Region: Global

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 / Canada

Humane Society International / Global

Thank you for remembering animals during this difficult time. They still need our help and we are continuing our work worldwide as well as we can despite this crisis. As always, we are so grateful for your support.

What is HSI doing during this crisis?

With the aim of preventing pet abandonment and/or fear regarding community animals, HSI is continuing to support our colleagues around the world and provide them with up-to-date information so they can keep their governments, communities and fellow citizens informed. We are also making special efforts to ensure animals are considered in the planning of the lockdowns, and veterinary services and pet food are considered essential services to continue during this time.

In China, there have been some isolated reports of dogs and cats being killed in an attempt to contain the virus. However, our partner groups on the ground have found that many of these reports were not factual. HSI has been supporting partner groups which have been rescuing and helping abandoned pets and informing the public that dogs and cats do not pose a risk. In several cities, at the request of evacuated pet owners, animal advocates have been entering apartments to care for pets.

We are also calling on governments around the world to help protect public health by permanently banning wildlife trade, transport and consumption. Take action: Add your name. Also, read our White Paper (available in several languages), “A Ban on Wildlife Trade, Markets, Transport and Consumption Would Significantly Reduce the Risk of Another Pandemic,” as well as our White Paper on the the connection between animal agriculture, viral zoonoses and global pandemics and one more White Paper, “Fur Farming, COVID-19 and Zoonotic Disease Risks.”

Our U.S.-based affiliate, The Humane Society of the United States, in partnership with the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, has made available the first coronavirus (COVID-19) toolkit for animal shelters to help them respond to the needs of the communities that they serve. While created for a U.S. audience, the toolkit offers useful information for dog/cat shelters worldwide.

HSI/Canada has given aid to residents and their pets in Montreal and Toronto, while HSI/Latin America donated food for animals in need in Costa Rica. Family-owned Mars, Incorporated has donated $1 million that allowed HSI to help animals affected by Covid in various locations worldwide. Read a report on the impact of Mars’ donation.

HSI had identified another dog meat farm in South Korea and was preparing to rescue the dogs there when the travel ban prevented our rescue team from returning to the country. In October, after a two-week quarantine, our team was finally able to remove the dogs from the farm and bring them to the U.S. and Canada.  Please donate to fund our efforts to help these dogs and all animals worldwide.

Our country directors around the world are asking government entities in charge of coordinating emergency and disaster relief efforts to ensure that critical animal needs, such as the care of animals in laboratories, pet shops, zoos and other settings, and the ability for animal care personnel to perform their duties, be addressed in emergency orders.

We are also recommending that governments recognize veterinary services as “essential services,” allowing veterinarians to stay open and tend to emergencies under strict protocols that follow the recommended social distancing. Some cities that are under complete lockdown have already adopted this measure.

Through our network of local organizations in countries around the world, we are providing accurate and up-to-date information, tips, and recommendations for governments, shelters, veterinarians, pet owners and the community at large. We seek to prevent the abandonment of pets by providing people the information they need to make accurate decisions regarding the care of their pets.

How can I be preparing to take care of my pet?

In the event of a crisis or disaster, we urge everyone to have a disaster preparedness plan in place. And, get the word out! Remind community members that having a plan for pets is critical; individuals who become sick or require hospitalization will need to have someone to take their animals. If you can, please endure the current situation from the safety of your own home.

Some steps to take include:

  • Identify a family member or friend who can care for pets if someone in the household becomes too ill to do so.
  • Have crates, food and extra supplies on hand that can last a minimum of two weeks.
  • Have your animal’s vaccine record on hand, and if your dog or cat needs special assistance such as taking medication, write it down.
  • Pets should have proper identification, such as a collar with ID tag and a phone number.

How can I keep my home clean AND safe for my pets?

Some cleaners that help prevent COVID-19 aren’t safe for your pets.

  • Keep pets out of rooms where you’re using cleaners that contain bleach, alcohol and other powerful chemicals.
  • Don’t leave cleaners out where your pets could stick their paws into them.
  • Follow the product instructions—some cleaners need to sit for a bit to be effective, but surfaces can then be rinsed to avoid burning tender paws.
  • If your pet needs a bath, only use products intended for bathing pets. Other cleaners can hurt them.

What can I do to help animals and shelters during this crisis?

Now is a great time to adopt a pet to reduce the strain on shelters. Please reach out to shelters and rescue groups in your area (U.S. /worldwide) for more information.

