‘Stewards of the Earth’ and Animals in Armenia (Slideshow)

In the village of Gndevaz in the Vayots Dzor province in Armenia, a mule lives alongside the thousand-year-old Gndevank Monastery.

The animals of Armenia deserve the same respect offered to elaborately carved stones.

He’s the color of the earth, of rich, strong Armenian coffee, the kind whose remnants make for fortune-telling fodder across the table. His eyelashes caress his big brown eyes, which are boxed in by an unraveling harness that shows the wear and tear of years within its threads. This mule, a cross between a donkey and a horse, who lives alongside a sheep and a handful of rambunctious chickens, carries loads, pulls supplies, and gives rides, all without ever having received a name.

“He doesn’t have one,” his owner says. “I’ve left that up to the government to decide.”

In the streets of Yerevan, owner-less dogs can be seen wandering down the avenues. They’re hungry, cold, and will follow you home if you invite them. Some have sustained injuries, while others have just given birth to a litter of puppies, whose chances of a future in a warm home with a full belly are virtually non-existent. In the summertime they disappear, most of them shot and killed in an effort to clear them off the streets before tourists arrive.

Among the ancient site of Khor Virap sits a gift shop with a postcard that features two young children holding roosters that have been slaughtered. “Yes ko mataghen em” the card reads. “I am your sacrifice.”

Across the web, several websites advertise hunting trips to Armenia, where animals like the Mouflon Sheep and Bezoar Ibex, both registered in the Armenian Red Book of Endangered Species, are shot and killed and made to pose with their hunters, who collect thousands of dollars for their prey. And recently, an aquarium with dolphins was built in Komitas Park amid protest from animal and environmental groups who say the animals, which aren’t suitable for Armenia’s climate, are being exploited for profit.

Meanwhile, a forest in Armenia called Teghut is in danger of being destroyed due to copper mining. Hundreds of animals and the environment they live in will suffer dire consequences. The World Wildlife Fund says that less than 12 percent of the country’s nature has been left in its original state—the rest, impacted by illegal logging, poaching, and more. In 2009, a gruesome video surfaced on YouTube of a donkey that was thrown into the cage of two lions, allegedly in the private zoo of oligarch Gagik Tsarukian.

There’s more. Yerevan’s public zoo has also been criticized for the inhumane conditions its animals have been subjected to. The zoo’s director, Sahak Abovyan, was quoted in August 2010 saying that 50 percent of the enclosures do not comply with international standards.

Armenians are always quick to boast how their country, nestled in the Caucasus Mountains, became the first Christian nation on Earth. We revel in this fact, using it to introduce others to our culture and unfaltering dedication to a religion that could have been plundered and forgotten about hundreds, even thousands, of years ago.

Yet somewhere along the way, the Christian notion of being “Stewards of the Earth” was pushed back into oblivion.

Armenia is a place of historic marvel, where churches have stood the test of time, earthquakes and war and a capital city boasts an existence 29 years before the creation of Rome, where a stranger will treat you like a son or daughter, no questions asked. It is a place of legends and literature, a place that a worldwide diaspora calls “homeland” and residents call home. And yet, in all its glory and misfortune, Armenia belongs to its animals too.

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Photos by Liana Aghajanian

The dogs that roam the streets, looking for something, anything to eat, the more than 300 species of birds that draw enthusiasts to the region, and the herds of cows seen on random village roads—they are as much a part of this rugged landscape as the people who live on it. Wherever you are in Armenia, it is hard to ignore their presence. Next to a homemade wine stand in Areni, a flock of ducks flutter in the front yard and exotically striped cats roam among the steps and bushes of the Cascade, between lovers savoring the little time they have to themselves.

There is a cultural barrier between the relationships we have with the animals we live side by side with. We reign over them, forget about them, and abuse them, all because we can.

One might wonder what would happen if the animals had the upper hand—the dogs that were shot for simply existing, the chickens that couldn’t lay eggs fast enough, the lambs that just had to be sacrificed. Following another very Christian philosophy, would animal-kind have done unto us that we have done unto them?

“Mankind’s true moral test, its fundamental test, consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals,” author Milan Kundera once said.

In a country where poverty levels have risen, jobs are impossible to find, and a plethora of civil issues are slowly but surely demanding to be addressed, it is an unfortunate reality that certain matters are pushed back and in some cases pushed out, with animals taking the brunt of the impact.

The animals of Armenia are worthy of more than indifference. While khachkars and statues, sprinkled all over Yerevan and beyond, are reveled as national treasures, the animals of Armenia deserve the same respect offered to elaborately carved stones. They, too, should be treated as Armenia’s children. When their habitats are destroyed, when they’re kicked down and killed off, a little part of Armenia disappears in the process.

