(CN) Eating dogs losing its appeal on the mainland

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South China Morning Post

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inion

26th August 2007

Letter to the Editor

 

I write to thank your writer Jason Wordie for raising the important issue of

eating dogs on the mainland and in Hong Kong ( " Now and then: hot dogs " ,

August 12). I would also like to comment on two points.

 

First, Mr Wordie writes that dog meat can be found in most supermarkets just

across the border from Hong Kong. In fact, a recent survey by our staff

revealed that while dog meat can be found in a few supermarkets, it is

certainly not widely available.

 

In fact, as awareness of the brutality involved in the trade grows, more and

more Chinese people are refusing to eat dog meat and calling for it to be

banned.

 

Second, Mr Wordie writes that his neighbours in the New Territories eat dog

meat every winter.

 

If this is the case, then he should report them to the police. Dog eating is

illegal in Hong Kong and is viewed very harshly by the courts, as evidenced

by the fact that two men in the New Territories were recently sentenced to

jail for the offence.

 

Through our campaign, " Friends ... or Food? " , Animals Asia is working hard

at the grass-roots level on the mainland to stamp out the abhorrent practice

of dog eating - an industry that sees literally millions of dogs each year

suffer terribly at the hands of greedy traders.

 

Dogs (some of them stolen pets) are trucked for days without food or access

to water to markets in southern China.

 

There they are slaughtered in the most brutal, drawn-out way possible, in

the mistaken belief that torture improves taste.

 

Cultures can and do change, discarding cruel practices and embracing more

compassionate lifestyles.

 

On the mainland, dogs are increasingly recognised as important members of

society.

 

The companionship and comfort they offer is now medically proven to benefit

virtually all health care sectors, and their superior sense of smell assists

authorities and communities around the world to protect human lives. Surely

they are worth more than food for the table.

 

Jill Robinson, founder and chief executive, Animals Asia Foundation