Category: Press Release

Rescued dogs to be temporarily sheltered in Seoul

Humane Society International / Canada

Jean Chung/for HSI Dogs are shown locked in a cage at a dog meat farm in Hongseong, South Korea, February 8, 2020.

MONTREAL –More than 70 dogs found suffering by HSI on a hybrid dog meat farm and puppy mill in South Korea have been rescued and relocated to a temporary boarding facility in South Korea. Once safely off the farm, the dogs will immediately receive a full veterinary check-up and settle into their temporary quarters where they can begin their rehabilitation.

Many of the dogs will eventually be flown to HSI/Canada’s Montreal emergency shelter, where over 450 dogs from the dog meat trade have been successfully rehabilitated before being placed in forever homes. This marks the 16th dog farm that HSI has closed since its pioneering dog meat farm transition program began in 2015.

Several breeds were found on this facility, including tosas, Jindos, poodles, beagles, huskies, golden retrievers, Pomeranians, Chihuahuas and Boston terriers. The facility supplied two abusive industries: the meat trade, and the puppy mill trade. In rows of dilapidated cages, surrounded by animal waste, junk and garbage, some dogs were destined for the slaughterhouse, and others the unscrupulous puppy mill trade.

Émilie-Lune Sauvé, senior campaign manager for HSI/Canada, stated: “We are so relieved to know that these dogs, who have endured such misery, are safe at last. But millions more are still confined on dog meat farms in South Korea and this industry needs to be shut down for good. We urge South Korea to follow the example of the two cities in China that have recently banned dog meat trade, and end this suffering forever.”

Nara Kim, HSI/Korea’s dog meat campaigner, added: “Unfortunately, it is still very common in South Korea to see live puppies for sale in pet shop windows. But what most Koreans will be shocked to learn is that these same puppies could easily have ended up being killed for human consumption instead. Whether they live or die, they are all born in this miserable place, their mothers intensively bred over and over until they are exhausted and eventually sold to slaughterhouses. I’m so glad that this nightmare has ended for these lovely dogs, but until the government commits to phase out this dreadful industry, the nightmare continues for millions more.”

Opposition to eating dogs is growing steadily in South Korea, and a series of new regulations and court rulings are cracking down on this cruel industry.

To download broll video and photos of the rescue, click here.

Facts:

  • Up to 2 million dogs a year are bred and raised on thousands of dog meat farms across South Korea.
  • Dog meat consumption is declining in South Korea, particularly among younger generations, and most Koreans don’t eat it regularly. A June 2018 surveyby Gallup Korea showed that 70% of South Koreans say they will not eat dog meat in future. Still, dog meat remains popular during the Bok days of summer in July and August based on its perceived curative properties during the hot and humid summer months.
  • There has been a series of recent crackdowns by authorities to curb the dog meat industry. In November 2018, HSI/Korea assisted Seongnam City Council in shutting down Taepyeong dog slaughterhouse (the country’s largest dog slaughterhouse), followed in July 2019 by the closure of Gupo dog meat market in Busan (South Korea’s second largest dog meat market after Moran market, which has also closed), and a declaration in October last year by the mayor of Seoul that the city is “dog slaughter free”. Most recently, last November HSI’s partner group Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) won a Supreme Court case against a dog farmer who electrocuted dogs in violation of the Animal Protection Act, a judgement that could have huge implications for an industry that relies almost entirely on this brutal and protracted killing method.
  • HSI has rescued more than 2,000 dogs from South Korea’s meat industry. At each dog meat farm closure, HSI has a veterinarian test for the presence of the H3N2 virus (“canine influenza”), at the time the dogs receive their rabies, DHPP and coronavirus vaccines. HSI also vaccinates the dogs for distemper and parvo. HSI then quarantines the dogs on the farm or at a shelter for at least 30 days, and the dogs are health certified again prior to transport overseas.
  • Dog meat consumption has been steadily declining in South Korea, and is banned or severely restricted in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. As global pressure builds for countries across Asia to permanently close wildlife wet markets amid coronavirus risks, the array of undeniable human health risks posed by the dog meat trade in South Korea and across Asia, is strengthening calls for action across the continent.

-30-

Media contact: Christopher Paré, Director of Communications, HSI/Canada – Cell: 438-402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

Humane Society International/Canada is a leading force for animal protection, with active programs in companion animals, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammal preservation, farm animal welfare and animals in research. HSI/Canada is proud to be a part of Humane Society International which, together with its affiliates, constitutes one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide and on the web at hsicanada.ca.

