Author: Kristin Stone

MONTREAL—Humane Society International/Canada is calling on the Quebec government to properly enforce the law and protect animals from abuse. According to a report published by La Presse last week, authorities responsible for enforcing animal protection laws are failing to take action and turning a blind eye to animal suffering. Because the government has yet to renew contracts with Quebec SPAs/SPCAs to enforce the law, there are currently not enough animal welfare inspectors in the province to cover the entire territory.

Ewa Demianowicz, senior campaign manager for HSI/Canada, stated, “For years, animal welfare groups have demanded better enforcement of animal welfare laws because legislation that is not enforced is toothless. The Quebec government is simply failing to take action to spare animals from abuse.”

Take action: Tell Quebec to protect animals from abuse.

She added, “It is shocking that following multiple promises from elected officials to tackle the problem of puppy mills and animal abuse in Quebec, there is absolutely no concrete improvement on the ground for animals. The government’s lax approach to enforcement allows puppy mills to continue their business of animal cruelty–some even receiving permits issued by the government that allow them to operate with near impunity, as demonstrated in the evidence collected by La Presse. Unfortunately, these are not the only cases. It was revealed last year that a breeder in Saint-Honoré-de-Témiscouata had acquired a permit to operate despite having received over 20 warnings for non-compliance with animal welfare laws.”

HSI/Canada asks the Quebec government to follow through on their promises of improving animal welfare in Quebec and enforce the laws meant to protect animals. “If things don’t change, Quebec’s reputation as a haven for animal abusers will remain,” said Demianowicz.

Quebecers can contact their Member of the National Assembly today to demand proper enforcement of animal welfare laws in Quebec: click here. Donate here to help protect dogs and other animals from cruelty worldwide.

Media Contact: For interview requests, please call or email: Christopher Paré – office: 514 395-2914 x 206 / cell: 438 402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

Mauritius—The government of the paradise holiday island of Mauritius is suspending a brutal cull of thousands of dogs as part of a partnership agreement with animal campaigners Humane Society International which sees the charity open the island’s first dedicated spay and neuter clinic, to sterilise up to 10,000 owned and roaming dogs. The clinic, run by HSI in conjunction with the Mauritian government’s Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security, and with funding from International Animal Rescue and the Marchig Trust, will reduce the island’s dog population without cruelty and killing.

There is an estimated quarter of a million dogs on Mauritius, most of them owned but free to roam the streets and beaches where they can be considered a nuisance to the island’s wealthy holiday makers. Thousands of puppies are born on the streets each year because most dog owners don’t sterilise their dogs. In an attempt to curb the growing population, the government has been sanctioning the killing of around 2,000 dogs every month. In 2016 this horror was caught on camera. The release of disturbing footage showing dogs being caught in nets and brutally killedbecame the watershed moment that led to a new initiative between HSI and the government of Mauritius.

Rahul Sehgal, HSI’s senior co-director of companion animals, said: “The people of Mauritius love their dogs but many simply don’t have access to local veterinary care to prevent endless puppies being born, and responsible dog ownership has never been taught in communities. So we are really thrilled to have opened our free spay and neuter clinic here in Mauritius, specifically in Belle Mare, in the District of Flacq, plus our mobile clinic that will travel to more remote areas or bring our services to those without transport. Already we’re treating hundreds of gorgeous dogs who otherwise could easily have died a painful death in the cull. The terrible cruelty of dog culling is totally at odds with Mauritius’s paradise island image, but it also simply doesn’t work as a way to control dog numbers in the long term. We’re hoping our program can be the beginning of the end of dog culling on this beautiful island.”

The HSI-staffed spay/neuter clinic will run initially for one year, during which time dog culling in the area has been suspended. The purpose of this one-year pilot is for the HSI team to demonstrate how a well-run humane program can reduce dog numbers and could be expanded to cover the entire island.

Alan Knight from International Animal Rescue said: “We have actively opposed the brutal killing of dogs in Mauritius for many years. The spay and neuter clinic will spare the lives of thousands of dogs and we hope also lay the foundations for a new compassionate era when dog killing on the island is a thing of the past and sterilisation is the norm.”

Les Ward from the Marchig Trust said: “We’re delighted to support this project, and entirely confident that it will clearly demonstrate that mass culling of dogs is never an effective or ethical way to control dog populations. We have heard from many people who had gone to Mauritius expecting the holiday of a lifetime, only to end up distraught at the barbaric treatment of dogs on the streets and beaches. By supporting island communities to care for and interact with their dogs responsibly, HSI is giving both people and dogs the best chance for a peaceful and cruelty-free co-existence.”