Fosters can also be lifesavers for pets who can’t adapt to shelter life, those who need to be nursed back to health and orphaned animals who need special care.

This uncertain and stressful time is also a wonderful opportunity to unify behind a common love of animals. COVID-19 does not discriminate; people from all backgrounds and communities have been impacted. A deep connection to animals transcends socio-economic, racial, ethnic and geographic boundaries and honoring that bond with compassion, not judgment, is a very simple yet impactful way to contribute positively in your community during this crisis.

Do you have resources specifically to help animal shelters and rescues deal with COVID-19?

With the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the rise worldwide, it is important for shelters and rescues to be prepared for the impact this may have on their staff and their community. View additional resources and information to help you take proactive steps to prepare.

What can I do to help animals living in the street during this crisis?

If there are animals who depend on you for food or water, place these without interacting with the animal, as the same animal might be fed by multiple people in the community whose medical and travel histories are unknown. Some governments are issuing specific permits for organizations and individuals who feed street dogs/cats.

Is HSI able to rescue dogs/cats abandoned in my country?

HSI is unable to directly assist in the rescue of animals in need at this time. However, in the countries where we have a presence, we are working with government officials, local organizations and communities to help prevent the abandonment of pets. Even though we are not set up to rescue and re-home animals ourselves directly, we can work through our network of already established in-country collaborators to ensure they have the support to assist in rescue and re-homing, as the need arises and that the country’s emergency measures that are in place allow it.

Donate

Animals are still in need and the work of HSI goes on. We’d be grateful for any amount you can spare to support our ongoing efforts to help animals at this difficult time and into the future. Donate now.

In addition, every animal shelter and rescue organization in your country has bills to pay and your generous monetary donation will be gratefully accepted, particularly during this stressful time. Also consider donating supplies, both through your local animal shelter and other agencies like human food banks.

How can future pandemics like COVID-19 be prevented?

We can reduce the risk of future pandemics like COVID-19 by reducing close interactions between wild animals and humans, particularly in those cases where many animals of many different species are mixed together in close confinement. As we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the SARS epidemic before it, concentrations of wildlife in markets is a high risk to public health. Wildlife trade, transport and consumption occurs in countries around the world, and we need our leaders to agree to end these high-risk practices if we want to prevent another pandemic from sweeping the globe. Read more on “A Humane World” blog.

Additional resources

Make a disaster plan for your pets
Pet disaster preparedness kit from the CDC
Sample disaster plan for your pets in Spanish and English from Houston SPCA
AVMA: Overview of COVID-19 transmission and infection in humans
AVMA: What do you need to know about coronavirus?
CDC: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
CDC: What you need to know about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program: Guidance on shelter care of animals exposed to COVID-19
World Health Organization: Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
World Health Organization: Course on COVID-19
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE): Questions and Answers on the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

Again, thank you for standing with us, especially now. Please check back for any future updates, and stay safe!

Humane Society International / Canada

MONTREAL – At a time when African nations are contending with an elephant poaching crisis that has caused devastating population declines, it has come to light that the annual Toronto Sportsmen’s Show continues to allow three vendors to sell elephant trophy hunting excursions that further threaten these magnificent animals. The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition, a partnership of Canadian non-profit organizations, including Humane Society International/Canada, the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, World Elephant Day, Elephanatics, and the Global March for Elephants & Rhinos – Toronto, are calling on organizers to drop these outfitters from the event, and demand the Canadian Government take immediate action in banning the import, domestic sale, and export of all elephant ivory, including hunting trophies.

Recently The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition helped to thwart the Calgary chapter of Safari Club International from auctioning off an elephant hunt in Botswana. This latest exposition includes three vendors attempting to profit from African elephant trophy hunting.

Michael Bernard, Deputy Director – HSI/Canada, stated: ” Elephants suffer horribly in trophy hunts. They are shot and left in agony for extended periods of time, they die painfully, and their social groups are disrupted, all to produce trophies for wealthy hunters who enjoy killing for fun. There is nothing sporting about the destruction of animals already contending with the devastating impacts of ivory poaching. In Canada, we are calling for a federal ban on elephant ivory trade, which would prevent hunters from bringing ivory tusks back to Canada, and remove a major incentive for elephant trophy hunting. In the meantime, this event should certainly respect Canadian values by excluding such exhibits.”