Program provides urgent support for companion animals and their families

Humane Society International / Canada

HSI HSI/Canada is helping animals and people caring for animals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

MONTREAL—As COVID-19 continues to severely impact peoples’ lives, Humane Society International/Canada and Friends of HSI have launched the COVID-19 Animal Response Program in Quebec in collaboration with the City of Montreal, with the generous support of PetSmart Charities of Canada. The program will provide critical assistance to families and individuals in urgent need of help in caring for their companion animals during this crisis. Specifically, the program will:

  • Deliver companion animal food and supplies to seniors, people with limited mobility and individuals dealing with illness or reduced income.
  • Provide emergency sheltering and care for animals temporarily separated from their caregivers as a result of the pandemic. This includes people who are experiencing homelessness or facing precarious housing situations, as well as individuals dealing with health complications or hospitalization.
  • Provide emergency animal transportation to veterinary clinics and help to source life-saving medication and treatments for animals living with health issues.
  • Provide cages, food and bowls for animals of people who are experiencing homelessness and displaced people who are quarantined in hotels as they await the results of their COVID-19 testing.

Émilie Sauvé, senior campaign manager for HSI/Canada, stated: “This pandemic will have profound and far reaching impacts on animal welfare, such as projected increases in abandonment and street animal populations. More than half of homes in Quebec include a companion animal and—as people face lost incomes, illness and restrictions on movement—many of those animals will be at risk. Our COVID-19 Animal Response Program will help keep people and their companion animals together during these challenging times.”

“As an organization dedicated to supporting pets and the people who love them, PetSmart Charities of Canada remains committed to the health and wellness of pets during this unprecedented time, and our hearts go out to those impacted by COVID-19,” said Dani LaGiglia, regional relationship manager at the national charity. “As needs continue to evolve, we are proud to support HSI/Canada in providing much needed resources to those in need in Montreal and communities throughout Quebec during this pandemic.”

HSI/Canada and Friends of HSI are grateful for the incredible generosity of Rolf C. Hagen Inc., Kane Veterinary Supplies, The Great Canadian Dog Food and True Pure Choice companies, whose donations of pet food will help countless animals in the coming weeks.

Members of the Quebec/Montreal public impacted by COVID-19 and in need of urgent assistance in caring for their companion animals are encouraged to reach out by email at qcresponse@hsicanada.ca or by phone at 438-680-3425.

The HSI/Canada and Friends of HSI COVID-19 Animal Response Program will provide similar services in Ontario as well as support to Quebec First Nations communities. To download photos of our COVID-19 Animal Response team in action, click here.

-30-

Media contact: Christopher Paré, Director of Communications, HSI/Canada – Cell: 438-402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Global

HSI HSI/India responds to the COVID-19 pandemic in Lucknow, India.

Update, March 2022: Read a report about the global impact of the HSI-Mars partnership on animals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

WASHINGTON— Family-owned Mars, Incorporated has donated $1 million to animal welfare organization Humane Society International for its global companion animal programs. The donation is a part of Mars’ initial $20 million cash and in-kind donations to aid communities across the globe during the COVID-19 crisis. HSI will use the funds in targeted countries to help keep companion animals in their homes, to assist shelters taking in abandoned or surrendered animals, and to provide for street dogs and cats who are not able to be fed by their communities during this time.

“We are incredibly grateful to Mars for this generous donation, which recognizes that our companion animals are a vital part of our families,” said HSI President Jeffrey Flocken. “They are a source of comfort and unwavering affection, particularly in difficult times. As the world struggles with this pandemic, these critically needed funds will directly help dogs and cats who are suffering as a result of the coronavirus crisis, be it starving dogs on the streets in India, Chile and elsewhere, or shelters in need of vital supplies in South Africa and beyond.”

“It’s vital that businesses like ours do our part to ensure the continued health and well-being of the people, pets and communities most affected by COVID-19, which is why Mars Incorporated has committed $20 million in relief to vulnerable populations across the world,” said Poul Weihrauch, President, Mars Global Petcare. “For those of us fortunate enough to have animals in our lives, the companionship, love and comfort they bring has probably never felt more important. That’s why we are pleased to provide $1 million in support to HSI, an organization dedicated to providing critical support to the millions of vulnerable pets across the world.”

