Ven Dr Omalpe Sobhitha Thero President Justice for Animals and Nature

21 April 2026
Ven Pannakara Thero
Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center,
Fort Worth, Texas,
USA.

Dear Bhanthe,
Re: A request to include the spread of compassion & peace for all living
beings including animals in your mission

We are truly delighted and in much appreciation of your noble mission to spread
Buddhism, peace and harmony in the world.

We are doubly pleased to note your boundless display of compassion towards animals
by making Aloka, a former stray animal, as a member of your team.
Humans constitute the dominant species of this world. Yet, despite its overwhelming
power over all other species humans are responsible for much of the injustice and
abuse caused to non-human beings, which are an integral and important part of the
planet. 

Therefore we kindly request you to take note of the contents of the attached document
containing quotes on love and compassion towards animals and convey the message to
the world when and wherever possible.

Wish you and your team all success in your noble endeavors.

With Metta,
Ven Dr Omalpe Sobhitha Thero
President

Justice for Animals and Nature

…………………..

Attachment 

40 proposals to promote Animal Welfare

PEACE FOR ALL LIVING BEINGS
1) Buddha taught Metta & Karuna towards all living beings including animals, not
only for humans.
2) ‘As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields’ – Leo Tolstoy
His quote highlights the belief that the cruelty of slaughtering animals fosters a
general culture of violence that leads to war among humans. This philosophy suggests
that reducing violence against animals is essential for achieving human peace.

3) ‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its
animals are treated’ – Mahatma Gandhi.

His quote suggests that compassion towards innocent defenseless creatures reflects a
society’s higher ethical standards, highlighting that the definition of a true civilization
goes beyond a focus only on human welfare but must necessarily include compassion
for animals.

4) Teach Kindness to Animals as a subject in schools. Kindness to Animals is a
measure of a good person. Condemn Cruelty to Animals beginning at the kindergarten
level

5) Expansion of animal agriculture & eating animals raises Global Warming, the
biggest harm to the planet earth and earthlings.

6) 80% of the world’s grains are used to feed farm animals. It takes about 5000
gallons of water to produce 1kg of beef, whereas it takes only about 1% of that
amount – around 50 gallons to produce 1kg of vegetables. Meat consumption by rich
countries is a major cause of growing hunger in the world, as it reduces the
availability of grain to feed the poorest populations. We should recognize that about
one billion people in the world are suffering from malnutrition & hunger. If we stop
animal farming, we will have more than enough food to eradicate hunger and
malnutrition on earth. We should also be aware that more than ten times the world’s
human population of animals are slaughtered annually for food, causing a huge
environmental imbalance.

7) Eating animals causes killings. Meat is Murder. Theft of another life for your
benefit. Milk is stolen food produced for another baby.

8) ‘If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian’ – Sir Paul
McCartney.

The core message is that if the processes of killing animals for food were transparent,
people would be confronted with the pain, fear, agony, and trauma experienced by
these animals, leading many to adopt a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Going vegan is
the non-violent & just way to lead one’s life while displaying Metta, Karuna, Ahimsa
towards all sentient beings.

9) Millions of animals are slaughtered annually as a religious ritual around the world.
Animal farms become empty during the festive seasons and streets become rivers of
blood e.g. Dacca in Bangladesh. If you truly worship a god you need to do so without
resorting to violence and causing bloodshed of innocent animals (ahimsa). If not, your
blood letting conduct would reflect badly on you as well as the deity that you worship.
10) Ban Game Hunting. Ban Sports Hunting. Destroying another sentient being’s life
is not an entertainment of a civilized human.

11) Ban Animal races that make huge abuse to animals (ie. horses, pigeons, dogs,
camels, bulls, elephants)
12) Ban animal fights (ie. bull fights, cooks, dogs, rodeo, cobra & mongoose).
13) Animal circuses are entertainment for humans but suffering for animals.
14) Zoo is a Jailhouse that punishes innocent animals who have committed no crime
to serve a life sentence.
15) When keeping pets & birds in small cages and fish in small tanks in your home, you
make them suffer daily under your arms, that is bad karma. They too love freedom.

