(CN-HKG) Disney accused of mass dog cull

[Guest guest]

Forwarded for Claudette

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1681982005

WILLIAM FOREMAN

IN HONG KONG

 

DISNEY, the creator of the loveable cartoon hounds Pluto and Goofy

and the film company that brought 101 Dalmatians to the big screen,

stands accused of ordering the killing of scores of stray dogs at the

site of its new theme park in Hong Kong.

 

Local media reported that dozens of stray dogs roaming around the new

Walt Disney theme park in Hong Kong have been rounded up and put down

as the company prepares to open the park in September.

 

 

The South China Morning Post said the dogs had been cared for by

construction workers but were abandoned after the park was built.

 

Hong Kong Disneyland said yesterday it asked the government to round

up stray dogs at the construction site, but denied a report that the

animals had been adopted by workers and used as guard dogs before

being killed.

 

Esther Wong, spokeswoman at the Disneyland park, said the dogs were

taken away because they were roaming around in packs and posed a

threat to workers.

 

Ms Wong said she did not know how many dogs were removed in recent

weeks.

 

" At no time has Hong Kong Disneyland or any of its contractors kept

stray dogs at the construction site for guarding or any other

purposes, " Ms Wong said. She said Disneyland does not know what

happened to the dogs.

 

A front-page story in the South China Morning Post yesterday reported

that 45 dogs had been taken from the construction site on outlying

Lantau Island, and some were believed to have been used as guard

dogs. The newspaper, which did not cite its sources, said about 40 of

the dogs had been given lethal injections shortly after arriving in

government kennels.

 

Albert Hui, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and

Conservation Department, said 45 dogs had been captured around

Disneyland since May. He said some of the animals had

been " euthanised " , but a specific figure would be hard to find

because records were not computerised, so it was difficult to track

the animals' fates.

 

Sally Andersen, founder of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, said it was common

for construction sites to have dogs. " They're unofficial guard dogs, "

she said. " They're fed and looked after by the workers. They're

friendly and used to humans and being fed. They're not official but

everyone knows they're there. "

 

Ms Andersen said the animals congregated around the site because they

got fed and helped scare away thieves by barking. She said her group

routinely visited government kennels looking for dogs that could be

adopted.

 

" We've seen all the dogs coming in from Disney. The dog- catchers do

regular trips there. Every time I saw a Disney story, I felt sick.

It's the irony of their animal, family-friendly image, " she said.

 

Disneyland spokeswoman Ms Wong said the company had been in contact

with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals about the

dog issue and would continue to work with the group.

 

" Hong Kong Disneyland is committed to being a responsible member of

the Hong Kong community and this is reflected in the manner in which

we operate, " she said in a statement.

[Guest guest]

Forwarded for Claudette

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1681982005

WILLIAM FOREMAN

IN HONG KONG

 

DISNEY, the creator of the loveable cartoon hounds Pluto and Goofy

and the film company that brought 101 Dalmatians to the big screen,

stands accused of ordering the killing of scores of stray dogs at the

site of its new theme park in Hong Kong.

 

Local media reported that dozens of stray dogs roaming around the new

Walt Disney theme park in Hong Kong have been rounded up and put down

as the company prepares to open the park in September.

 

 

The South China Morning Post said the dogs had been cared for by

construction workers but were abandoned after the park was built.

 

Hong Kong Disneyland said yesterday it asked the government to round

up stray dogs at the construction site, but denied a report that the

animals had been adopted by workers and used as guard dogs before

being killed.

 

Esther Wong, spokeswoman at the Disneyland park, said the dogs were

taken away because they were roaming around in packs and posed a

threat to workers.

 

Ms Wong said she did not know how many dogs were removed in recent

weeks.

 

" At no time has Hong Kong Disneyland or any of its contractors kept

stray dogs at the construction site for guarding or any other

purposes, " Ms Wong said. She said Disneyland does not know what

happened to the dogs.

 

A front-page story in the South China Morning Post yesterday reported

that 45 dogs had been taken from the construction site on outlying

Lantau Island, and some were believed to have been used as guard

dogs. The newspaper, which did not cite its sources, said about 40 of

the dogs had been given lethal injections shortly after arriving in

government kennels.

 

Albert Hui, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and

Conservation Department, said 45 dogs had been captured around

Disneyland since May. He said some of the animals had

been " euthanised " , but a specific figure would be hard to find

because records were not computerised, so it was difficult to track

the animals' fates.

 

Sally Andersen, founder of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, said it was common

for construction sites to have dogs. " They're unofficial guard dogs, "

she said. " They're fed and looked after by the workers. They're

friendly and used to humans and being fed. They're not official but

everyone knows they're there. "

 

Ms Andersen said the animals congregated around the site because they

got fed and helped scare away thieves by barking. She said her group

routinely visited government kennels looking for dogs that could be

adopted.

 

" We've seen all the dogs coming in from Disney. The dog- catchers do

regular trips there. Every time I saw a Disney story, I felt sick.

It's the irony of their animal, family-friendly image, " she said.

 

Disneyland spokeswoman Ms Wong said the company had been in contact

with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals about the

dog issue and would continue to work with the group.

 

" Hong Kong Disneyland is committed to being a responsible member of

the Hong Kong community and this is reflected in the manner in which

we operate, " she said in a statement.

 

Pauline Taylor

August 17, 2005

scmplet

Dear Sir or Madam:

I refer to the reporting of and letters on the ¡§Disney Dogs¡¨. Both John

Elphinstone (¡§Hypocrisy over dogs¡¨ July 27) and Mary Peaker (¡§Cull feral

dogs¡¨, July 28) make valid points but they are both missing the fundamental

issue.

 

This is an age old problem, namely ¡§whose responsibility are stray street

dogs¡Xdo we kill them or not?¡¨ The subject is now again being debated in the

media under the heading of ¡§Disney¡¨. At long last the government may finally

be forced to do something more concrete about the issue than just talking about

it. Or will it once again turning its bureaucratic head away and place the

responsibility to stop killing animals onto animal welfare/rights organizations.

The bureaucrat¡¦s in street dog control repeatedly stress that they operate

¡§under the law¡¨. After spending 5 years on the Animal Welfare Advisory Board

to Government and spending many hours meeting with well intended ¡§save all

doggies¡¨ groups of the public who have no idea what really goes on in

government kennels and other places involving ¡§helping animals¡¨, I hope now

that Disney ¡§has¡¨ dogs in Hong Kong the government will do what has been

deemed, in the past, ¡§difficult to accomplish¡¨ and agree to a humane dog

control programme for this city of life. Many lesser rated cities in the world

have adopted policies for involving a regulated Trap, Neuter and Return policy

(TNR). Its another name for (animal ) Birth Control (ABC).

Come on Hong Kong, get real and get it together. Work with the public and their

dollar donations to animal welfare and start controlling street dog numbers.

There is enough support from the public, vets and welfare groups to make a go of

it.

 

..Yours Sincerely,

Dr. Pauline Taylor