Street dog overpopulation occurs in many countries around the world, and too often local authorities implement sporadic mass culls where dogs are poisoned, beaten to death, shot, electrocuted, drowned, starved and even hung. As well as being exceptionally cruel, culls are ultimately ineffective because although they produce immediate results, over time they simply provide a vacuum in the local dog population to be filled by more breeding and other dogs moving in to the area.

HSI’s humane street dog teams work with governments around the world to end these cruel and pointless culls, providing spay/neuter and community education programmes across India, the Philippines, Guyana, Mexico, Bangladesh, Nepal and First Nations communities in Canada. A strong educational and human behaviour change component is central to HSI’s work, as is training local veterinarians in surgical skills.

ENDS

Media contact: Mauritius: Humane Society International—Carla Prayag: cprayag@hsi.org Tel: +230 5498 9514

WASHINGTON—An American who allegedly hunted down a giraffe in South Africa in 2017 and posted her trophy on social media is making headlines all over again around the globe this week. Iris Ho, senior specialist, wildlife programs and policy for Humane Society International, issued the following statement:

“Trophy hunting of giraffe is a sheer display of arrogant disregard for the imperiled status of this iconic species. A 2015 estimate found that fewer than 100,000 giraffes remain in the wild in Africa, yet nearly 4,000 giraffe trophies were imported into the U.S. over the last decade—equal to more than one giraffe killed every day.

Speak out against trophy hunting.

“With the giraffe’s population decline at 40 percent over the last 30 years, they need all of the protection they can get. Giraffes are facing a myriad of threats including poaching and habitat fragmentation. Their dire conservation status should not be further compounded by the horror of trophy hunters bent on killing them for senseless and gruesome trophies.”

Background:

• Dubbed “the silent extinction,” the tallest land animal, the giraffe, is experiencing an alarming population decline with 40 percent of the population wiped out during the last three decades.
• In 2016, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature elevated the threat status of giraffes from “least concern” to “vulnerable” on its Red List of Threatened Species. Among the nine subspecies, two are assessed as “endangered.”
• The United States plays a major role in the giraffe trade, importing more than 20,000 bone carvings, 3,000 skin pieces and almost 4,000 hunting trophies from 2006 to 2015 (latest years for which data were available).
• Giraffes have no protection under U.S. law. In April 2017, the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International and conservation partner groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list giraffes as “endangered” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. An ESA listing would restrict the import, export and sale of giraffe specimens in the U.S.
• A 2017 economic analysis found that trophy hunting has relatively low economic value as a wildlife-related activity. While tourism contributes to at most 5.1 percent of the GDP among the eight African study countries, the total economic contribution of trophy hunting is at most about 0.03 percent of that figure. Foreign hunters make up less than 0.1 percent of tourists on average and they contribute 0.78 percent or less of the $17 billion in overall tourism spending. Trophy hunting’s contribution to tourism employment is only 0.76 percent or less of average direct tourism employment.
• Giraffes have a breeding life span of about 18 years, and bulls are sexually mature at 4-5 years but it is only at age 7 that they actually breed. Bulls could continue to reproduce even until their later years.
• New research recently revealed that giraffes live in complex societies, much like elephants, and have unique physiological traits, like the highest blood pressure of any land mammal.

Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, 203-270-8929, RRosensweig@humanesociety.org

N. G Jayasimha, Managing Director HSI/India said, “We are delighted that the court has rejected the dog meat sellers’ application for custody. Dog meat consumption in India is illegal, and the way the trade is carried out is cruel. We are fortunate to have saved the lives of these dogs and hope that they will only get better from now on.”

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The court maintained that the dogs would continue to remain under the custody and care of HSI/India while the litigation is pending. The petition was made by a member of the Aizawi Dog Meat Seller Association after HSI/India filed a complaint against the dog meat transporter in Aizawl and the truck’s driver.

On June 9, HSI/India rescued 36 dogs from the dog meat trade after being informed of two trucks carrying dogs. The dogs were rescued from horrific conditions: tied in gunny bags and dumped on top of one another. While one of the dogs died in police custody, the rest are now recovering from infections, injured limbs and trauma in HSI/India’s care.