16) No justification for the use of animals for transportation when motor transport is readily
available.
17) Stop animal slavery while having all machinery.
18) Stop Animals being used for experiments that cause huge suffering for animals in
laboratories. With access to the latest technology without difficulty  you don’t need to abuse animals for your research.
19) Love for dogs & cats is a true, sincere bond. They have been domesticated by
humans for thousands of years. They can’t survive other than to receive food from
humans. Therefore humans have a moral duty to look after them.
20) Adopt a stray or a helpless dog and cat as your pet. Don’t buy breeding animals.
21) If you notice that the stray cats and dogs population is high surrounding your area,
pl go for humane methods of population control like sterilize/ neuter by a veterinary
surgeon. It will cost you a little money or you can seek help from government
veterinarians or AW organizations. It’s a great help for the control of animal
populations and harmonious living together of all beings. Do not ever think of killing
or abandoning them in a strange or different area. That is bad karma which will someday come
back to you.
22) Give your leftover food to a hungry animal rather than throwing it in the garbage bin..
23) Show your empathy by keeping some water in your garden or outside the gate for
thirsty animals which will earn good merit.
24) Always give a helping hand to a voiceless animal when in need. Be their voice. Be
their virtual guardian.
25) Teach your children compassion towards animals and sense of respect for both
animals and the environment.
26) If any insect, rats, cockroach, ants, flies, geco, spider and the like come to your
home don’t kill them or poison them and collect bad karma. Use non – life destroying
methods to keep them away. Instead of using toxic poisons which can harm humans,
pets, and the environment you can use natural, non-lethal methods to deter insects,
rodents, and other critters.
27) When you see venomous insects or snakes in your premises please catch them
without harming them or call an experienced wildlife catcher and relocate them in a
suitable environment. They too play an important role in our ecosystem.
28) Let wild animals live in the wild (both in land & sea) and respect their habitats.
i.e. Elephants are the jungle keepers.
29) Stop destroying animals’ habitats in the land & sea.
30) Jungles are the Lungs of the earth.
31) If you violate animal rights, you have no moral right to talk about human rights.
32) High consumption of goods and release of non-biodegradable material to the
natural environment damages the planet earth permanently and makes life unliveable.
33) Planet earth alias Mother earth has a limit on its capacity and tolerance. Damage
caused by human activity to her is reciprocated by her punishing humans in many
ways such as flood, tsunami, earthquakes, cyclones, typhoons, fire, droughts, viruses,
diseases, lightning and the like.
34) If you protect nature, nature will protect you.
35) Fireworks & fire crackers are unnecessary for human entertainment in the modern
world. They harm both animals and the natural environment.
36) A lot of animals are killed by motorists. Respect every life while you drive. Same
as humans, they love their lives. Remember most of the roadways are constructed
destroying their animal habitats. Be sensitive to animal life when constructing roads,
highways, bridges etc. China is a good example which shows concern for animal life
when constructing bridges.

37) Every country should enact laws imposing a ‘Duty of Care’ on all citizens to
protect sentient beings and promote peaceful co-existence between humans and
animals. The Indian legal system mandates compassion and responsible care for
animals –
Fundamental Duty: Article 51-A(g) of the Indian Constitution makes it the duty of
every citizen ‘to protect and improve the natural environment … and to have
compassion for living creatures’
Moral Progression: The way a nation treats its animals is viewed as a reflection of its
societal compassion and moral progress.
38) ‘The strong have a moral duty to protect the weak’ – A Universally recognized
Ethical & Philosophical theme that must include animals as a significant component
of the weak.
39) If you don’t care for animal welfare, then at least do not harm them.
40) All the animal species are earthlings and natives of the Planet Earth same as
human species. They also have the right to live on the earth peacefully with their
loved ones.

Justice for Animals and Nature (JAN)