A series of workshops entitled, “Enforced Domestication: It Could Happen to You,” was held in The Park this past weekend.
It starts with the offer of a bit of food or drink, a toy, or even a pat on the back, a free brushing, or a warm lap.
“It can be anything, really, as long as the Human thinks it’s what you would like,” says Enforced Domestication survivor Antoni Chomik.
This past weekend, thousands attended the Enforced Domestication workshops that Chomik chaired. The workshops were designed to educate Park Animals on the domestication tactics employed by Humans and they covered a wide range of subjects including awareness, prevention, escape planning, post-traumatic effects, and what Park administration could and should do to reduce the incidence of enforced domestication.
“It shouldn’t all be up to the Animal in question,” says Chomik, who believes the Department of Well-Being and Safety is not doing enough to educate the young.
“The young are particularly vulnerable to Human domestication tactics, as are the elderly,” says Chomik. “There’s no doubt that Park life might seem harder at times and there’s no shame in admitting that. Who wouldn’t want a full stomach, a comfy bed, and some form of attention?”
But, according to Chomik, it won’t take long for you to realize that this “harmless” gesture comes with a price.
“Imagine if your new Human friend bent down to give you a treat and said, ‘I promise you those things, but you’ll never be able to go outside or, if you do, you’ll never be able to visit your friends or stroll on your own. You will always be tethered to some Human and you will never be free again.’ Would you take the treat?”
Chomik admits that some would, but he says most would run or fly or swim as fast as they could.
“We are not built for domestication. Not mentally or emotionally,” he says adamantly. “Some species are more able to adapt than others but, by and large, we lose a part of ourselves when we succumb to it. That’s why we have to work hard to preserve ourselves and our way of life, no matter how difficult it is.”
