The Mother Teresa of the animal world

[rainforests1]

I'm going by reputation more than anything. This is the follow-up to the Genghis Khan thread I did a while back. If there's a government that has shown the most kindness towards animals, who would it be?

 

[Second Summer]

Is this limited to contemporary governments, or will you consider historical governments and rulers as well?

According to Wikipedia, there were some emperors in Japan who did something extraordinary:

In 675 the use of livestock and the consumption of some wild animals (horse, cattle, dogs, monkeys, birds) was banned in Japan by Emperor Temmu, due to the influence of Buddhism.[47] This ban was renewed by succeeding Emperors throughout Asuka period classical civilization, but ended with the Heian period. The pest animals, deer and wild boar, were not affected by this ban.[48]

And then there is emperor Ashoka of India:

The Buddhist emperor Ashoka (304 BC – 232 BC) was a vegetarian.[43] and a determined promoter of nonviolence to animals. He promulgated detailed laws aimed at the protection of many species, abolished animal sacrifice at his court, and admonished the population to avoid all kinds of unnecessary killing and injury.[44] Ashoka has asserted protection to fauna, from his edicts we could understand,

i.e.:- "Twenty-six years after my coronation various animals were declared to be protected—parrots, mainas, aruna, ruddy geese, wild ducks, nandimukhas, gelatas, bats, queen ants, terrapins, boneless fish, vedareyaka, gangapuputaka, sankiya fish, tortoises, porcupines, squirrels, deer, bulls, okapinda, wild asses, wild pigeons, domestic pigeons and all four-footed creatures that are neither useful nor edible. Those nanny goats, ewes and sows which are with young or giving milk to their young are protected, and so are young ones less than six months old. Cocks are not to be caponized, husks hiding living beings are not to be burnt and forests are not to be burnt either without reason or to kill creatures. One animal is not to be fed to another."

—Edicts of Ashoka on Fifth Pillar

 

[Fromper]

Are you trying to imply that Mother Teresa was some sort of positive role model? By modern, non-Catholic standards, she was a truly despicable human being.

--Fromper

 

[Calliegirl]

I think for the fantasy, good deed doer Mother Theresa, Costa Rica has done some good things.
As for the real Mother Theresa, I have to go with China as doing the most evil, horrific things to animals.

 

[shyvas]

I think for the fantasy, good deed doer Mother Theresa, Costa Rica has done some good things.
As for the real Mother Theresa, I have to go with China as doing the most evil, horrific things to animals.

I still have these vivid images of a market place in Canton where all sorts of living creatures were on sale, in cages in the most appalling conditions.

 

[rainforests1]

Are you trying to imply that Mother Teresa was some sort of positive role model? By modern, non-Catholic standards, she was a truly despicable human being.

--Fromper

Going by reputation only. Could you explain what made her despicable?