HSI/India’s campaign to end the dog meat trade launched in 2016. HSI is working to end the dog meat trade in South Korea, China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Last year, HSI/India rescued 17 dogs in Kolasib district in Mizoram and also got the dogs adopted through various adoption drives. Take action and donate to help dogs and other animals worldwide.

Media contact: Neelam Naseeb +91 920 5104695; nnaseeb@hsi.org

Update, June 26, 2018: The HSI team, including nine veterinarians and disaster responders from HSI/Mexico and HSI/Latin America, arrived in Guatemala on June 16. Over the course of a week, they provided emergency veterinary service to 912 animals, including dogs, cats, chickens, horses and other animals. They treated burn injuries, stitched wounds, and distributed lifesaving medication, surgical equipment and other supplies. They provided shelter and food for sick, injured, lost and abandoned animals in some of the worst affected communities, including Escuintla, Alotenango and Chimaltenango.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala—A team of veterinarians from animal charity Humane Society International is on the ground in Guatemala providing emergency treatment to dogs, cats, chickens, horses and other animals affected by the Volcan de Fuego eruptions. HSI’s team is also bringing vital medicines, surgical equipment and other supplies, as well as helping to provide shelter and food for sick, injured, lost and abandoned animals.

One of HSI’s specialties is responding to the needs of animals following disasters, and it has been working alongside its local Country Director and Guatemala’s Animal Welfare Unit to complement the humanitarian relief effort by providing help to animals in the worst affected areas of Escuintla, Sacatepequez, and Chimaltenango where our veterinarians walked the devastated area for six kilometres looking for signs of life. In other areas, veterinary care is being given to any animal in need we encounter, such as a dog named Canelo found collapsed in the road in the town of Escuintla and horses found with devastating burn injuries from hot ash. Canelo is now recovering. The team also treated dozens of other animals for minor injuries and distemper in El Rodeo.

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HSI has treated almost 300 animals so far. Some of the worst affected animals are those who are starving or without shelter after their owners were injured or evacuated. HSI’s team is working in very challenging conditions, and is periodically forced to evacuate the area when it rains due to the risk of landslides from the volcano.

Dr. Claudia Edwards, DVM, HSI/Mexico programs director, is heading up HSI’s Animal Rescue Team on the ground, and says: “HSI’s veterinarians are right in the heart of the disaster zone, helping animals by tending to their injuries, stitching wounds, treating breathing problems and burns from the hot ash, and providing vital medication. It’s incredibly distressing to witness, but amidst this devastation and danger, we are so thankful that our team is able to be here saving pets and other animals. Many people managed to save their animals before fleeing, but for those left behind, receiving veterinary attention can be the difference between life and death, so we are treating as many as we can.”

HSI is asking for donations to its International Disaster Fund to help the charity continue providing essential veterinary medicines, food, water, blankets, shelter materials and transport for this response and for other disasters around the world. Donate to: hsi.org/disasteraid

Photos from our animal rescue efforts in Guatemala are available here.

ENDS

Media contact: In UK: Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org

OTTAWA—Canada has reached the half-way mark in becoming a cruelty-free cosmetics market with a final endorsement of Bill S-214, the Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act, by the Senate. The proposed legislation, which would prohibit both domestic animal testing for cosmetics as well as the sale of cosmetics that have undergone any form of new animal testing after the ban comes into effect, will now move to the House of Commons. The bill was amended in the Senate to include a phase-in period to allow industry time to comply with the legislation.

The bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Carolyn Stewart Olsen, stated: “I’m pleased that the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act, which I introduced in 2015 in collaboration with Humane Society International and Animal Alliance of Canada, has been endorsed by my colleagues in the Senate. It is my sincerest hope that Members of Parliament will act swiftly to make cosmetic animal testing a thing of the past. The time has come for the Canadian Government to step forward and take action to prohibit cosmetic animal testing and bring Canada into the 21st century.”

HSI’s Vice President of Research & Toxicology Troy Seidle, said: “We are grateful to Senator Stewart Olsen for her leadership in achieving today’s important milestone for animal welfare in Canada. Already 37 countries – including the world’s largest beauty markets — have taken action to ban cruel cosmetics, and it’s high time Canada did the same.”

“As a leading cruelty-free company, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics has supported this bill with enthusiasm and we thank the Senate for making the right decision,” said LUSH spokesperson Tricia Stevens. “Once passed, the Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act will set Canada apart as a leader and will allow the cosmetics industry to thrive and provide consumers with the products they want.”