HSI is strategically deploying the grant to provide the greatest impact for animals at risk or suffering as a result of this global crisis. Recognizing that each country is experiencing the effects of the pandemic on a different timeline and faces different animal welfare needs, the relief effort will be conducted in phases. Phase 1 will focus on the most urgent needs in eight geographic areas:  Chile, China, Guyana, India, Mauritius, Morocco, South Africa and the Middle East region. HSI already has a presence and/or existing relationships with local organizations and governments in these locations, which will help to maximize the campaign’s impact.

The range of work will include:

  • Assisting residents to enable them to keep their animals at home;
  • Helping shelters that face shortages of food and supplies while dealing with increased numbers of animals surrendered or abandoned by owners who can longer care for them;
  • Tending to community animals who have lost their usual sources of food and medical care as a result of lockdown policies;
  • Working with governments to ensure companion animals are incorporated into pandemic emergency plans by designating veterinary services as essential and allowing advocates to rescue animals in need during lockdowns; and
  • Promoting accurate and useful information about appropriate animal welfare for cats and dogs during the pandemic.

HSI estimates that Phase 1 will help more than 20,000 animals. Subsequent phases of the campaign will be determined as the crisis spreads to new areas or intensifies in current areas, and the needs shift.

An additional component of the campaign involves engaging Mars Associates through volunteer opportunities to make a tangible difference for dogs and cats affected by the pandemic. Opportunities include reaching out to local shelters to offer assistance, encouraging their networks to adopt and foster shelter animals, and virtual engagement and support of the Mars-HSI initiative to help animals in need during the COVID-19 crisis.

“We are immensely proud to work with Mars on this effort,” said Flocken. “Mars’ commitment to animals and the people who love and care for them has never been more evident than it is now, during this unprecedented time.”

Download photos and video of animals affected by the pandemic.

END

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Nancy Hwa, Humane Society International, nhwa@hsi.org, 202-596-0808
Kimberly West, Mars, Incorporated, Director of External Communications, Kimberly.west@effem.com.

 

HSI and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For more than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands-on programs. hsi.org and @hsiglobal.

Humane Society International

GlobalP/istockphoto.com

SEOUL—On this World Day for Animals in Laboratories, following chilling evidence of the suffering of cats in Korean laboratories, Humane Society International and the Korean Society for Alternative to Animal Experiments wish to acknowledge the pioneering scientists and institutions working to replace animal testing, and urge government ministries to increase their funding support for innovation and medical progress without animals.

HSI’s Senior Policy Manager Borami Seo said, “Across South Korea, scientists are striving to develop and use state-of-the-art approaches for research, instead of opting for outdated animal testing methods. Yet as we’ve seen again this week, many researchers are still stuck in the past, subjecting cats, dogs, pigs and millions of other animals to harmful experiments each year, often paid for with public tax money. It’s time to change the paradigm, and for our government to move away from funding animal research and instead reward our dedicated innovators who are advancing humane science.”

KSAAE President Dr Tae Cheon Jeong said, “As an academic society, we will try our best to provide expert support for researchers who want to move away from animal testing. We highly commend current endeavors and will continue to work together in advancing non-animal technology.”

Korean scientists are rapidly developing human-relevant methods to help understand human disease and identify faster and more effective approaches than relying on animal models. Seoul-based stem cell technology company Nexel recently published its research on Wilson’s disease, incorporating gene editing technology into human cell-based models for drug screening. This is a welcome development as millions of animals are used in gene editing experiments, with millions more animals used for creating and maintaining strains of genetically modified animals. Another Korean bio start-up company, Dana Green, is focusing on establishing human organ-mimetic models using 3D cell technology, aiming to develop next-generation technology that shows higher, more human-relevant prediction rates for drug development.

Korea Institute of Toxicology’s predictive toxicology department recently introduced ToxSTAR, a platform that allows high-speed chemical screening to predict toxicity. Another company, Biosolution, developed a human cornea model that can replace animal testing for various eye conditions, and has since been accepted as an official test method by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. However, despite rigorous validation and international recognition, this method is not yet widely used in Korea due to a lack of support from the government and industry to promote the method.

