Region: China

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

Humane Society International / Global

WASHINGTON – Sixty-five animal charities and pet shelters from across China have signed an open letter calling for compassion rather than cruelty to dogs and cats, in response to the coronavirus outbreak. News that an elderly dog in Hong Kong belonging to a COVID-19 patient has died following weeks of quarantine and testing, has raised fears of an increase in pet abandonment. Although the dog ultimately tested negative, and the World Health Organisation has made clear there is no evidence that dogs can infect humans, animal groups across China remain vigilant, with some shelters reporting higher than usual numbers of animals found wandering the streets.

Groups in Beijing, Dalian, Shanghai, and beyond have appealed for people not to abandon or harm their pets, and urge local police forces and community officers not to carry out lethal culls of dogs. Last month there were a number of recorded incidents of dogs being brutally beaten to death in the street in Yongjia County, Zhejiang, and in Chengdu and Nanchong in Sichuan province. And most recently video emerged of a pet dog being roughly caught by the neck by local dog catchers outside a Shanghai apartment block, and swung through the air into a cage on the back of a truck. The local government in Shanxi, north China has also called for the closure of all pet hospitals and public dog walking.

Dr. Peter Li, China policy expert at Humane Society International which works in China alongside other animal groups to protect companion animals, said: “It is very sad news that the elderly dog in Hong Kong has passed away. It must be remembered though that he ultimately tested negative for the virus, showed no signs of illness at any point, and at 17 years old it is possible that the stress of weeks of quarantine, testing, and being separated from his owner contributed to his passing. We simply don’t know, but what we do know is that the World Health Organisation advice is clear that there is no evidence dogs can pass the virus to people. It is critical that citizens and officials alike do not over-react or respond in a way that will cause harm or injury to animals. Family pets do not deserve to be turned out on the street, or beaten, or denied exercise or access to veterinary care.”

Dezhi Yu, director of Vshine, said: “Our team has been responding to help calls from different cities where local animal lovers have taken in or have spotted abandoned dogs and cats which we suspect were not allowed to be kept in their apartments, or these might be dogs or cats released by the breeders.”

HSI has been a resource for Chinese groups in coordinating public education efforts since the COVID-19 virus broke out, as well as supporting HSI’s Chinese partner group Vshine in rescuing abandoned dogs, as well as providing food and water for dogs and cats left behind when people have been evacuated and not able to return.

Download photos and video of HSI and other groups in China assisting companion animals:

Photos: https://newsroom.humanesociety.org/fetcher/index.php?searchMerlin=1&searchBrightcove=1&submitted=1&mw=d&q=ChinaRescue0220

Video: https://newsroom.humanesociety.org/fetcher/index.php?searchMerlin=1&searchBrightcove=1&submitted=1&mw=d&q=ChinaPuppies022020

 

ENDS

 

Media contact:

Wendy Higgins whiggins@hsi.org

 

List of letter signatories:

Signed by:

