It's a dog's life for animals in southern China

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http://www.enn.com/news/2003-11-26/s_10792.asp

 

It's a dog's life for animals in southern China

 

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

By Reuters

 

GUANGZHOU, China — Using a pair of giant clippers, the

bare-chested Chinese man lunges into one of many wire

cages on a truck and pins down a yelping dog.

 

Exhausted and terrified, the animal shakes

uncontrollably, leaving trails of urine as she is

dragged off the truck and hurled into a cage on the

ground.

 

The scene is repeated countless times a day in this

wholesale market in the southern city of Guangzhou,

where dozens of animals — from ordinary domestic pets

to exotic creatures such as civet cats — are destined

for the the dinner table.

 

Trucks arrive stacked high with scores of cages packed

with dogs who have not been fed or watered for days

ahead of their slaughter.

 

Dogs, more than anything else, seem to be a staple in

this part of China, where consumers believe their meat

helps to keep them warm during winter. But public

awareness of the practice — and opposition to it — is

beginning to grow.

 

A Chinese current affairs magazine shocked its readers

last month when it published a picture of the market

showing dogs crammed into a cage. It was flooded with

letters from readers decrying the brutal nature of the

trade.

 

Experts also fear the close contact between humans and

wild animals in such markets could help unknown

viruses jump the species barrier and spark deadly

epidemics, such as the SARS outbreak earlier this

year.

 

Some scientists believe the severe acute respiratory

syndrome virus jumped to humans from civet cats, and

some Chinese press reports have traced the origin of

the epidemic to one of the many wild animal markets in

Guangdong.

 

Rights Campaign

 

Despite the fears and anger, the trade is thriving.

 

" It is a very tough and unpleasant work. But I have no

choice. I either do this or go hungry, " said Ah Shui,

a migrant laborer who has worked at the market for

three years. As he speaks, two tiny pink bundles fall

onto the ground from the truck. Upon closer

inspection, they turn out to be pups, hairless, with

eyes still shut.

 

Hanging from a nearby ceiling are a handful of freshly

plucked dogs. Using a brush, a young woman paints them

with sweet barbecue sauce before roasting them with an

open flame.

 

" They cost four yuan a catty (US$0.50 for 1.3 pounds),

but that will double when it starts getting very

cold, " said one worker.

 

In Hong Kong, animal rights lobby group Animals Asia

Foundation is also trying to change eating habits.

Though eating dogs is illegal in Hong Kong, many

people flock to China in winter to tuck into what they

consider a delicacy. Through a 14-minute video, which

it hopes to release early next year in schools and

perhaps even on television in China, the group is

trying to bring home the message that dogs are really

humans' best friends.

 

Fried or Food

 

The film follows the terrifying journey and miraculous

rescue of Eddie, a mixed terrier that was saved from

the squalid animal market in 2001 and given a new

lease of life. Told as if from his perspective, the

film shows how Eddie and about 200 other dogs are used

for human therapy in Hong Kong. It takes viewers into

a school for the blind, a hospital, and a home for the

elderly. Inside, blind children and bedridden patients

come alive, chuckling and playing with the dogs.

 

" The dogs give them a lot of spiritual support. These

patients look forward to these visits, " says a nurse

in the film.

 

Spending time with companion animals is widely known

to ease stress and bring a sense of well-being to

patients.

 

" We are trying to get people thinking it may not be OK

to eat dogs. They should come away thinking, 'That is

something I don't want to do', " said Annie Mather of

the foundation.

 

But in China, where growing affluence is feeding

palates that are fond of anything exotic, Mather's job

will be an uphill one. Her group estimates 5 million

dogs a year are eaten in China, many from farms in the

North that are now breeding imported mastiffs, St.

Bernards, and dobermans with local dogs.

 

" They are breeding a super dog with a strong

constitution, which will grow to its maximum weight in

the shortest possible time, so they are ready to be

sold at eight or nine months instead of a year, " said

Anneleise Smillie of the foundation. " These are not

your backyard farms but really specialized operations

.... because they know they can make a lot of money. "

 

Source: Reuters

 

 

 

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