Flattening the curve. Shelter in place. Physical distancing. Bali Dog dream come true.

Fully stopped and reverse thrusted humans are beginning to get a very small glimpse into the painful reality of what it’s like to be caged.  There are many dogs on Bali who live their entire existence is such a state of physical and emotional torment. 

So many of them are in ‘well-meaning’ clinics and shelters.  In places where they struggle daily, waiting endlessly for their intolerable curve of anxiety to be flattened, while physically distanced from everything that resonates with their version of normal.

As dog’s best friend is brutally finding out, locked down for our own benefit is difficult enough, locked in against our wishes is worse, being caged against our will, well that’s just not right.  That’s enforced imprisonment.

Humans are already suffering separation anxiety from what feeds their unique nature.  Loss of human to human contact is scientifically proven to make us prone to every psychological ailment known.  Its only been a few weeks yet already COVID-19 is exploiting our insatiable need to socialize and exposing our inability to isolate from our own kind.  It’s using our human weakness against us.  Our very basic nature in needing to gather/herd with our human species.

​When you separate a Bali dog from their canine species, suffering is created.  When you create physical distance, chained caged sheltered, suffering is created.  When you think you know best by denying access to their kind, suffering is created.

As Coronavirus (COVID-19) washes over Bali there will be many human deaths attributed to a virus that has specifically selected us as its primary carrier and messenger.  Not so long-ago Bali dogs were selected as transmitters for the terrifying Rabies virus.  They still carry the stigma and suffer confinement realities associated with that frightening viral outbreak.

It will be impossible to know if/what lessons will come from this human caused event and global full stop.  Nothing will go back to before and everything going forward will lack certainty and stability.  This really is life in the greater world.

For now, Bali dogs have free run of their island.  How long that will last is now dictated by a virus that has forced us into our version of caged.  For now, we are chained.  For now, for our own good.

It feels so good to be unchained and uncaged.

​For us and them.