Animal Alliance of Canada Director Liz White added, “We urge Members of Parliament to listen to their constituents, the overwhelming majority of whom support federal legislative action to bring an end to the cruelty of cosmetic testing in Canada. We look forward to working with all parties to see this bill become law. No animal should ever again be made to suffer for the sake of human vanity.”

Media Contact: Christopher Paré, o: 514-395-2914 x 206, c: 438-402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

BEIJING—Chinese and international animal campaigners in Beijing have submitted a letter with 235,000 signatures to call for an end to the annual Yulin dog meat festival at which thousands of dogs and cats will be brutally killed and eaten. Humane Society International, Care2, VShine and Capital Animal Welfare Association are urging Lu Xinshe, Communist Party Secretary of Guangxi, to implement a range of measures to crack down on the gruesome event, including road blocks to prevent illegal dog trucks from entering Yulin, imposing heavy fines, and confiscating animals and placing them in the care of activists. The letter has been endorsed by 87 Chinese animal protection groups including Zhejiang Animal Protection Association and Hainan Small Animal Protection Association.

More than 10 million dogs and 4 million cats are estimated to be killed every year across China for their meat, with thousands set to die at the annual festival in Yulin on June 21st. Many of the dogs and cats are believed to be stolen pets and strays grabbed from the streets, who endure being driven for days across China. The animals are crammed into wire cages before reaching the slaughterhouse where they are typically beaten to death. Most people in China don’t eat dogs, and despite being marketed by dog traders as a traditional event, there was no history of dog meat eating in Yulin before the festival was launched in 2010. HSI’s Adam Parascandola handed over signatures from the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and beyond to Madam Qin, chair of CAWA, HSI’s Chinese partner group.

Parascandola said: “Everyone who signed our letter is standing shoulder to shoulder with the thousands of people across China who passionately oppose the brutal dog and cat meat trade. The annual Yulin festival has come to symbolise the cruelty of this abhorrent trade, and in a few days’ time thousands of dogs and cats, mostly stolen pets, will take their last terrified breaths in a Yulin slaughterhouse. I have witnessed the horror of that scene first hand, and it’s something I will never forget. This year is the Year of the Dog, and there’s no better opportunity to end the suffering.”

Randy Paynter, founder and CEO of Care2, said: “Petition letters calling for an end to this annual event are some of the largest Care2 has hosted. The major outcry is evidence of a cultural shift toward an age of compassion. Care2 members advocate for all of Earth’s species, particularly those living beings who cannot stand up for themselves. We hope their collective voice cuts through to Yulin authorities, who have the power to take action—and foster a more humane and compassionate future for their city.”

Madam Qin of CAWA said: “The Capital Animal Welfare Association has in the last two decades called for an end to our country’s dog and cat meat trade, a commercial activity that has no precedent in China’s past. This industry is not only cruel, but hurts the consumers, public health, our young people, and the reputation of our country. We call on the Yulin authorities to take actions to stop the mass slaughter and incoming dog trucks. Capital Animal Welfare Association is always ready to assist the Yulin authorities to take all necessary actions to end the trade in the city.”

Five facts about the Yulin dog meat festival

1. It’s not a traditional festival—it was only invented in 2010 by dog traders to boost profits. Before the festival started, Yulin had no history of mass dog slaughter and consumption.

2. Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for their meat—some 10-20 million in China alone—and thousands die just for Yulin.

3. The World Health Organisation warns that the dog meat trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera 20-fold.