  1. Capital Animal Welfare Association
  2. Bengbu Abandoned Animal Protection Association
  3. Dalian Vshine Animal Protection Association
  4. Social law research center of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University
  5. Animal protection research center of Shandong university
  6. Taiwan Life Caring and Animal Rescue Organization
  7. Cat and Dog 119
  8. Life Caring and Animal Rescue Organization Companion
  9. Wenzhou Happyness Work Center
  10. Red Pomegranate Stray Animal Rescue Center
  11. Miao Stray Cat Rescue Team
  12. Kuntun Small Animal Protection Association
  13. Shenyang Micro Couplet Pet Love and rescue alliance
  14. Beijing Warm House Rescue Center
  15. Changsha Animal Protection Association
  16. Zhuzhou Small Animal Protection Association
  17. Xian Small Animal Protection Association
  18. Huaibei Small Animal Protection Association
  19. Suzhou Tiantian- Baby House
  20. Xian 701 Stray Animal Shelter
  21. Qin Huangdao Small Animal Protection Association
  22. Xian Weiai Animal Protection Association
  23. Changsha Small Animal Protection Association
  24. Nantong Small Animal Protection Association
  25. Hohhot Small Animal Protection Association
  26. Harbin Small Animal Protection Association
  27. Mudanjiang Animal Protection Volunteers Association
  28. Dalian Love Animal Rescue Association
  29. Haimen Animal Protection Volunteers Association
  30. Foshan Companion animal Protection Association
  31. Zhenzhou Animal Protection Association
  32. Changchun Douwang Team
  33. Lanzhou Stray Animal Reacue Station
  34. Guilin Baby Home Stray Animal Welfare Station
  35. Jilin Small Love Stray Animal Adopt Home
  36. Liuzhou Hope Home Small Animal Protection Association
  37. Dog’s Love Group
  38. Jilin Small Love Stray Animal Rescue Center
  39. Huludao Stray Animal Center
  40. Xinjiang Changji Wangwang’s Home
  41. Gansu Pingliang Stray Dog Rescue Center
  42. Nanjing University of the Arts
  43. Sanmenxia Stray Cat Rescue Team
  44. China Pet Animal Protection Public Welfare Team
  45. 803 Ecology and Animal Protection Public Welfare Team
  46. Hohhot Qishan Animal Welfare Association
  47. Jilin Puai Action Group
  48. Jianghai Stray Animal Rescue Center
  49. Hohhot dog rescue
  50. Tianjin Yishan Stray Animal Rescue Team
  51. Lanzhou Stray Animal Love Relay Station
  52. Inner Mongolia Alxa Stray Animal Rescue Station
  53. Yantai Stray Animal Rescue Station
  54. Xi ‘an Stray Animal Protection Station
  55. Qiqihar Small Animal Protection Association
  56. Qinghai Xining Small Animal Protection Association
  57. Xining Small Animal Protection Association
  58. Urumqi Outdoor Rescue Group
  59. Zhuhai Stray Animal Rescue Group
  60. Xian Stray Animal Rescue Group
  61. Pinggu Rescue Team
  62. Zhengzhou Rescue Group
  63. Guangdong Stray Dog Rescue Center
  64. Xining Stray Animal Rescue Team
  65. Baotou Stray Animal Rescue Center

Humane Society International / Global

Indonesia, India, Vietnam among countries where wild animal markets pose a disease risk

Humane Society International / Global

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

WASHINGTON —Wildlife campaigners across the globe from animal charity Humane Society International have called for an urgent worldwide ban on the wildlife trade after China’s announcement that it will prohibit the buying and selling of wild animals for food in light of the mounting threat associated with coronavirus. The capture, market trade, and butchery of wild animal species for human consumption happens across large parts of Asia and Africa such as Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and West, Central and East Africa, as well as in Latin America, says HSI, posing a very real threat of spreading zoonotic and potentially fatal diseases. Governments around the world must take China’s lead and shut down this trade for good. HSI leadership in South Africa, Nepal, India, South Korea, Canada, the United States, Australia, Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica have joined the call for global action.

Jeffrey Flocken, HSI president, says: “China has taken decisive action to halt the wildlife trade for human consumption implicated in the global coronavirus crisis, but it would be a grave mistake for us to think that the threat is isolated to China. The capture and consumption of wild animals is a global trade that causes immense suffering for hundreds of thousands of animals every year, including endangered wildlife species being traded to the brink of extinction. The trade can also spawn global health crises like the current coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and the deadly bird flu. Wildlife markets across the globe, but particularly in Asia and Africa, are widespread and could easily be the start of disease outbreaks in the future.”

In the north eastern states of India, wild species such as the Chinese pangolin and several species of wild birds are routinely sold for human consumption. Bengal monitor lizard meat is also consumed across India, driven mainly by the superstitious belief that the fat stored in the tail can cure arthritis, and meat from the Indian flap-shell turtle is also popular across the country, despite both species being listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. In some north Indian states, owl eyes are also consumed for their perceived medicinal benefits for human vision.

