My STEP project encompassed a 9-day study abroad trip to Ireland to evaluate, understand, and discuss as a group the ways in which humans and animals interact. The various opportunities I experienced taught me about the animals of Ireland and helped me make comparisons about human-animal interactions in the U.S. vs Ireland. The most intriguing animal encounters from this trip included wildlife parks and zoos, rescue centers for donkeys, birds of prey, and seals, a dog shelter, and a food research center.
A big change I saw in myself, interestingly, had nothing to do with animals. I expected myself to remain fairly quiet and prioritize learning on this trip rather than making friends. Going into this experience I did not know anyone and a younger, more shy version of myself may have kept it that way. However, I surprised myself by being confident and putting myself out there in order to make friends. Before we even left the country I was already feeling welcomed and I quickly found my people. This was such a huge contrast to how I typically feel in my Animal Science classes that I came back to the U.S. feeling excited to return to school with peers I relate to and trust. Lots of people say you make lifelong friends going abroad and they are not lying.
My views on human-animal interactions also changed quite a bit and I developed some new opinions on the interactions we have in the U.S. The biggest realization was that Ireland as a whole has massive respect for wildlife and they are quite proud of their contribution to sustainable living. Facilities with animals also place more trust in their visitors to make good decisions and don’t require as much enforcement or warning as we do in the U.S. The U.S. is largely commercial with a wide range of environments so legislation and conservation for animal welfare is often overlooked. Ireland relies heavily on tourism of the natural landscape and locally produced animal products, so it is a bigger priority to protect the wildlife there. The citizens themselves also place a lot of concern on animal welfare, with greater support for shelters and food industry facilities. Overall, it seems that Ireland has many more positive interactions with animals than in the United States.
Returning to my personal growth and transformation, the key aspect was ultimately the relationships I developed with the group. Entering this experience with no prior friendships allowed me to equally get to know everyone without being tied to one or two people. Throughout the trip I found myself surrounded by new people everyday and talking to someone different every meal. I found things in common with many and learned a lot about their interests and passions. By the end of the trip, there were a handful of people that really made me feel welcome and I know this trip was not the end of our friendships.
Diving further into my opinions on Ireland’s animal interactions, I wanted to highlight a few experiences that stuck with me. The FOTA wildlife park is similar to a zoo, with a greater focus on conservation and education about the endangerment status of many of the animals. The most surprising aspect was their decision to let certain animals—such as wallabies, kangaroos, lemurs, and many birds—roam free throughout the park. The animals still had enclosures to retreat to at will, but this freedom for the animals is only possible because of the collective respect that Ireland places on wildlife. If the U.S. could ensure a widespread change in attitude towards animals, it would allow zoos and wildlife facilities to grant more freedom to the animals to exhibit natural behaviors.
While learning about swine production at a food research center, I discovered that Ireland places a lot of emphasis on utilizing local farms for protein sources and rarely importing meat products from other countries. Ireland has many small, family run farms across the country, meaning that policy change for animal welfare can be enacted quickly and with little difficulty. The U.S., on the other hand, has large, commercial facilities that would lose too much revenue if big changes were to be made. Concerns for animal welfare, therefore, are not taken as seriously because it may hurt the economy.
Similar to farmers’ support of animal welfare, Dublin’s Dog Trust shelter showed me how the general public’s opinion of dog shelters is much different than the U.S. Ireland’s dog shelters receive so many donations that the facility can run smoothly without any government help, and rarely relies on volunteers. The facilities themselves also feel strongly about dog training and behavior evaluation before rehoming a dog in order to minimize the chance a dog is returned. However, Ireland and other European countries ban certain breeds and/or require muzzle training for puppies as a preventative measure to aggressive behavior. This type of attitude is much different than the U.S., where there is a lot of awareness spreading about rescuing and rehoming misunderstood breeds.
Both the transformation of myself and my views on human-animal interactions have influence in my current and future endeavors. Coming back from this trip with more confidence about my ability to make friends and put myself out there, I’m now determined to connect more with my peers back at school. Professionally, I wish to protect endangered species through conservation research and management. After seeing how another country approaches animal conservation, I want to utilize that perspective to improve some aspects of how the U.S. views conservation. Most importantly, I hope to make an impact on educating the public about respecting wildlife and actively help change the public’s opinion on animal welfare and freedom.