4. Dog meat is eaten infrequently by less than 20 per cent of the Chinese population.

5. Dog thieves snatch dogs and cats from the streets, as well as steal them from back yards and homes.

The full list of supporting Chinese animal groups is: Baoji Love Home Stray Animal Protection Park; Baoji Small Animal Protection Association; Beijing Home of Him, Her & It; Beijing 812 Loyal Dog Rescue Home; Capital Animal Welfare Association; Changchun Animal Protection Rescue Group; Changchun Pet Rescue & Adoption Home; Changsha Small Animal Protection Association; Dalian Guan’ai Animal Protection; Dalian Love and Creatures Animal Association; Dalian Vshine Animal Protection Association; Folk Life Protection Association; Guangdong Shoushan Volunteer Center; Hainan Normal University Animal Protection Association; Hainan Small Animal Protection Association; Ha’rbin Small Animal Protection Alliance; Hebei Tangshan Stray Animal Shelter; Hebei Wangpu Yard Stray Dog Shelter; Huaibei Zhishan Commune; Huludao Aunty Yuan Stray Dog Shelter; Huludao Small Animal Rescue Group; Inner Mongolia Hohhot Ark of Life Rescue Group; Inner Mongolia Volunteer Association; Jiangyin Small Animal Association; Jiangsu Nantong Stray Animal Help Group; Jiangsu Wuxi Love Fur Kids Shelter; Lanzhou Stray Animal Rescue Center; Lanzhou Wangwangle Shelter; Love Home Qingdao Stray Animal Rescue Group; Love Yard Shelter; Luoyang Animal Protection Association; Mudanjiang Animal Protector Association; Mudanjiang Shield of Love Animal Rescue Volunteer Group; Mudanjiang Small Animal Rescue Alliance; Nanjing Xinduoduo Social Welfare Development Service Center; Nanning Stray Cat Group; Panjin Life Rescue Association Animal Protection Branch; Qingdao Animal Care Association; Qinhuangdao Small Animal Protection Association; Rongcheng Life Protection Garden; Shaanxi Yulin Stray Animal Rescue Group; Shaanxi Yulin Stray Animal Rescue Shelter; Shandong Taishan Small Animal Protection Center; Shenyang Jiecheng 21 Love Alliance; Shenyang Nannan Love Group; Shenyang Sesame Nest Love Rescue Foundation; Shihezi University Animal Protection Association; Shijiazhuang Globe Village; Sichuan Chendu Home of Love; Sichuan Guangyuan Universal Love Animal Protection Center; Sihai Love Public Welfare Group; Sunshine Small Animal Shelter; Taiyuan Small Animal Protection Association; Tangshan Stray Dog Shelter; Tianjin Buddhist Lay Group; Tianjin Light of Prajna Love It Home; Tianjin Positive Energy Rescue Group; Tianjin Small Animal Rescue Group; Tianjin Tanggu Jinzhao Stray Animal Shelter; Tianjin Twilight Rescue Group; Tianjin Yishan Commune; Wuxi Small Animal Protection Association; Wuxi Smile Angel Stray Animal Rescue Center; Wuxi Stray Cat Rescue Association; Xi’an Love It Welfare Society; Xi’an Love Rescue Group; Tianjin Leshan Animal Protection Group; Xi’an Selfless Rescue Group; Xi’an Small Animal Protection Association; Xi’an Weiai Animal Care & Welfare Center; Xi’an Zhongyi Animal Care Association; Xinjiang Bole Love Stray Dog Sanctuary; Xinjiang Hami Small Animal Protection Association; Xinjiang Kuitun Small Animal Protection Association; Xinjiang Yili One Heart Stray Animal Rescue Center; Xinjiang Shihezi Small Animal Protection Association; Xuzhou Animal Care Volunteer Association; Zhejiang Animal Protection Association; Zhejiang University Animal Protection Association; Zhengzhou Pet Protection Association; Zhengzhou Wang Xing People Volunteer Group; Zhijiazhuang Animal Protection Association Preparatory Group; Zhiyan Stray Animal Volunteer Group; Zhuzhou Small Animal Protection Association; Zibo Sunshine Stray Animal Rescue Center.

ENDS

Media Contact: United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins, HSI Director of International Media: Cell: +44(0)7989 972 423, whiggins@hsi.org

Notes to Editor: For more info, go to hsi.org/dogmeat

BEIJING—Horrifying images from inside a Yulin dog slaughterhouse have been released by Humane Society International, revealing the first disturbing glimpses of preparations for this year’s dog meat festival in China’s Guangxi Autonomous Region. Chinese activists with whom HSI has worked for many years, together with two other groups, negotiated the release of 135 dogs from three facilities in the Yulin suburbs. They captured chilling footage inside one slaughterhouse that kills around 50 dogs every day for human consumption.

Download b-roll video and photos here.

In advance of the summer solstice event that starts on June 21st, thousands of dogs and cats will be killed and butchered to be sold at the markets and restaurants in the city. Many of these animals are believed to be strays snatched from the streets and pets stolen from people’s backyards. They are crammed into wire cages and driven for hours or even days across the country, before reaching the slaughterhouse where they are beaten to death.

