204. Italy and Back Part 5: The Hunter and the Hunted
Italy is a nation of hunters and they seem to have free reign to go wherever they want. Sometimes they shoot just for the sake of hearing the crackle and bang of a gun. Promptly at dawn one hears an onset of shots as if World War Three had just begun. Living in the countryside I was sweeping my yard one wintery afternoon when I heard the piercing cry of a gunshot. Not knowing what the thunder was going on I jumped out of my skin as I saw and heard all the leaves in the surrounding trees rustle and shake as if a hurricane was in full swing.
In the shock confusion I called the emergency service- but not knowing which service I had called, the medical emergency ward asked me if I needed an ambulance. Slowly I came to my senses and told them I was still on my feet and it didn’t seem that I had lost any limb on the way. However they forwarded the call to the local Carabinieri station (Italian Military Police), who promptly called me to go and make a statement. I don’t know what the Carabinieri did but I have not been shot at since.
I have to admit that in order to protect my imprecise number of cats and dogs the hunters are needed to shoot down the wild boars and foxes that ravage the countryside but to go round shooting within yards of a house making the glass shake with every shot, is asking for too much.
This of course leads to the general attitude Italians have towards animals. This takes a bit of mulling over as since over the years I have noticed a change towards something akin to that of the Anglo-Saxon attitude, but back in the 70s it certainly was not so.
Animals did not partake of the same life as that of a human, this was spelt out wherever one went. Animals were kept locked up, chained, never permitted to set one paw inside the nicely polished floors of the house-proud-Italian-woman, let alone frolic about on a bed like mine did. Animals were considered a hindrance if they could not be made to fit to a utility. They were not looked upon as companions, a font of affection and unconditional friendship that a pet is capable of giving.
The idea that animals are not part of the household and their place is outside the domestic walls is still persistent today. However, judging by the hours of queuing I have to assist in order to see the vet, tells me things have come a long, long way since then and much more cuddling and loving goes on now than it did then. And all this goes to favour the mental well-being of animals on two legs, without doubt.
Continues...
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