The coffee-colored no-name mule stands behind a rusty fence on a winter day in Gndevaz. He looks up from his pile of hay and there among his coat is a single, oval-shaped white tuft of hair. A tuft of hair that gives birth to a name, Spitak.

Spitak doesn’t ask for much; in fact, none of them do. A place to sleep, a world to explore, satisfied appetites, the respect and kindness of their human counterparts, and if they’re lucky, a name.

Liana Aghajanian

Liana Aghajanian

Liana Aghajanian is a multimedia journalist from Los Angeles who writes for print and online publications in addition to running ianyanmag.com, an independent Armenian publication. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times Community News, New America Media, Spot.us, and EurasiaNet. Her portfolio can be found at www.lianaaghajanian.com.
Liana Aghajanian

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21 Comments

  1. Thank you Liana for your well put, well deserved article.  I have been in Armenia just last September and I most certainly do agree with all your well prepared discourse.  There were a few dogs left roaming around Yerevan streets and they looked like deserving a good meal.  We fed a few of them and truly felt sorry for them that they weren’t taken care of by the government and at least some of them had a house and family that they belonged to.  My very young daughter simply loves animals and I wish not to tell her about this article, because I don’t want her to be disillusioned and disheartened by our nation that I keep speaking about highly and exorbitantly.  Though if our nation doesn’t do anything positive about the matter, eventually she will find out.  I happen to value animals too as God created them to please and sometimes help humans too, as the horse and donkey does.  We marvel about the Van cats and the Crane bird of Armenia.  Then what are we doing of Armenia’s endangered species too?  Are we going to let them to be extincts?  I most certainly agree that the government of today must protect them, and take them off the street and give them home and protection.  They should as well educate our people in there to treat them kindly and gently too.

  2. I happen to value and love animals as God has created them to please and help us humans.  We marvel with pride about the Van cats and sing our “Groong Usdi Gookas”, after the Crane of Armenia’s bird.  Yet we let them to be unprotected, or worse; to be abused or killed.  I strongly believe that the government of Armenia should create an SPCA organization as it is in the U.S. to take them in and to find home for them, as well as educate the people to be kindly and protective of our animals.  Furthermore, the government shouldn’t allow anyone within the country or from elsewhere to shoot and kill our endangerred species.  They should protect them and find a home for them.

  3. Lovely article, thanks for calling attention to this.
    Seervart, Armenian parents, especially in the diaspora, always try to instill national pride in our children.  But if we can’t be honest about our good and bad qualities how can we raise the future leaders of our community who will be equipped to face the realities of building a nation that we can all be proud of?

  4. I hear you Boyajian, though my daugther already knows a few of the not so good as well as the good things that are going on in our homeland.  However, she has already become an advocate for the protection and the well being of animals, and she simply loves them to a great deal that she doesn’t believe in people wearing any kind of furs for clothing.  If I tell her now about it, I’m afraid she will be very much turned-off from our homeland and I would like to tell her a bit later.  Hoping that by then things will start picking up about the care and take of animals in Armenia. 

  5. Finally an srticle in Armenian media, other than the one I authored a few years back in the newspaper Marmara, about Armenia’s genocide of its animals. Our respected animal organization, which I head, tried for the st ten years to work with Yerevan’s government to let us create a Spay Neuter project there. We ent people numerous times. built an animal hospital and a shelter, and invested almost $75,000 to send American veterinarians to tarin Armenian vets on spay neuter techniques, sent Armenian vets to Romania to train, all with the goal of creating dozens of jobs on behalf of the welfare of animals. To our dismay, we found the government officials to be corrupt (what else is new in Armenia?), the Armenian people to be dishonest and downright thieves violating every precept of honoring legal and signed contracats and good faith, such that we ended our efforts. I complained to the US Armenian Ambassador, and never even received a reply. Yes, Armenia should want recognition of genocides, of its own to its animal citizens. Until Armenia ends its genocide of its animal citizens, Turkey’s genocide of the Armenian citizens of Turkey will never be recognized. That’s the way the God that I have come to know operates.

  6. Apparently the arrogance of the wealthy in Armenia has no bounds. If the episode of throwing a live donkey into a lions’ den is true (most probably an entertainment event), it seems that inumanity is alive and well in Armenia (a Christian nation?). What would stop those people to throw a homeless person into the lions’ den next?

  7. How sad this situation is! It’s interesting to note that the author mentions that the poverty level has gone up in Armenia. There seems to be a link between countries whose people suffer, and how much the animals in those countries suffer, as if there is such little respect for human life that respect for animal/plant life suffers even more.
    I pray that life improves for all Armenians…human and animal.

