadi.
While human have been grateful for the services and support provided by animals we have to raise the question: Are we justified in using animals in combat. The use of animals to sniff out drugs and mines does not pose an immediate dange to animals. However if they are sent to war their lives are put to risk. The justification for this is the Christian notion that Man has "Dominion" over animals. However, Sanathana Dharma eshews such simplistic notions. Animals are part of nature and putting them in harms way is certainly not justified.