Similarly, the majority of laboratories certified as Good Laboratory Practice by the Ministry of Environment still use animals even though internationally recognized alternatives are readily available. According to chemnavi.or.kr, only four of 19 registered Korean contract testing facilities are currently providing alternative test services; Biotoxtech, AB Solution, ChemOn and Korea Testing & Research Institute. Of these, only KTR’s Alternative Testing Center is named as a GLP-certified service offering non-animal, human-based tests. Ellead Skin & Bio Research is certified by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for offering human reconstructed skin irritation tests. An industry source said that the company was not aware of any local testing facilities that provide non-animal test services until the HSI-driven amendment to Korea’s chemical law, K-REACH, was enacted. The law requires the Ministry of Environment and companies to minimize the use of vertebrate animals in the process of producing hazard information for chemicals, including prioritizing vertebrate animal alternative tests and sharing of existing chemical test data.

HSI is working with members of the National Assembly on further legal reforms that would require federal ministries that fund biology research to meaningfully fund the development of human-mimetic, non-animal models to replace animal testing in Korea as a mainstream activity.

END

Media contact: Borami Seo, bseo@hsi.org

Humane Society International welcomes move but urges the company to commit to a ‘cleaner and clearer’ no fur policy

Humane Society International / Global

Nathan Hobbs/iStock.com

WASHINGTON—Canada Goose has announced in a new report that from 2022 it will no longer buy fur from trappers and instead will use reclaimed fur in its products. Animal protection organisation Humane Society International welcomes the announcement as ‘another nail in the coffin for the fur trade’ but hopes for a ‘cleaner and clearer’ no-fur policy from the company in the near future.

PJ Smith, director of fashion policy at the Humane Society of the United States, said, “While we congratulate Canada Goose for taking this step, and are happy to see yet another nail in the coffin for the fur trade, switching to ‘reclaimed fur’ feels like an unnecessarily long-goodbye for this company’s outdated relationship with fur; ultimately their future must be fur-free. We urge Canada Goose to make a cleaner and clearer commitment to sustainability by switching to bio-fake-furs, and closed-loop recycling of faux fur materials. We hope in the near future to see Canada Goose following the vast majority of top designers in cutting all ties with cruel and outdated fur.”

Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of Humane Society International/Canada, said, “Fur trapping results in prolonged animal suffering, amputation and death for target and non-target wild and companion animals. Notably, the traps used throughout North America are banned in many other countries for animal welfare reasons. Canada Goose’s announcement that it will shift from new to reclaimed coyote fur is a partial victory for animals. However, significant clarification is required about the company’s definition of ‘reclaimed fur,’ its certification methods and its timeline for implementation. Consumers must carefully scrutinize the implementation of this new policy but ultimately we urge Canada Goose to stop using animal fur entirely in favour of humane and environmentally friendly alternatives.”

Canada Goose is infamous for selling garments trimmed with coyote fur from animals caught in cruel leg-hold traps. The company’s continued use of fur has led to global criticism and protests from leading animal groups over the last decade.

Wild animals such as coyotes and wolves who are trapped for their fur, can languish in agony in cruel traps for hours or even days before dying from dehydration, starvation, attacks by predators or being killed when the trapper returns. Animals on fur farms fare no better; in addition to the physical and psychological torment of being confined in small, barren cages for their entire lives, the killing methods typically used on fur farms are equally distressing. Mink are killed by gassing, and fox and raccoon dogs are killed by electrocution.

Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States have long fought the global fur trade, eliminating the demand for fur products around the world by working closely with top designers and retailers to go fur-free and banning fur sales in cities and states. In the UK, HSI leads the #FurFreeBritain campaign to ban fur sales countrywide.

Since the beginning of 2017 alone Burberry, Versace, Gucci, Chanel, Coach, Donna Karan, Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s, Michael Kors/Jimmy Choo, Diane von Furstenberg, Columbia Sportswear, Farfetch, Yoox Net-a-Porter, Burlington, VF Corporation (Timberland/The North Face) Furla and Bottega Veneta, have all stopped using fur in their collections.

END

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International celebrates landmark decision for animal protection and the #BeCrueltyFree campaign

Humane Society International / Brazil

Petra Wegner/Alamy Stock photo

BRASILIA—The Brazilian Supreme Court decided today that the State of Amazonas was within its rights to promulgate Law 289/2015 banning cosmetic tests on animals in its territory. The law, passed in 2015 by the State Assembly of Amazonas to end these cruel and unnecessary tests, was challenged by the Brazilian Association of Cosmetics, Personal Hygiene and Perfume Industry (ABIHPEC). ABIHPEC submitted a Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI 5996) to the Supreme Court in September 2018, arguing that the State of Amazonas had overstepped its powers and that the subject matter could only be ruled at the federal Level.