  8. Wow Garo jan, how kind you were about it and with dismay I am appaled for what they made you go through through and with your hard earned money too.  They pretty much stole your money, the shameful oligarchs or whoever it was in the ranks of the government in there.  I appreciate your upsetness and your disgust towards them and frankly, I don’t blame you one bit.  What a shame, that’s all I have to say for the matter.  And I praise you kind man for doing all the good that you did for the sake of the poor animals in Armenia.

  9. Thank you Liana Aghajanian for writing this truth about the animals in Armenia. And my gratitude to the Armenian Weekly for having the guts to print it. It is long past the time when the Diaspora should be made aware of the shameful disregard and treatment of animals in our country. May God bless you a thousand fold Garo for your efforts. Shame, shame, and ahmot, to every single person and institution who stood in the way of you and your organization from fulfilling your rescue mission. It would be very difficult for me to ever go back to Armenia.  The last time I was there- about 4 years ago- I lay awake in tears most nights, listening to the pitiful howling and crying of hungry wild dogs. As you ride in your tour bus you see them wandering through the fields and along the roads in search of food. Many are, or have been, nursing puppies. Their babies are waiting in tall grasses in fields or abandoned shacks to be fed, until they too, leave and roam in search of food.  I tried to save food from every meal for the dogs. They do not attack you. They hang back, waiting silently, deferentially, their eyes pleading for morsels. Their bodies are covered with sores, their fur is falling out. At one outdoor meal, there was a pile of dry bread left on the table after everyone had finished eating. I gathered it all up and threw it to the dogs, waiting in the shadows. They swallowed large chunks without chewing. They licked the gravel for morsels that may still be there. Their horrendous hunger was one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever seen in my life. My daughter and I would save the cheese from our breakfast buffet and feed it to the cats that hid under the tablecloth. I saw donkeys too, with large loads on their backs, patient, gentle, sensitive animals. I am ashamed that odars go to our country and see this. I am even more ashamed that men like Garo go to our country in order to do God’s work of mercy for creatures that cannot defend themselves and are defeated by evil thieves who sit with their overflowing plates of pilaf and shish-kebab and baklava.

  10. Excellent article in behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. I grew up in a neighboring country where in the streets of the capital city it was a common sight to see stray dogs slowly dying from ingestion of the chemical strychnine mixed in garbage, their only source of food. As an eight year-old boy I remember helplessly watching many a dog, for hours shiver to death. It was an ugly sight, but in retrospect I realize that it had to be done, albeit not in that manner. There were too many stray dogs, all hungry, almost all diseased, almost all with pups, and all persecuted by people, constantly chased away. In those days feeding an animal was out of the question. No one could afford it and I don’t think spaying and neutering were invented yet. (That is how old I am.)
    So much in support of Liana Aghajanian. But to draw a parallel with the khatchkar and still standing remnants of our architectural treasures and  “elaborately carved stones” is a bit “too much” and out of place. The slide show is superb.
    Now to Garo Alexanian. I think you ought to be ashamed for saying “Until Armenia ends its genocide of its animal citizens, Turkey’s genocide of the Armenian citizens of Turkey will never be recognized.” We all love animals, but shame on you.
    I wholly agree with Murad Meneshian with his statement, “Apparently the arrogance of the wealthy in Armenia has no bounds.” Yes, too much money in the hands of a few leads to immorality, Roman style. I have no idea where these “wealthy” folks get their money from (most probably from a poor cousin working his tail off in diaspora), but for a country with no industry, no output, no manufacturing, no jobs, no employment, but plenty of nightclubs and casinos and pole-dancers we are doing OK.
    Dual citizenship with right to vote may be the answer; to throw those bums out of office. But they are frightened of the idea.

  11. Although Garo went off the cliff making parallels with the Armenian Genocide recognition and the abuse and the killings of the dogs and the cats and the rest of the animals in Armenia; I surely agree with Ashot yerkat for being very upbset with this statement which of course I didn’t like it either; but I felt at the time that Ashot didn’t mean it; but because he was very angry from the thieves in Armenia who stole his $75,000 and plus all his efforts towards a good cause that he tried so hard and were all lost in the end.  Nothing can be paralleled however with the annihilation of the Armenians, nothing and never.  The people that were annihilated Garo, had so much goodness in them.  They were far better than the best of the people that you encounter in your every day life.  They were very civilized, extremely virtuous, honest, never broke any of God’s Commandments.  They were so very Godly, hard working and yet they always lived in extreme fear, every day of their lives.  They were randomly attacked, some were kidnapped, others were molested by chetes, animal-like turkish people and kurds.  I know this isn’t the place to speak extensively about this; but Ashot is right.  No matter what and how much frustrated you are, no one, but no one should forget or make parallels for the mass murder of innocent, good-hearted, hardworking and constantly and repeatedly persecuted nationality as it was the faith of the Armenians, who were martyred, butchered barbarically during the Armenian Genocide.  No one should forget that, much less this coming from any Armenian who’s Armenian mother gave birth to him and fed him.