Indonesia also has hundreds of “extreme” animal markets where the conditions are the same as those described by scientists as the perfect breeding ground for new and deadly zoonotic viruses, such as coronaviruses. Wild animals are sold and slaughtered in public and unsanitary conditions. The trade takes place alongside that of dogs and cats which itself has already been shown to pose a risk of rabies transmission. In January this year, Humane Society International wrote to Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo as part of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition, calling for urgent measures to ensure that Indonesia does not become the next point of origin of a deadly virus by tackling the risk posed by these animal markets.

Mr. Flocken adds: “We already know that dog and cat meat markets in Indonesia are a hotbed for disease transmission, and we also know from our investigations that rabies-positive dogs are being sold and slaughtered for consumption in these markets. Given that dogs are caged and slaughtered alongside wild animals such as snakes, bats and rats, Indonesia must surely take preventative measures now to ensure it does not become the next point of origin of a deadly virus. Similar risks can be observed in wild animal markets across the globe and especially in Asia and Africa. The trade in wildlife is a global crisis that calls for global action, now.”

Wild meat consumption is also an issue in Vietnam where wild pig, goat and bird species are eaten as well as softshell turtle, bear, snake, pangolin and civet, and snake wine is also consumed. A number of studies conducted in recent years reveal that a significant percentage of the Vietnamese population consumes wild animals.

Bush meat, including that derived from primates, is still consumed in many parts of Africa. Earlier this month, the Tanzanian government endorsed the establishment of butcheries specifically for the bushmeat trade. And in South Africa, approximately 12,000 lions are captive bred in deplorable conditions, to facilitate the export of lion skeletons to Southeast Asia for tiger bone wine. Lions are hosts for the tuberculosis (TB) virus, which can survive in bones ground to powder.

In Guatemala and El Salvador, meat from crocodile, iguana and other reptiles is often eaten during Lent despite it being illegal to do so.

This week, the National People’s Congress, the Chinese national legislature, elevated an originally temporary ban on wildlife trade for human consumption from an administrative action to the level of a national law. Specifically, the announcement, issued as an emergency measure, creates a comprehensive ban on the trade in terrestrial wild animals bought and sold for food, including those who are bred or reared in captivity.

Download video footage of Indonesia’s wild animal and dog/cat meat markets here: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Indonesia%20Extreme%20Markets

ENDS

Media contact: Wendy Higgins whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International / China

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

BEIJING– The city of Shenzhen could become the first in China to ban the eating of dog and cat meat, after a food safety legislative proposal has been drafted in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The proposed law focuses mainly on prohibiting the consumption of wildlife such as snakes, turtles and bats, and the inclusion of cats and dogs has been added specifically in acknowledgement of their status as companion animals rather than for any disease risk fears. The proposal has been welcomed by Humane Society International as having the potential to start a precedent in China to crack down on a trade that sees an estimated 10 million dogs and 4 million cats killed for meat annually.

Shenzhen’s legislators will await public responses to the proposed ban before turning it into law.

Peter Li, China policy expert for Humane Society International, said: “It would be extremely welcome for dog and cat meat consumption to be banned in Shenzhen, particularly because the proposal specifically recognises dogs and cats as companions who must be protected from this brutal and largely illegal trade, a sentiment that could have huge ramifications for the millions of dogs and cats who are stolen across China for human consumption.

Although the trade in Shenzhen is fairly small compared with the rest of the province, Shenzhen is still a huge city and is larger than Wuhan, so this would be very significant and could even have a domino effect with other cities following. Already in Yulin where the notorious dog meat festival is held, most dog slaughter operations have temporarily shut down in the last two months because no dogs are allowed to be transported across provincial boundaries. Although World Health Organisation 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. The dog meat trade causes immense cruelty to our companion animals and poses a huge human health risk for other diseases such as rabies.”

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. Dog thieves snatch dogs and cats from the streets, as well as steal them from back yards.
  5. Dogs and cats are typically bludgeoned to death in front of each other, put in the de-hairing machine to remove fur, and the carcass blow-torched for sale to markets. Dog slaughter continues to occur in public places, exposing young children to horrendous brutality and potentially desensitizing China’s younger generations.