Humane Society International submitted an opinion to the Court, defending the constitutionality of Amazonas’ ban by underlining that the state prohibition on the use of animals for cosmetic testing was both legally valid and scientifically sound. In a unanimous vote, the 11 judges decided against ABIHPEC’s request and confirmed that Amazonas has a legal right to ban cosmetics testing.

Helder Constantino, HSI/Brazil’s #BeCrueltyFree campaign manager, congratulated the Supreme Court for its decision: “It is wonderful that some progress has been achieved for the animals in these difficult times. Cosmetic tests on animals are unethical and strongly rejected by consumers. Over the years, a total of eight states have stepped in and enacted progressive legislation banning these tests, starting with São Paulo in 2014. This case was a very important one: if the law of the Amazonas had been declared unconstitutional, similar legislation could have been abrogated in all over Brazil. We congratulate the Court for its balanced judgement and for reaching its decision via a virtual process in order to comply with the confinement measures that we all must follow to slow down the COVID-19 epidemic.”

ABIHPEC is also challenging Law 7.814/2017, which prohibits animal testing on cosmetics and the sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Judge Gilmar Mendes is presiding over the case (ADI 5995) and has yet to issue a decision.

HSI’s #BeCrueltyFree campaign is supporting federal legislation ending cosmetic tests on animals. A report proposed to the Senate’s Commission of Economic Affairs (CAE) by Senator Alessandro Vieira, amending Bill 70/2014, would ban animal-tested cosmetics and ingredients and ban testing cosmetics on animals with immediate effect.

Facts:

  • Launched in 2012 by Humane Society International, #BeCrueltyFree is the largest campaign in history to end cosmetics animal testing and trade globally.
  • In Brazil, #BeCrueltyFree has received the support of Xuxa Meneghel, Fernanda Tavares, Ellen Jabour, Ray Neon, Rita Von Hunty, and many other influencers and celebrities. #BeCrueltyFree has also been joined by other NGOs, such as Latin American consumer awareness group Te Protejo.
  • The states of Amazonas, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo have already banned cosmetic tests on animals. Together, these states host approximately 70% of Brazil’s national cosmetic industry.
  • Thirty-nine countries have already enacted measures aligned with the objectives of the campaign, including the European Union, Norway, India, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Guatemala and Australia. Similar legislation is under consideration in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United States and elsewhere.
  • Tests on animals are still allowed by National Agency for Sanitary Surveillance (Anvisa) regulations to assess the toxicity of cosmetics. Although some tests have been recently abolished by the National Council for the Control of Animal Experiments, a body of the Ministry of Science and Technology, long-term toxicity tests that can use hundreds of animals to evaluate a single substance are still allowed.

END

Media contact: Helder Constantino, hconstantino@hsi.org, +55 (21) 9 8342 4163

Humane Society International says ban reflects Chinese people’s love for their pets

Humane Society International / China

AP Images for HSI A cat climbs up the cage at the slaughterhouse in Yulin, China, trying to escape. This cat was later rescued by Peter Li, China Specialist with HSI. May 2015.

BEIJING—The city of Zhuhai in Guangdong province has become the second city in mainland China to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat, and of wildlife, in what campaigners at animal charity Humane Society International hope will be the start of a domino effect of progressive legislation across China to end these brutal trades that see an estimated 10 million dogs and 4 million cats killed every year, mostly stolen pets and strays.

Zhuhai’s ban comes after the city of Shenzhen banned dog and cat meat earlier this month, and just days after China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs publicly stated that dogs are companion animals and not “livestock.” The Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Zhuhai Municipality stated that lawmakers must adhere to China’s livestock “white list” of animals for human consumption. Other cities in mainland China are believed to be considering bans.

Humane Society International has been at the forefront of campaigns to end the dog and cat meat trade across Asia for many years and has helped to rescue thousands of dogs and cats from China, South Korea, India and Indonesia. In South Korea the charity works cooperatively with dog meat farmers to help them transition to alternative humane livelihoods, and lobbies regional and national governments to advance legislation.