  12. I was in Armenia last summer. We were visiting the Siunik region and had lunch at a very good restaurant near Karahunj (Armenia’s Stonehenge). There, right next to the parking lot, they have 2 small cages with a bear. The bear’s cub is also there in a separate cage. The cub moved non-stop in small, awkward, slanted circles as if it had gone mad and the larger bear simply looked sad. The cruelty of keeping these animals in a tiny was unbearable to watch. I will try to find photos of the poor animals in the hope that someone might be able to take action. I don’t understand how a wild, endangered animal like the bear can be kept by someone, locked up and trapped forever behind bars.

  13. I think the problem is in the system in there.  The bulk of the people, not the few very wealthy Yerevantsis, but the surroundings of the capital, are very poor.  Some of them are hungry themselves, because unfortunately the oligarchs and the government doesn’t seem to care about them, not half as much as they should.  A good many of them have no jobs as the corruption is still ongoing very unfortunately.  The majority can hardly fend for themselves and their children, let alone the animals.  It’s not the people’s fault, but the fault of both the government and the oligarchs (the very rich), who doesn’t seem to care whatsoever; but fending for themselves.  It is truly a shameful situation.  One can say, if most of the women and the beautiful girls are treated and abused daily, what can you expect?  How can one expect them to treat the animals any better when they have no tongues the poor animals.  The women have tongues and yet most of them are bitten and abused daily.  What can I say?  I think it is time that a huge change is done in the ranks of the government, possibly from Diaspora, so that the oligarchs and thieves and unpatriotic people don’t destruct Armenia any more.  But see to it that the women are treated much better and the animals have a home and not abused and the majority of the people have jobs to fend for themselves, for their families and hopefully to adopt some animals too.

  14. I think you folks have to put it all in perspective.  When people’s life gets better the dogs condition will improve as well.  Until then to expect what you’ve been accustomed to here is unrealistic.  Otherwise, the dogs living conditions would be better than people’s.  Why are you shocked that government kills strayed dogs?  What do you think happens to them here?  Dog impounds usually keep dogs for only 3 days and then euthanized.  I know few people who by the time found their dogs they’ve been already put to sleep.    Also, there is plenty of animal cruelty here in the U.S. as well.  Just look into some horrific stories about dog breeders.  Ugly business.
    As far as Garo, I cant beleive you tie your failure story to the Genocide.  Instead of calling Armenian people dishonest and downright thieves just learn some lessons from mismanaged project.

  15.  Seervert and Ashot, my post in no way correlated the nature of the harm done to the slaughtered 1915 era Armenians and those being done to Armenia’s dogs and cats currently in Armenia. No did I equate these seperate issues. No need to shame me Ashot Yerkat. You’re jumping to assumptions not contained in the words of my post if you carefully analyze what I said. 

    My advocacy for animals is not related to my opinion that the BIG one upstairs operates in not too mysterious ways. I am not “wishing” that genocide does not get recognized unless and until Armenia addresses its animal cruelty issues. I did not say so in my post. I am merely stating what I have seen over and over in my life, as i am sure many of you also have; that in life, very often, mysterious coincidences occur. I simply stated this fact. If you want to know my thoughts on the issue of the possible correlation of these to issue, accurately, there is only one correlation between the two. Killing and torture is the same whether done onto animals or humans. It is not the same crime in human law, but it is nonetheless the same crime. ns “killing”.   Other mitigating factors such as harm to people vs harm to animals changes that balance in favor of the judger. But by itself, void of any other factors, what the Turks did to Armenians is pretty similar to what Armenia is doing to its animals. I challenge anyone to argue a denial of that. That correlation is not the same as the correlation some readers like Ashot and Seervart and Armen_Yan had presumed I had said.