Cell phone footage and photos taken by HSI’s activist contacts show terrified dogs huddled together in a small, dark, filthy room, traces of blood still fresh on the floor from the morning’s slaughter. The dogs, most of them small breeds that thieves are partial toward, are seen peering fearfully into the camera lens. In one harrowing scene recorded just as the activists first entered the room, a man is seen clubbing a dog repeatedly over the head as the dog cries in pain in front of the other cowering animals.

Allen, one of the Chinese activists, told HSI: “What I saw will haunt me for months, I have never seen dogs so scared like these ones. I truly do not understand how the slaughterhouse workers could be so blind to the frightened looks of the dogs waiting for their turn. Most of them were small-sized dogs, typical pet dogs, and they were terrified because they had seen the killing of probably 50 dogs that morning. They were friendly but very confused, and all of them were emaciated due to food and water deprivation.”

Images of slaughter paraphernalia including knives and a de-hairing machine, as well as of dead dogs being blowtorched to brown their skin for sale at Yulin’s market, provide a disturbing insight into this gruesome trade. The activists were relieved to be able to rescue all the remaining dogs, but were left extremely upset by what they had witnessed.

Allen continued: “The slaughterhouse was utterly filthy, the floor covered in blood and faeces, and the air oppressively offensive. The noise of that slaughterhouse stuck in our brain long after we’d left – the wailing of the dogs, the roar of the blow-torch, the thundering of the de-hairing machine while dogs huddled together in fear. We were so anxious to get the dogs away from that hellish place.”

The 135 dogs were taken immediately to a temporary shelter to receive food, water and emergency care. Once settled at the shelter, it became clear there were three heavily pregnant females; they gave birth to their puppies soon after.

Allen said: “Thank goodness those precious puppies were born into the world surrounded by love instead of in that room of death. The mother dogs must have been especially anxious, and I like to think they knew they were finally safe to give birth at our shelter.”

The dogs were next transported to three separate permanent shelters in other parts of China where they will receive high-quality veterinary care. Sixty-five of the dogs are now being cared for at a shelter in North China supported by Humane Society International.

Dr Peter Li, HSI’s China policy specialist who is waiting at the shelter to receive the dogs, explained: “HSI’s shelter project has excellent facilities and can provide round-the-clock care, so we will be taking those dogs who require the most attention to get them back on their paws. Many of the dogs are suffering from malnutrition, shock and painful skin diseases, and they will likely be extremely fearful because they’ve received such brutal treatment and witnessed truly traumatising scenes.”

Yesterday in Beijing, Humane Society International handed over a letter signed by more than 235,000 people calling for an end to the annual Yulin dog meat festival. The letter was circulated by HSI and Care2 and supported by 87 Chinese animal protection groups, including Capital Animal Welfare Association, Zhejiang Animal Protection Association, and Hainan Small Animal Protection Association.

Fast facts about the Yulin dog meat festival:

1. It’s not a traditional festival, it was only invented in 2010 by dog traders to boost profits. Before the festival started, Yulin had no history of mass dog slaughter and consumption

2. Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for their meat, some 10-20million in China alone, and thousands die just for Yulin

3. The World Health Organisation warns that the dog trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera 20-fold

4. Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20 per cent of the Chinese population

5. Dog thieves snatch dogs and cats from the streets, as well as steal them from back yards.

6. The Yulin dog meat festival begins in earnest on June 21 to mark the summer solstice. When first launched, as many as 15,000 dogs were killed during the core festival days, but Chinese and international pressure has seen this figure reduce to around 3,000 dogs. However, many hundreds are still killed each day in the weeks leading up to the festival.

ENDS

Media Contact: United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins, HSI Director of International Media: +44(0)7989 972 423, whiggins@hsi.org

SEOUL—Fifty dogs on a South Korean dog meat farm have escaped the cooking pot barely a month before the start of the Boknal summer season, during which more than one million dogs are eaten as ‘bosintang’ soup.

Animal charity Humane Society International has worked in South Korea for three years permanently closing dog meat farms and helping farmers switch to alternative livelihoods as part of its strategy to demonstrate that the cruel trade can be phased out.

HSI reached an agreement with Farmer Shin who has bred dogs for eating for four years in Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do but now plans to expand his more profitable water parsley business. This will be the 12th dog meat farm closed down by the charity, which has so far flown more than 1,300 dogs to the U.S., UK and Canada to find new homes. These latest 50 dogs—including Jindo crosses, terrier crosses and Sapsal—will fly to HSI/Canada’s temporary shelter in Montreal.

