[2014.04.14] STAR CLASS COLUMN: UNDERSTANDING LIFE WITH TWELVE NIGHT (2)

"From caring for a dog I learned a sense of responsibility for another life. I also kept learning about its loyalty to us"
courtesy of mingpao.com

Many animal lovers are very appreciative that the appearance of the TWELVE NIGHTS documentary, it reminds us of several important things:

1. It is necessary for microchip implant on pets. Even one day if the pet is lost, when the shelter inspects the microchip it can contact you so the dog would be spared from being euthanized out of the blue after 12 days (4 days in Hong Kong).

2. Adoption instead of purchase directly gives another chance at life.

3. Do not causally abandon the pet. The consequences of being abandoned may be tragedy and pain that you cannot imagine.

4. Do not think that a lot of problems in the society is unrelated to you. Actually everyone has a different level of responsibility.

Producer Giddens Ko said, this film was able to be made because under a poor system people wanted to change it. Thus they opened the gap on the door and entered. Actually, everyone wanted change, but change needed everyone. This film wanted to bring out the idea of sharing the load. After leaving the cinema viewers would not just shed tears but also had a sense of responsibility, because we could not pretend that we did not know the truth. If you disagree with this system, you should think of ways of changing it. The film also did not want to bring out how horrible the shelter conditions were or blame people who worked under the system. It wanted us to think, why these dogs would end up in the shelter in the end? Did everyone create this?

Director Raye said, "People who worked there actually reflected every one of us. Thus in the film they had no faces. I don't hope the society would blame them, especially when shelter veterinarians put a triangle on the dog files, they would feel that this society has done one of the cruelest things because veterinarian wanted and learned initially must be saving animals and not putting a perfectly good dog to death......" Raye even shared several little stories outside the film. She because of the film met a photographer who shot final photos for dogs that were being euthanized, Tou Yun-Fei. He has always used the power of the still frame to affect others, hoping that through the photos we would consider the value and the dignity of life, remembering that they actually once existed in this world. He had to withstand a lot of pain and hardship to do this.

Another was a volunteer named Sophie Teng. She has been a volunteer for a long time, but discovered that animal euthanasia was never done under public supervision. It was closed information. The shelter would not inform volunteers how it was done. In the end she decided to take over this business herself. She wanted to teach the government, if it had to euthanize animals how to do it better. Finally she imported the euthanasia operation process from the U.S. Before the animals passed away, they would be taken out of a walk in the sun, then given something to eat. The final moment of trust between dogs and humans was brought back so people could carry them to the operation table and they could feel warm for the last time. Those dogs that never saw a home may have never been held once in their lives, but in the end they could have their paws held, shave the fur on their paws and then let a deep sedative would be injected in their bloodstream. In 3 to 5 seconds they would quietly pass away. Volunteers who did this indeed were in a lot of pain, which they felt had a value. At least before their deaths they were able to give the dogs a little final peace and dignity.

These stories shocked me. I admired and respected these people for not choosing to turn a blind eye but instead choosing to tolerate the pain and becoming the sacrifice under the system to make some humane contribution.

After making TWELVE NIGHTS, the director said, "I believe that when we were children, we all wanted to change the imperfections of this world. After growing up, that impulse and motivation gradually vanished. Seeing those dogs that were adopted because of the film, I always thought, I didn't rescue them, they rescue me. When I was little I wanted to make changes but was powerless to, now finally I could try to do something!"

Indeed, at the beginning, I thought that adopting Luna was me giving it a new life. Yet gradually I discovered that actually it gave my life a new life. It taught me many things, like from caring for it I learned a sense of responsibility for another life. I also kept learning about its loyalty to us, learning that everyday they were happy about the smallest thing (like the moment you walk through the door everyday). Sometimes, people live in complicated environment forgot that the joy that we got and the joy of living in the moment. Thus dogs would come to us, actually they wanted to rescue people who would create unnecessary troubles for themselves like us to not worry about every little thing. You get to eat, have a family that loves us coming home from work on time. Is this not very happy?

- GIGI LEUNG WING KEI