    Armen-Yan, “mismanaged project”? Do you know how many succssful people I know who have “mismanaged” other projects in Armenia too? Do you know that I was able to, almost singlehandedly, helped reform animal control here in NYC, Lafayette, Louisiana, and to a lesser extent, the entire state of North Carolina? If I admit total failure for Armenia after so many years, I doubt anyone else could have succeeded there in this field. I also failed in Turkey. Tried to work with them and the same middle eastern dishonesty so prevalent in Armenia and all the baltic nations and Africa (which the west seems to have adopted in the past few decades) caused its failure there. Separately, a british millionaire with factories in Istanbul sank $1.5 million to run animal control for Istanbul’s municipality as he could not stand seeing the cruelty anymore, and he also failed in Turkey. Armen_Yan, can all of us successful people with solid track records all be “mismanaging projects” in Armenia and Turkey ? Unlikely.

    Corruption is the enemy of the people and the state. You have seen the havoc it has wrought to western capitalism. Everyone propounds patriotism, but relatively few appear to be concerned about THIS enemy of Armenia.

  16. Dear Mr. Alexanian:
     
    I am delighted and quite proud to know that a successful, well to do Armenian has enough money to spend it in the rescue of animals; indeed it deserves a loud bravo! And it is not for me or anyone else to tell you there are better places to put your money like a few schools in Armenia’s farm-towns; clearly, no one has such a right. Having said this, I still have to go back and reiterate what I said, that it was not very kindly of you to equate, compare, liken, perceive similarity, or even mention in parallel The Great Genocide with injustice to animals. I deeply regret the maltreatment of animals in Armenia (what with throwing a live donkey into the cage of lions) and I apologize to you personally (even though I have nothing to do with it – like you, I live in NYC). I fully understand your anger culminating in the comparison, but only for your first utterance. You were angry and you said it. Saying it for a second time, “…what the Turks did to Armenians is pretty similar to what Armenia is doing to its animals. I challenge anyone to argue a denial of that” is callous and unacceptable. I am ashamed of you for a second time. However, I truly agree with your anger and frustration in the mean, lowly, ugly, … freehand treatment of animals (and people) by the nouveau-rich without any punishment. I don’t mean to change the subject but we need total revamping. And yes, unfortunately God’s innocent creatures continue to suffer. Keep up the good work, and may God bless you. Maybe a few more schools and repatriated healthy minds would teach respect for animals to our children. Just maybe.

  17. Garo Alexanian, your accomplishments in NYC don’t automatically make you qualified in Armenia.  The rope you used to get someone from the hole will not help to get someone else down from the tree.  But don’t feel too bad.  Our government here spent trillion of dollars on bailouts with the same result.  That is really mismanagement))  There are just different challenges there.  Here you might have to worry about lawsuits and there about corruption for example.  You just have to adjust, you have to do your homework and have to be able to learn and adopt.  I don’t know how many more people you know who failed there but there are a lot who succeed in making difference there.  You just have to learn, be persistent and don’t get discouraged.
    As far as your parallel to Genocide, I think it’s appalling.  You should retract and apologize instead of explaining and justifying.  At least animals in Armenia are being exterminated because they walk on 4 legs.  Animals in Armenia are being even exterminated for any reason.  Their conditions might be harsh but that doesn’t give you moral right to call it Genocide and draw parallels and even suggest not to acknowledge The Armenian Genocide.
    Why don’t you let us know on the details of your project in Armenia.  What exactly you tried to do and where did money go?  On a different note can I ask what Garo Alexanian was doing with charity project in Turkey?  Did you get so upset with Armenians that decided to help Turkey?

  18. Here is more about dog cruelty here at home.  Before you go up in arms about Armenia see how it is here.  This is what change.org says about “puppy mills” in the U.S.
    “Puppy mills” are large-scale commercial operations where dozens of dogs are kept in small cages for their entire lives, forced to give birth to litter after litter until they’re no longer fertile, at which point they’re usually killed. Puppy mills are unsafe, inhumane, and produce thousands of puppies with serious health problems every year.
    http://www.change.org/petitions/ebay-classifieds-stop-selling-live-animals

  19. I hope, Armen, that you are not implying that because conditions for animals in north America are not optimal, we should ignore, or excuse, or not attempt to alleviate, what happens to animals in Armenia. As regards the sled dogs in Canada that you refer to: thousands of people responded in protest and charges have been laid. Yes, I agree with you, the condition of puppy mills is abhorent. No one should buy an animal that they suspect comes from such a disgusting place. The authorities should be called so that the full force of the law can be applied. And that is the difference between dogs in north America and Armenia. Here, neglect, abandonment, cruelty are viewed as a crime. There, it is not.

  20. Garo Alexanian has nothing to apologize for. My father was Armenian. I visited Armenia and was revolted by the rampant animal cruelty. This will offend many but I don’t care: a nation that is so callous in its abuse of animals doesn’t deserve to have its genocide recognized.

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