U.S. Congressmen Urge China to Reverse One-dog Policy

[Guest guest]

Representatives Tom Lantos and Chris Smith Call on Beijing to Address

its Misguided Pet Dog Policies

 

WASHINGTON (Jan. 12, 2007) - U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.),

chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and U.S. Rep.

Chris Smith (R-N.J.), a senior member of that committee, are urging

the Honorable Zhou Wenzhong, China's Ambassador to the United States,

to help address China's misguided policies on pet dogs and rabies

control.

 

In a letter sent to the ambassador this week, the lawmakers urged

China to accept the offers of help the country has received from The

Humane Society of the United States/Humane Society International and

other major animal protection organizations. The request is in

response to the increased implementation of existing rules in China

outlawing large dogs within Beijing city limits and the suburbs, as

well as a law banning more than one dog per household. Fearful for

their pets, Beijing residents have been taking them out of the city

or hiding them.

 

" This policy may increase rather than reduce the spread of rabies

when frightened dog owners hide their pets from the authorities or

move them out of Beijing entirely, " the representatives wrote. " The

focus of any new policy should be on rabies vaccination,

pet-neutering and pet guardian education, not a historically

ineffective limitaton on the number of dogs per household. We urge

you to immediately address the issue and use your influence to halt

this misguided and inhumane campaign. "

 

The HSUS/HSI, which represents nearly 10 million members and

constituents worldwide, has actively been working to reverse the

one-small-dog policy, especially after events early last August when

more than 50,000 dogs were slaughtered in a southwestern province in

China following reported rabies cases there among residents. The

World Health Organization has concluded that dog killing programs are

ineffective against rabies and recommends that affected countries

adopt comprehensive vaccination programs.

 

The number of people with pets is rising rapidly in China, with a

reported 1 million dogs in Beijing before the crackdown at the end of

2006. Considering the growth of the pet and related services market

there (estimated soon to reach $2 billion in sales), Beijing's

policies are counterproductive for people who have pets and for China

itself.

 

" With a robust pet industry in China, the economic benefits of

working closely with animal welfare organizations would no doubt be

an asset to the United States as well as China, " stated Dr. Andrew

Rowan, president of HSI and executive vice president of The HSUS.

" In addition, China would do itself a service by adopting dog

management policies that have worked in many developed nations around

the world. We are grateful to Congressmen Lantos and Smith for

calling on China to protect rather than persecute dogs and dog

owners. "

 

After rebuking the mass killings of dogs in the Yunnan Province in

early August, The HSUS/HSI offered $100,000 to the Chinese government

to establish an effective rabies control program in some southern

provinces, contingent upon " the full co-operation of the relevant

national and local authorities in China and Jining City and an

understanding that mass and indiscriminate dog killing programs will

be terminated immediately. " In addition, HSI is currently working in

India, Nepal and Indonesia to provide guidance in developing humane

animal control programs, which include sterilization and effective

rabies vaccination.

 

Reps. Lantos and Smith have been longtime leaders in advocating for

the humane treatment of animals. Last year, Rep. Lantos, chairman of

the Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus, introduced and

successfully passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards

(PETS) Act to require disaster planning for pets and service animals.

Rep. Smith has consistently led efforts to provide adequate funding

for enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of

Slaughter Act, and federal animal fighting law. Both lawmakers

scored a perfect 100+ on the Humane Scorecard for the 109th Congress.

 

 

--

Kim Bartlett, Publisher of ANIMAL PEOPLE Newspaper

Postal mailing address: P.O. Box 960, Clinton WA 98236 U.S.A.

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