It may be hard to legislate against eating dogs and cats in Australia

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Some of the issues to be considered in the Australian dog eating debate

include the following -

 

Source AAP (October 9th 2002)

" The human consumption of man's best friends is not illegal in

Victoria,Australia although the slaughter and sale or inhuman

treatment of cats and dogs is banned " .

 

" The law allows an individual to slaughter an animal for his or her

own consumption so long as they do not sell or give away the meat " .

 

" This allows farmers to slaughter cattle or sheep, or an angler or

hunter to use their catch, for family consumption " .

 

End of quote.

 

Also, I network with a few people involved in animal

welfare here and someone told me

they heard on the radio today here in Western Australia

that a politician? (could be Northern Territory) said it may be hard

to legislate

against eating dogs and cats in Australia because some Aboriginals

had been known to eat dingoes and feral cats. This may have become

more commonplace if the wild rabbit numbers have declined due

to the combined diseases spread in Australia to kill wild rabbits

(Myxomatosis and Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease and 1080 poison). I have

an article

somewhere (possibly New Scientist Magazine) stating rabbits were

an important source of food for some Aboriginals. In 1996,

Dr John Wamsley was also apparently promoting the harvesting

and eating of cats in Australia (He is the man who wore the cat

skin hat and paid/pays a bounty for cat skins without questioning

where they have come from).

There are eco-nazis and extremists in Australia who would rather

see wild native animals made into " pet species " and the demise

of domesticated dogs and cats. Some of these people are in high

political or NGO positions. It is a crazy attitude to force

wild animals into pet shops and to kill off cats and dogs

or recommend we eat feral cats (and dogs?).

I have heard rumours of dog meat served at barbeques in

Australia.

Nothing surprises me in anymore when it comes to animal abuse.

If anyone heard the Radio item about the Aboriginals consuming

dingoes and cats, can you please send me a reference for this?

It was most probably an ABC interview.

Regards,

Marguerite

Rabbit Information Service

Western Australia