Dr. Peter Li, HSI’s China policy specialist, welcomed the Zhuhai ban, saying: “Zhuhai’s ban on dog and cat meat eating is thrilling news for all those in China and around the world who have campaigned for so long to end this brutal trade. Coming so soon after Shenzhen’s ban and the government’s historic statement classifying dogs as companions, we hope this will be the start of a domino effect of progressive legislation across China with other cities following suit. With so many millions of dogs and cats falling victim to the meat trade, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that most people in China don’t eat dogs and cats, and that for years there has been enormous public support there for an end to the cruelty. So now it would seem that in the absence of a national ban, cities are taking matters into their own hands and reflecting the mood of the people.”

“This isn’t just good news for animal protection, it’s very good news for public health because the dog meat trade poses a significant human health risk, linked to the spread of trichinellosis, cholera and rabies. Rabies has been found in dogs traded for human consumption in China, Vietnam and Indonesia, and is easily spread as thousands of dogs are crammed on slaughter trucks and driven across provincial borders to markets and slaughterhouses.” 

Facts about China’s dog meat trade

  1. Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for meat. There are estimated to be more than 91.49 million dogs and cats kept as pets in China. An estimated 10 million dogs a year are killed for China’s dog meat trade.
  2. The World Health Organization warns that the dog trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera.
  3. Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20% of the Chinese population. A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it. Nationwide across China, a 2016 survey conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz, found that most Chinese citizens (64%) want to see an end to the Yulin festival, more than half (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat.

Download video and photos of China’s dog meat trade.

END

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International dismayed that farmed wildlife are listed as livestock despite COVID-19 risks

Humane Society International / China

Dogs rescued from a slaughterhouse in Yulin, China, June 2019.

BEIJING—China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has for the first time ever explicitly stated that dogs are companion animals and not “livestock,” in what could potentially be a game-changer moment for Chinese regional governments to follow the lead of Shenzhen city and ban the eating of cats and dogs, says long time anti-dog meat campaigners Humane Society International.

The draft document of the National Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources was published by the national government on April 8th, which is currently accepting input from Chinese animal protection groups on the policy. It provides a list of animals considered “livestock” including pigs, ducks, chickens and others but omits dogs and cats. The livestock list proposes the only species that can be traded for meat, and the Ministry provides the first ever explanation for their omission, stating:

“With the progress of human civilization and the public’s concern and preference for animal protection, dogs have changed from traditional domestic animals to companion animals. Dogs are generally not regarded as livestock and poultry around the world, and China should also not manage them as livestock and poultry.”

Dogs and cats have never been listed as “livestock” before, but the national government in China has never officially commented on their omission until now. Coming so soon after the city of Shenzhen became the first city in mainland China to ban the consumption of dogs and cats, Humane Society International is hopeful that this could signal a critically important shift in China’s desire to see an end to the dog and cat meat trade.

Dr. Peter Li, China policy specialist at Humane Society International, says: “This is the first time we’ve ever seen China’s national government explain that dogs are companion animals. Recognizing that dogs hold a special bond with humans is an essential first step towards eliminating the consumption and trade in dog meat.  This could be a pivotal moment that provides encouragement for other cities across the country to follow Shenzhen’s lead to ban the eating of dogs and cats.

“Companion animals have never been part of China’s culinary mainstream, and certainly most people in China want an end to the theft of their companion animals for a meat trade that only a small percentage of the population indulge in. Tens of millions of dogs and cats every year, mostly stolen pets, suffer for the meat trade which is almost entirely fuelled by crime and, perhaps most significantly right now, poses an undeniable human health threat with the risk of diseases such as rabies and cholera.”

The proposed livestock list also includes a variety of farmed wildlife species such as Sika deer, red deer, reindeer, alpaca, ostrich, as well as species typically farmed in their millions in China for the global fur trade, specifically mink, silver fox, blue fox and raccoon dog.

Dr. Teresa Telecky, vice president of wildlife at HSI, says: “Listing wild animals, including foxes and raccoon dogs, as ‘special livestock’ is concerning. Rebranding wildlife as livestock doesn’t alter the fact that there are insurmountable challenges to keeping these species in commercial captive breeding environments, and that their welfare needs simply can’t be met. In addition, there’s clear evidence that some of these species can act as intermediate hosts of viruses, such as COVID-19, which is why we’re urging governments around the world to stop trading in wildlife.”