Download video and photos of China’s dog meat trade: https://newsroom.humanesociety.org/fetcher/index.php?searchMerlin=1&searchBrightcove=1&submitted=1&mw=d&q=YulinDogMeat0618

ENDS

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International / China

Humane Society International / China

World’s most illegally trafficked mammal in grave danger of extinction

Humane Society International / United States

Natural History Media/Alamy Stock photo

WASHINGTON— Wildlife conservation groups sued the Trump administration today to force officials to propose Endangered Species Act protections for critically imperiled pangolins.

Today’s lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes that pangolins, which inhabit Asia and Africa, are in grave danger of extinction. A massive demand for their scales, erroneously believed to have curative properties in East Asian medicine, and their meat, consumed as a delicacy in some Asian countries, has fueled their decline.

“These odd, adorable animals may look like pinecones with legs, but the massive trafficking in pangolin parts is no joke,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “If poachers keep killing thousands of pangolins a week, they’ll disappear in decades. The Trump administration needs to help protect these unique creatures from exploitation and extinction.”

The world’s only mammal with scales, pangolins are also the world’s most trafficked mammals. Between 2004 and 2014, more than a million were illegally traded — an average of nearly 300 animals killed per day. Despite a 2016 ban on the international commercial trade in pangolin parts, several massive seizures in Singapore, Malaysia and China in 2019, representing tens of thousands of dead pangolins, show rampant illegal trade continues.

“The United States’ delay in listing these species belies its role as a leader in combating poaching worldwide,” said Adam Peyman, programs and operations manager for Humane Society International and co-author of the 2015 listing petition. “The U.S. market for pangolin products feeds poaching and trafficking in the countries where the animals are found. By giving all pangolin species the Endangered Species Act protection they desperately need, the Fish and Wildlife Service will have the tools it needs to stop U.S. trade in pangolin parts.”

While most illegally sourced pangolins are destined for markets in China and Vietnam, the United States also drives demand. At least 26,000 imports of pangolin products were seized in the United States between 2004 and 2013, and a 2015 report by Humane Society International found “medicinal” products containing or likely to contain pangolin parts openly for sale online and at U.S. stores.

“Pangolins cruelly suffer and die for their meat and the so-called medicinal properties of their scales. It is past time for the Fish and Wildlife Service to take action to prevent the illegal trade and eventual extinction of this species,” said Angela Grimes, CEO of Born Free USA.

One pangolin species, the Temminck’s ground pangolin, is already protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. In July 2015 wildlife groups petitioned the Fish and Wildlife Service to list the other seven pangolin species. The law required the Service to either propose protections or find protections “not warranted” by July 2016, more than three and a half years ago.

“The Trump administration should get with the program and do its part to save pangolins.” said Elly Pepper, deputy director of international wildlife conservation at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “With scientists predicting the extinction of over one million species, the time for transformative change is now. We must rein in destructive consumption patterns like those decimating pangolins.”

Today’s suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. If pangolins are protected as endangered, the law would prohibit the import and interstate sale of pangolin parts in the United States, except for scientific or other conservation purposes. Listing would also heighten global awareness about pangolins and their threats and make funding available for anti-trafficking and habitat conservation efforts.

Contacts:

Humane Society International / Global

CITES

GENEVA—Tropical rainforests in Central America will continue to be plundered for tiny translucent glass frogs to supply the pet trade in Europe and elsewhere, after a proposal for international trade controls failed at the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), largely due to the 28 countries in the European Union voting against protections. Glass frogs have become popular in the pet trade due to their unique transparent skin which shows their internal organs. The proposal to give glass frogs Appendix II protection lost by just one vote, and animal protection charity Humane Society International hopes there may yet be a chance to secure the necessary votes in plenary later this week.

The European Union is a key destination for amphibian and reptile species such as glass frogs, iguanas and geckos—animals that are popular in the exotic pet trade. This trade is often illegal and, even when it is legal, is harmful to wild populations. More than 30,000 live reptiles were confiscated from the EU between 2001 and 2010, and glass frogs are regularly sold on the internet and at reptile and amphibian fairs in Europe. Yet, despite the European Union’s role as a major consumer of glass frogs, the voting bloc failed to support protections for animals negatively impacted by European demand.