Help protect dogs and cats in South Korea

Meanwhile, back in South Korea, HSI’s Seoul-based campaigners will use the heart-wrenching images from the farm to raise awareness as the Boknal season approaches and dog meat soup appears on menus more frequently.

Nara Kim, HSI’s South Korea dog meat campaigner, says: “This farm is typical of many smaller dog meat farms we see across South Korea—dilapidated cages, squalid conditions, dogs in appalling conditions, some barely clinging to life when our rescue team arrives. It’s vital that we show Koreans the grim reality of these places because most people have no idea and are really horrified. Although the practice of eating dog is on the decline, and we anticipate it will ultimately die out, during the Bok days of summer we still see an increase in people eating dog meat soup. We hope to change that by exposing the disgusting and cruel conditions, and we hope also to influence the government as a growing number of South Koreans are calling on our politicians to shut down this brutal trade.”

Farmer Shin was eager to join HSI’s dog meat farm closure program after hearing from other former dog farmers working with the charity. With profits from dog farming dwindling, and his water parsley business booming, Mr Shin realised that the dog eating business is a dead-end industry. Once HSI rescues the dogs, the cages will be dismantled and Mr Shin will focus full time on his crop growing.

Farmer Shin, who asked to have his identity hidden in HSI photos for fear his water parsley customers would find his dog farming offensive, says: “With my parsley growing so successful, and the life of a dog farmer really too hard, I just don’t need this in my life any more. It is much better to stop farming dogs, I will be relieved for it to end.”

More than 2.5 million dogs a year are reared on thousands of dog meat farms across South Korea. The farm in Gyeonggi-do is one of many hundreds of smaller sized farms across the country, although large farms can keep as many as 2,000 dogs or more. Many of the dogs in HSI’s latest rescue are suffering from painful skin diseases and swollen paws that HSI will help to heal once they are safely in Canada. Louis the cocker spaniel was abandoned as a pet dog, and despite living in terrible conditions, he is still very loving and craves human affection. Another dog on the farm, Kaya, is a wonderful Jindo mix and a devoted mum to puppies HSI hopes will soon forget their sad days spent on a dog meat farm.

President of Humane Society International Kitty Block says: “South Korea’s President Moon is a dog lover who recently opened up his heart and home to a rescue pup. So he will know that these beautiful dogs languishing on dog meat farms are just as loving and smart as any pet dog. President Moon also recently proposed amending South Korea’s Constitution to include respect for animal welfare, so we believe that now is the perfect time for the country to look at HSI’s program as a strategic, workable solution to ending this most heartless of trades.”

Facts:

• The Bok days are not a festival or single event, but the three hottest days spanning the summer months according to the lunar calendar, this year falling on July 17(Cho Bok), July 27th (Jung Bok) and Aug. 16th (Mal Bok).
• Boknal accounts for 70-80 percent of the dog meat eaten in South Korea, mainly as a soup called bosintang that is believed to improve stamina and virility.
• In addition to their life of suffering on the farm, the method used to kill the dogs is brutal – death by electrocution is most common, with dogs usually taking up to five minutes to die, (and there have been recorded instances of dogs taking up to 20 minutes to die). Hanging is also practiced. Dogs are killed in full view of other dogs.
• The dog meat industry is in legal limbo in South Korea, neither legal nor illegal. Many provisions of the Animal Protection Act are routinely breached, such as the ban on killing animals in a brutal way including hanging by the neck, and on killing them in public areas or in front of other animals of the same species.
• In China, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and other places across Asia an estimated 30 million dogs are killed and eaten each year. However, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore have dog meat bans in place.
• At each dog meat farm closure, HSI has a veterinarian test for the presence of the H3N2, or dog flu, virus at the time the dogs receive their rabies, DHPP, and corona virus vaccines. HSI also vaccinates the dogs for distemper, parvo and coronavirus. HSI then quarantines the dogs on the farm or at a temporary shelter with no dogs permitted in or out for at least 30 days prior to transport overseas.

Download b-roll video and photos here.

For more information, visit hsi.org/dogmeat. Take action and donate now to help.

Media contacts: United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins: whiggins@hsi.org, +44 (0)7989 972 423 South Korea: Nara Kim, nkim@hsi.org