Fran Duthie, President of Elephanatics, added: “Science shows trophy hunting causes physiological and psychological effects to elephants. It increases their stress levels, which has led to aggressive behaviour towards humans and communication breakdown within their social structure. The long-term impact of ‘traumatic conservation’ methods on elephants is evident and needs to end”.

Patricia Sims, Founder of World Elephant Day and President – World Elephant Society, also stated: “The trophy hunting of elephants is atrocious and unnecessary, and hurts their vulnerable populations. Elephants are a vital keystone species, they are the caretakers of their habitats and climate change mitigators in their role of maintaining biodiversity. Killing elephants ultimately destroys habitats and Canada needs to take a stand now to ban elephant ivory and protect elephants for their survival and the health of our planet.”

Heather Craig, Co-Founder and President Global March for Elephants & Rhinos – Toronto, stated: “The world woke up to the horrific practice of trophy hunting in 2015 when Cecil the lion was killed by an American trophy hunter. Despite global outrage, hundreds of elephants and rhinos are killed every year. It is beyond our comprehension that the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show continues to allow outfitters to sell hunting trips, contributing further to a declining wildlife population.”

A staggering 20,000 African elephants are killed each year. Scientists anticipate they will be extinct in the wild within 20 years if threats continue. While poaching is the main threat to elephants, legal trophy hunting only exacerbates the threat and drives up the demand for elephant ivory.

Both the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Flora and Fauna (CITES) and members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have asked all countries to ban their domestic trade of ivory to save elephants. At least nine countries and 10 US states have done so. At the last IUCN Congress, Canada – along with Japan, Namibia and South Africa – refused to support the motion on domestic ivory trade bans.

Over 100 African elephant tusks were imported into Canada as hunting trophies over the past decade, according to the data Canada reported to CITES in its annual trade reports. Yet exporting countries reported that over 300 African elephant tusks were exported to Canada in this same time period. The reason for the discrepancy is unknown.

In order to press the Canadian government into action, the Ivory-Free Canada Coalition launched a petition to ban elephant ivory and hunting trophies at change.org/ivoryfreecanada. With over 540,000 signatures, it is one of the largest Canadian petitions on Change.org for 2019. The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition has been actively campaigning on this issue since 2016 and will continue to do so until a ban is put in place.

For interviews and/or more information, please call or email the media contact below.

 

-30-

 

Media contact: Christopher Paré, director of communications, HSI/Canada – office: 514-395-2914 x 206, cell: 438-402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

The Ivory-Free Canada Coalition is a partnership of non-profit organizations petitioning the Canadian government to ban the import, domestic trade and export of all elephant ivory, including hunting trophies. The coalition includes Elephanatics, Global March for Elephants & Rhinos – Toronto, World Elephant Day, Humane Society International/Canada and the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada. Sign the Petition:  www.change.org/ivoryfreecanada

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Humane Society International / Global

Humane Society International / Australia

Say NO to elephant rides, dolphin shows, fur fashion, mouse poisons and traps, animal souvenirs, delicacy meats, cruel circus tricks and sad selfies!

Humane Society International / Global

Wild rhinos in a field in Kenya
Franky_Pictures/iStock.com

Around the world, many thousands of wild animals are exploited for human entertainment, food, fashion and frippery, or killed or injured through poisons and traps, not only causing immense animal suffering but also threatening many species with extinction. According to a UN report, species extinction is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with direct exploitation by people a top threat. So here are Humane Society International’s top tips for how to be a wildlife warrior.

Teresa M. Telecky, Ph.D. vice president of wildlife at Humane Society International, says: “The best way to stop animal cruelty is to refuse to take part in it. By saying no to riding elephants in Asia who have been brutally captured and trained, by refusing to pose for selfies with wild animals exploited for their whole lives for tourism, and by mouse-proofing our homes and habits instead of reaching for the poison, we can all be wildlife warriors. Change starts with each of us, we have the power to make a difference for wildlife.”

Be an animal-friendly traveller

Avoid cruel and exploitative activities such as riding elephants and camels when on holiday. Elephant rides, treks and interactions are promoted to tourists in South Africa and across Asia, especially in India and Thailand. The elephants are usually caught as babies from the wild and brutally ‘broken’ to accept riders. A similar fate can face camels forced to give endless rides to tourists in Egypt. These animals perform repeated tourist duties without rest breaks or proper shade and refreshment. They receive little or no veterinary treatment for injuries, can be chained for hours, and suffer cruel training methods such as beating with whips and sticks. Instead of riding animals, hiring bicycles is a fun alternative, or take things slow on foot under your own steam.