The proposal from Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras to give trade protections to 104 species of glass frogs received  overwhelming support from the  majority of other countries that are home to the species in Latin America, but failed to reach the 2/3 majority required to be successful. It was opposed by the 28 countries in the EU.

Grettel Delgadillo, deputy director of Humane Society International/Latin America, says: “The international pet trade threatens the very survival of glass frogs and many newt species such as the crocodile newt and Asian warty newt, which are also collected for food. Glass frogs are astonishingly beautiful, almost entirely transparent creatures which is why they have soared in popularity in recent years, regularly advertised for sale on the internet for buyers in the United States and Europe. Yet this trade is slowly killing off populations so it is a major blow to conservation efforts on the ground and around the world that CITES parties failed to better protect these creatures. This failure is in large part due to the European Union’s shameful opposition; the EU is a huge consumer of glass frogs for the pet trade and therefore directly contributes to this species’ demise.”

A proposal by China, Viet Nam and the European Union seeking to protect 40 currently unlisted newt species also in high demand for the pet trade succeeded.

Humane Society International commends the proponent governments for seeking to bring the greedy pet trade in amphibians under CITES control but regrets the EU did not see fit to give CITES protection to the glass frogs.

The decisions will need to be approved in a plenary session at the CITES meeting on August 27/28.

ENDS

Media contacts:

 

 

Golden retrievers, German shepherds, Rottweilers rescued

Humane Society International / Global

DALIAN, China – Law enforcement in Dalian, China and local animal protection group VShine have shut down an illegal dog slaughterhouse in the city after a tip-off from an outraged citizen. Dalian law enforcement and Vshine have worked together for years to promote animal welfare, and the city operates a zero-tolerance policy to the dog meat trade. The slaughterhouse had only recently been opened by a man who lives outside the city.

Seven dogs were found alive at the property in suburban Dalian when police and activists moved in, mostly German shepherds, golden retrievers and a Rottweiler. The slaughterhouse operator surrendered the dogs to Vshine so that they could receive veterinary attention at their shelter, a partner project supported by animal charity Humane Society International. One of the dogs was wearing a pet collar, but it is suspected that the others could have been former guard or farm dogs who were either stolen or purchased from their owners.

Dezhi Yu of Vshine, said: “We are very proud that in Dalian you will rarely find a restaurant serving dog meat, and generally citizens here care very much about their dogs and cats. So when we received a call about this new slaughterhouse, we and the law enforcement officers acted immediately to shut it down. Whenever anyone dares to open such a cruel business here, they are very quickly reported and the police take immediate action. If all police across China were as active as Dalian police, we could crack down on the cruel dog and cat meat trade almost overnight.”

The rescued dogs are now recovering at Vshine’s animal shelter in northeast China where HSI funding will help support their veterinary care and rehabilitation.

Dr Peter Li, Humane Society International’s China policy expert, says: “Most people in China don’t eat dogs, but the city of Dalian is particularly progressive on animal welfare, and a shining example of what the whole of China could achieve if animal protection were taken more seriously. The dog meat trade is not welcome in Dalian, with the local police and animal activists using China’s food safety laws to eliminate this cruelty in the absence of any animal protection legislation. If all Chinese police acted the same, we could have a massive impact on the dog and cat meat trade. If China went further and introduced a robust animal cruelty law, we could eradicate the trade very quickly.”

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 per cent 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. Dog thieves snatch dogs and cats from the streets, as well as steal them from back yards.
  5. Dogs and cats are typically bludgeoned to death in front of each other, put in the de-hairing machine to remove fur, and the carcass blow-torched for sale to markets. Dog slaughter continues to occur in public places, exposing young children to horrendous brutality and potentially desensitizing China’s younger generations.

 

Download photos of the dogs rescued from the Dalian slaughterhouse: https://newsroom.humanesociety.org/fetcher/index.php?searchMerlin=1&searchBrightcove=1&submitted=1&mw=d&q=DalianRescue0619

 

 

 

Media contact:

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

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