Facts about China’s dog meat trade

  1. Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for meat. There are estimated to be more than 91.49 million dogs and cats kept as pets in China. An estimated 10 million dogs a year are killed for China’s dog meat trade.
  2. The World Health Organisation warns that the dog trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera.
  3. Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20% of the Chinese population. A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it. Nationwide across China, a 2016 survey conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz, found that most Chinese citizens (64%) want to see an end to the Yulin festival, more than half (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat.
  4. Shenzhen’s food safety legislation (Shenzhen Special Economic Region Regulation on a Comprehensive Ban on the Consumption of Wild Animals) was first proposed in February by Shenzhen legislators, and comes into effect on 1st May. Article 3 makes clear that the consumption of “pet” animals such as cats and dogs is not permitted.

Download video and photos of China’s dog meat trade.

END

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International says wildlife markets worldwide are a petri dish for the next global pandemic

Humane Society International / Global

Masked man in Hong Kong market
Jayne Russell/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News

WASHINGTON — Governments across the globe have today received an urgent plea and science-based white paper from Humane Society International calling for immediate action to ban wildlife trade, transport and consumption – particularly mammals and birds which are known to contract coronaviruses – in order to address the threat they pose to public health in addition to animal welfare and species conservation.

Although the exact origins of the current coronavirus are still unknown, it likely originated in a market in Wuhan, China, selling and slaughtering live wild animals on site. Multiple infectious disease outbreaks have been tied to the wildlife trade including SARS in 2003 which is believed to have been passed to humans by civets sold for meat. An estimated 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic (spread from non-human animals to humans).

Teresa Telecky, vice president of wildlife at Humane Society International, said, “The current COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated just how deadly the wildlife trade can be, not just for the wild animals involved, but also for people throughout the world. COVID-19 has killed thousands of people and will likely have lasting negative impacts on local and global economies. It is a tipping point that governments globally must not ignore. Wildlife markets worldwide are a petri dish for the next global pandemic, so governments across the globe must do everything they can to prevent this from happening again, and that means banning this dangerous trade and helping those traders involved find alternative livelihoods as quickly as possible.”

To facilitate the global ban, HSI also urges governments to actively transition citizens who rely economically on the wildlife trade into alternative livelihoods, and to provide more resources for educating the public on the health risks of the wildlife trade.

China introduced a temporary ban on the sale of wild animals for food in early March, but has yet to codify it into law, and wild animals used for other purposes such as traditional medicine are notably excluded from the prohibition, as are some “farmed” wildlife. This month the Chinese city of Shenzhen took an enlightened step further by permanently banning all trade and consumption of wild animals, plus dogs and cats. However, globally, and especially in other parts of Asia, thousands of similar markets of the type linked to both SARS and COVID-19, still exist and pose a continued threat to human health. Typically in such markets a variety of wild species are crowded together in unhygienic and stressful conditions, and frequently slaughtered on the premises or offered live as exotic pets, providing ideal circumstances for the spread of zoonoses.

“Temporary bans on the wildlife trade are a good start but in order to fully address potential future outbreaks, it is imperative that countries permanently ban the wildlife trade and include wildlife used for any purpose including for medicine, fur, pets and others. With the stakes so high for global human health and wildlife protection, there is no place for complacency or half measures,” Telecky explains.

Global concern

  • Wild bird markets in Vietnam have been implicated in the spread of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1) virus;
  • Past surveys of wildlife markets in Lao PDR have identified mammals on sale known to be capable of hosting 36 zoonotic pathogens;
  • A recent literature analysis using TRAFFIC survey data from wild meat restaurants, roadside stalls and markets in Malaysia, identified 51 zoonotic pathogens that could be hosted by wild species found on sale;

HSI also warns that wildlife bans must be comprehensive and apply to the sale and consumption of all wild mammal and bird species, or risk missing the potential intermediate host for the next epidemic. Bats have been identified as the natural host or reservoir source for a wide range of viruses, including coronaviruses, and are sold as delicacies in East and Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Sub-Saharan Africa. However, coronaviruses from bats need an intermediate host species in order to transform the virus to infect humans, so partial bans won’t fix the problem.

Also on World Health Day, HSI joins with 241 organisations in signing an open letter to the World Health Organization calling for it to exclude the use of wildlife in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Download b-roll video and photos of wild animal markets.

Download the white paper.

Download the cover letter.

Watch the video.

The white paper and cover letter are available in multiple languages here.

ENDS

Media contact:

Wendy Higgins: Director of International Media – whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Global

BEIJING — China’s city of Shenzhen has just passed a ground-breaking law to ban the consumption and production of dog and cat meat, the first city in mainland China to do so. The ban has been welcomed by long-time anti-dog meat trade campaigners Humane Society International as a watershed moment in efforts to ban the trade across China. The law also addresses the wildlife trade.