Don’t mistake exploitation for entertainment

Exploiting wild animals in captivity is not acceptable as entertainment. The natural marine habitat of whales and dolphins, for example, cannot be replicated in captivity, and swimming with dolphins increases demand for captive animals, including from brutal “drive fisheries” such as the Taiji hunt in Japan. Unfortunately, dolphinariums can still be found in countries such as the United States, Japan, China, the UAE and many European countries like Greece and the Netherlands.

Poor quality zoos can also be an animal welfare nightmare, keeping wild species in deprived conditions which fail to meet their complex physical and psychological needs, and denying them proper care. Sadly, these can be found all over the world, and in countries like Indonesia, Thailand and China display can also involve forcing animals to perform circus-like acts for which they are subjected to repetitive and stressful training. It’s far better to see animals in the wild on a safari where you can observe their natural behaviour without disturbing them.

Don’t buy wild!

Souvenirs made from wild animal parts such as sea turtle shell, fur or ivory means that an animal has suffered for your trinket, and you may be supporting the poaching and trafficking of wild animals. Instead, support the local community by buying a painting, carving or animal-free craft item by a local artisan.

Say no to sad selfies!

Never pay to have your photo taken with wild animals such as parrots, monkeys or wild cats such as tigers at temples in South East Asia. These animals are often stolen from the wild and sedated with drugs to make them easier to handle. They can also be beaten, and have their teeth or claws removed. In South Africa, thousands of lions are bred in captivity and taken away from their mothers at an early age to be used as photo props for tourists. Once the cubs have grown bigger, they are used for ‘walking with lions’ tourist experiences, and then eventually sold to be killed in canned hunting operations or for the lion bone trade.

Reject ‘delicacy’ meat

The capture and consumption of wild animals such as bats, primates and rats sustains a vast global trade that not only causes immense suffering for hundreds of thousands of animals every year, and encourages exploitation of endangered species, but also poses a severe human health risk. The coronavirus crisis has been linked to the trade in wild animals for human consumption in wet markets in Wuhan, China, and this trade has spawned a number of global health crises in the past. More than 70 million sharks are also killed annually for shark fin soup. The trade involves cutting off a shark’s fin, often while the animal is still alive, and dumping the shark back into the sea to die slowly. Don’t be tempted to eat wild animals as “bucket list” items when traveling, as it merely perpetuates this brutal and often illegal trade.

Don’t wear fur

Millions of foxes, mink, raccoon dogs and coyotes die every year for fashion. Confined in small, wire-mesh cages on factory farms or captured by painful metal traps in the wild, their fur is turned into frivolous trim on coats, hats and accessories. These terrible conditions can create psychological disorders, causing animals to repetitively pace and even self-mutilate. Killing methods are brutal; mink are gassed and foxes and raccoon dogs are electrocuted or, in some countries like China, beaten to death. Fur is also incredibly polluting, as the dressing and tanning processes which stop the animal’s skin and pelt from decomposing naturally rely on toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, cyanide, lead and chromium which can be released into waterways and devastate wildlife. The future of fashion is compassion, so choose a cruelty-free alternative fabric instead and leave fur where it belongs, on the animals!

Be nice to mice and rats

Wild animals like mice and rats are often subjected to cruel extermination methods such as slow poisoning or glue traps. Glue traps immobilise but don’t kill animals who get stuck in them. Small animals may be left to starve to death or die of their injuries over the course of hours, sometimes pulling or biting off their own limbs in a desperate attempt to escape the traps, or even suffocating from falling face-first into the glue. Using poison can not only cause mice and rats to suffer a slow and agonizing death, it is also a threat to other wildlife and pets who come into contact with the poisoned animal. It’s far kinder to rethink rats and mice as wild animals who live alongside us, but sometimes in unwanted places from which we must encourage them to leave. HSI advocates the use of non-lethal deterrent and eviction methods that are not only more humane but also more effective in the long term. By blocking access points, removing food sources, using welfare-friendly deterrents such as mouse-mesh, and as a last resort relocating individuals using a live-capture trap, we can keep our homes and gardens rodent-free. More information can be found here: https://www.hsi.org/news-media/humane-rodent-solutions/

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

Learn More Button Inserter