Dogs A-Z: Dog slaughter in China

I've received the following e-mail fom IFAW about the dog cull in China, reproduced below.
See my previous post of Wednesday 16th September.
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Great news!

Thanks to the immediate response of our supporters, the dog cull in Qinhuangdao has been averted.

The details are still coming in - but it's clear that the government in Qinhuangdao felt the pressure from IFAW supporters around the world. Public notices and government web site postings announcing the cull have been taken down.

If you ever wondered whether one person can make a difference - well, this is proof that they can! Every email, message, and dollar sent had a direct effect on averting a widespread, unnecessary and cruel slaughter.

We will be keeping a close eye on the area until we are convinced that no dogs will be harmed in the future. Many locals sent their pets away to friends and family in order to protect them, and we want to make sure Qinhuangdao remains a safe place for them to return.

You see, local government officials often resort to dog culls because China has no rabies prevention program or animal welfare legislation. A single case of rabies can create a panic - leading to calls for a mass dog slaughter at anytime.

That's why it's so important for IFAW to establish vaccination and sterilisation programs within China to control overpopulation and disease - before more culls are called for.

Your donation is critical to developing these programs and ending dog culls once and for all.

I'm so proud of what we were able to achieve for these dogs. I want to thank all of our animal friends like you for helping to prevent such tragic and needless suffering, and for making today such a wonderful day for animals.

Sincerely, Fred O'ReganIFAW CEO

P.S.
With IFAW's support, the first draft of national animal welfare legislation for China is being completed. If passed into law this will permanently ban the dog culls we have been campaigning against. Help support this legislation by donating now to protect animals around the world from cruelty and exploitation.

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What a wonderful result.

A few days ago I received an e-mail from Fred O'Regan of IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare).

It was about the horrific enforced slaughter of dogs in China.

I was going to create a post straight away, but I was so upset about what I had read and seen, that I couldn't bring myself to do so.

The slaughter is underway, but better to be a bit late than never to do someting about it.

The e-mail from IFAW is reproduced below. Images are from IFAW. Personal data has been removed.

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From: Fred O'Regan, International Fund for Animal Welfare fred@ifaw1.org

Subject: Urgent: Dog Slaughter Set to Begin Tomorrow: Help Us Stop it

Date: Saturday, 12 September, 2009, 6:57 PM

Help Us Stop the Qinhuangdao Dog Slaughter Before it Starts

Dear Trevor, I've just received an urgent report that another city in China is planning a mass cull to slaughter any unregistered dogs, strays, and even registered family dogs that are over 14 inches (35cm) tall. Dog owners in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, are even being told to kill their own dogs, or else their dogs will be beaten to death by the police and the owners will be charged a fine. Can you imagine being forced to kill your own dog to save it from a more brutal slaughter?

Unless we can stop this now, the Dog Death squads could be roaming the streets tomorrow – beating, stoning, and killing dogs – some right in front of their owners.You might remember the attached e-mail I sent you recently about a similar cull. We found out too late for many of those dogs, but this time we have a chance to stop it before it starts. I need you to do two things right now:

1. Send an e-mail to the Chinese Ambassador in your country. So you can act quickly, I've written an e-mail for you - click here to review and send it.

2. Make a donation to help IFAW end dog culls in China and to protect animals around the world from similar cruelty. It’s crucial that you act quickly –according to the government notice, the police will begin combing the streets tomorrow to kill dogs. Please send your message now, and then forward this e-mail to as many of your friends as possible urging them to help us stop this slaughter.

In addition to working to stop this cull, IFAW is helping draft China's first national animal welfare legislation that will prohibit culls like this. And we're developing a rabies vaccination and sterilization program that we can offer to rural communities to humanely prevent rabies and control dog populations.We’ve stopped culls like this in other Chinese cities, and we can stop this one too!
Please send your message of protest today.
And then please make a donation to help us continue our efforts to help save animals around the world from cruelty and exploitation.Please act now to save these dogs - make it the very next thing you do. Thank you,Fred

You can help us end bloodbaths like this and protect dogs in China from future culls

A death squad pursues a terrified dog.

Please help stop the slaughter.

Dear Trevor, A massive cull in the Chinese city of Hanzhong has claimed the lives of more than 30,000 dogs - and now we need your help to make sure that it never happens again.

The local government ordered the mass slaughter of all dogs as the result of a few cases of rabies deaths. Dog killing squads are stalking the streets, mercilessly beating dogs to death with sticks and rocks.

Friendly dogs - even healthy family pets - are being slaughtered right in front of their owners. Can you even begin to imagine how you'd feel if that happened to your dog?

IFAW has pleaded with government officials to stop the killing - and now we turn to you.

Please help us stop these cruel and massive slaughters once and for all.

Horrifying scenes of cruelty

Some of the pictures from culls like these are so horrifying that I can't even show them to you. And I hate having to describe this, but I think you need to know the truth about what's happening.In one series of pictures, several small and fluffy white dogs - you can just tell they're used to snuggling on the laps of their loving owners - are trapped in a makeshift cage. One by one, the dogs are pulled out with a pair of long metal tongs, and brutally beaten with a stick. And then - even though it appears that some of the dogs may still be alive - they're tossed into a pit to be burned.I can't even imagine the pain and terror these poor dogs endure when the fire is set.So many dogs will suffer slow and painful deaths...we must stop this cruelty now!

What we're doing and how you can help

We have received so many messages in the past few days from animal lovers like you inside and outside China - pleading with us to step in and stop the slaughters like the one in Hanzhong City.

I assure you, IFAW is working to end these culls:
We've already contacted local authorities in Hanzhong City to urge them to end the slaughter. Now you can help by contacting the Chinese Ambassador in your country.
IFAW is creating an emergency rabies vaccination fund so that we can offer rural communities in China an alternative to mass slaughters like the one in Hanzhong. Please give generously to our emergency rabies vaccination fund.We're working with the central government to pass animal welfare legislation in China that will ensure the humane treatment of all animals. IFAW has already helped major cities like Beijing establish dog regulations that mandate humane vaccination and population control.

We CAN stop culls like this

We recently joined with concerned animal lovers in China to stop a similar mass slaughter in the city of Heihe by pointing out that the killing of dogs that have rightful owners is a violation of the basic rights of a citizen - owned dogs and cats are considered the "personal property" of Chinese citizens, and should be protected under China's Constitution.

Plus, it has been proven that rabies can be effectively controlled by a well-managed vaccination program. In fact, a humane vaccination and neuter program in Chennai, India, has dramatically reduced rabies cases there by over 95%.

So we must act now to stop the killing!
Please click here to contact the Chinese Ambassador in your country to call for an end to mass slaughters like this and to encourage China to pass legislation that protects all animals, including companion animals.

And then please donate what you can today to help us set up an emergency vaccination fund to help cities in China establish rabies prevention programs, help eliminate these mass dog culls once and for all, and to continue our mission to protect animals around the world from cruelty.

The slaughtered dogs of Hanzhong City deserved a better fate. Please help us ensure that dogs in other communities in China are protected from similar mass killings.Thank you so much for your help,

Fred O'ReganIFAW CEO

p.s. I have to tell you, the images of this dog slaughter keep me up at night. If you've ever enjoyed the companionship of a dog, then you know that they truly are members of our families. Please help us protect family pets by donating to our vaccination fund and our anti-cruelty campaigns around the world.
Please forward this e-mail to your friends, family, and colleagues who care about animals as much as you do.

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Well, I felt pretty sick after reading that.
I've contacted the Chinese embassy. Please do the same.
e-mail your friends with this information please.
Something can be done. If we all act, a huge amount can be done.
Thank you.