The food safety legislation (Shenzhen Special Economic Region Regulation on a Comprehensive Ban on the Consumption of Wild Animals) proposed in February by Shenzhen legislators, comes into effect on May 1. Unlike the temporary ban on wildlife markets and consumption passed by the national government, Shenzhen’s ban is a permanent prohibition on the consumption, breeding, and sale of wildlife such as snakes, lizards, and other wild animals for human consumption, with heavy fines of up 150,000 yuan.

Although advanced in response to the coronavirus outbreak, an unrelated ban on the consumption of “pet” animals was also included in acknowledgement of their status as companion animals. In announcing the ban, a spokesperson for the Shenzhen government said “… dogs and cats as pets have established a much closer relationship with humans than all other animals, and banning the consumption of dogs and cats and other pets is a common practice in developed countries and in Hong Kong and Taiwan. This ban also responds to the demand and spirit of human civilization.”

To further underpin that, the law clarifies those species permitted to be consumed (pig, cattle, sheep, rabbit, chicken etc, with dogs and cats noticeably absent). Therefore from May 1, the sale of cats and dogs for human consumption will now be banned in restaurants and stores throughout Shenzhen, and sale of live cats and dogs for consumption will be banned in markets.

Dr Peter Li, China policy specialist for animal protection charity Humane Society International, welcomed the news, saying: “With Shenzhen taking the historic decision to become mainland China’s first city to ban dog and cat meat consumption, this really could be a watershed moment in efforts to end this brutal trade that kills an estimated 10 million dogs and 4 million cats in China every year. 

The majority of these companion animals are stolen from people’s back yards or snatched from the streets, and are spirited away on the backs of trucks to be beaten to death in slaughterhouses and restaurants across China. Shenzhen is China’s fifth largest city so although the dog meat trade is fairly small there compared with the rest of the province, its true significance is that it could inspire a domino effect with other cities following suit. Most people in China don’t eat dog or cat meat, and there is considerable opposition to the trade particularly among younger Chinese. Although World Health Organization advice is clear that dogs and cats pose no known coronavirus threat whatsoever, it’s no surprise that attention is turning to this trade at this time because it undoubtedly poses a huge human health risk for other diseases such as rabies, as well as causing immense animal suffering.”

Dr. Teresa M. Telecky, vice president of the wildlife department for Humane Society International, said: “Shenzhen is the first city in the world to take the lessons learned from this pandemic seriously and make the changes needed to avoid another pandemic. People around the world are suffering the impact of this pandemic because of one thing: the wildlife trade. Shenzhen’s bold steps to stop this trade and wildlife consumption is a model for governments around the world to emulate. We urge all governments to follow suit by banning wildlife trade, transport and consumption for any purpose.”

Shenzhen ban details

  • Article 2 prohibits the consumption of state-protected wild animals and other terrestrial wild animals taken from the wild, as well as captive bred and farmed terrestrial wild species.
  • Article 3 makes clear that the consumption of “pet” animals such as cats and dogs is not permitted; species that are permitted to be consumed include pig, cattle, sheep, donkey, rabbit, chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, quail and other livestock animals on the list that are raised for food, as well as aquatic animals who are not banned by other law or regulations.
  • Article 8: prohibits the consumption of animals farmed for medicinal purposes.
  • Article 17. The production or marketing (sale) of the above mentioned state-protected wild species and their products for consumption purposes will be fined between 150,000 yuan and 200,000 for a value of illegal activity that is under 10,000 yuan; and a fine of between 20 times and 30 times of the value of an illegal activity that is 10,000 yuan or above. For violations involving other wild animals whose value is less than 10,000 yuan, there will be fines between 100,000 yuan and 150,000 yuan.

Facts about China’s dog meat trade

  1. Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for meat. There are estimated to be more than 91.49 million dogs and cats kept as pets in China. An estimated 10 million dogs a year are killed for China’s dog meat trade.
  2. The World Health Organization warns that the dog trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera.
  3. Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20% of the Chinese population. A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it. Nationwide across China, a 2016 survey conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz, found that most Chinese citizens (64%) want to see an end to the Yulin festival, more than half (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat.

Download video and photos of China’s dog meat trade here.

ENDS

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org

Learn More Button Inserter