Another Dog Culling Spree is Set to Start in China
17 September 2009
by Alicia Graef, Care2.com
AnaiRhoads.org -- Another dog cull is set to begin on September 10th in Qinhuangdao in the Hebei Province near Beijing in order to prevent the spread of rabies and reduce dog populations.
More "dog beating squads" will hit the streets to kill dogs that aren't registered or vaccinated, whether they're strays or not.
As if that's not bad enough, dog owners are also being asked to kill their own dogs if they're a "dangerous breed" or over one foot tall. If the owners don't do it themselves, the dog beating squads will do it for them, and then proceed to issue the owners a fine.
"To pick this time to enforce the dog regulation, it is obvious that Qinhuangdao hopes to 'clean' the streets and put on a good show for China's National Day on October 1st. But, by inflicting cruelty on animals, the city is doing the exact opposite. Mass killing of dogs is going to generate outrage from people all over the world, damaging China's image of a harmonious society," said Grace Ge Gabriel, the International Fund for Animal Welfare's Asia Regional Director.
Animal lovers and animal rights groups are criticizing the Chinese government's management tactics, along with other accounts of animal cruelty. However, since China currently has no animal welfare laws in place, there's nothing that can be done legally to protect animals there.
The last cull in Hanzhong resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 dogs.
"Mass killing of dogs is ineffective in controlling rabies in the long-term. By choosing not to implement a sensible rabies vaccination program, Hanzhong government has failed to protect the health of its citizens. Furthermore, the brutal killing of dogs continues to highlight the need for legislation that will ensure the humane treatment of all animals," said Gabriel about the last cull.
Peter Williams, Director of the World Society for Protection of Animals in China also pointed out that removing dogs could actually increase the spread of rabies by opening up an area for more animals to move into.
IFAW, the Humane Society International and ACTasia have all been working with the Chinese government to draft national animal welfare laws that would protect animals, in addition to calling for vaccination and sterilization to address overpopulation issues.
Alicia Graef is a lifelong animal lover with a BS in Animal and Veterinary Science and years of experience working and playing in the equine industry.
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