Don't Give a Goat as a Gift
By Jenny Moxham
An Animal Rights Poem from All-Creatures.org

Don't Give a Goat as a Gift
By Jenny Moxham

Don't give a goat as a gift
Though some charities tell us we should,
Don't give a goat as a gift
Though we're made to believe it's "all good".

For goats will degrade and destroy precious land
They'll drink precious water, turn grass into sand,
They'll rapidly eat every bush that's on hand
Don't give a goat as a gift.

Don't give a goat to the poor
Give them plants and some tools and a bore.
These will help them to grow even more
And food for the future ensure.

And please think of the fate of these creatures so sweet
Who'll be milked 'til they're dry and then butchered for meat,
Empowering the poor to grow plant food to eat
Is undoubtedly better for all.

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Each Christmas major charities urge us to give goats - and other animals - to
people in poor countries, and whilst it's admirable to help the poor, giving animals is not in the best interests of either the recipients or the animals concerned. Animals require food and water - both of which are in short supply in poor, semi-arid countries. If allowed to forage, animals will rapidly destroy the environment, turning vegetation and grass into dust and leaving the land even less productive than before. The harsh environment will be hard on the animals too, and with no laws to protect them, many will lead miserable lives and be inhumanely slaughtered. It's ironic that our major charities are promoting the raising of animals as a solution to world hunger when the
worlds hunger problem would not exist at all if the food fed to animals raised in the West was fed directly to humans.

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For more information, visit The Heifer Project - What's Wrong With Gifting Animals...