(CN) Puppy mills now an issue in China

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2007:

 

 

Puppy mills now an issue in China

 

 

HONG KONG, BEIJING, MELBOURNE --Humane societies and mass

media a world away from the U.S. joined U.S. counterparts in autumn

2007 denunciations of puppy mills.

Hong Kong SPCA spokeswoman Rebecca Ngan Yee-ling complained

to Simon Parry of the South China Morning Post that " The public is

encouraged to buy pedigree dogs by certain movies, as well as by the

influence of celebrities bringing their pedigree dogs into the

limelight. " She described pet shops as " an area of vast concern in

terms of animal welfare, " and noted that at times more than 40% of

the dogs arriving at the Hong Kong SPCA shelters are cast-off

purebreds.

Ngan blamed the influx of purebreds for a slump in adoptions

of mongrels, dropping total dog adoptions from 876 in 2003 to 751 in

2006, while the animal control shelter operated by the Agriculture,

Fisheries, and Conservation Department in fiscal 2007 killed an

average of 941 dogs a month, up from 875 a month in 2006.

The Chinese Busi-ness Morning View attributed a drop in

purebred dog prices and sales to stricter animal control law

enforcement in Beijing and other cities, and asserted that " The

business of pet-dog-related products, such as dog dress and dog

food, is sluggish too. Many shops are closed due to the no-longer

profitable market. "

Bloggers suggested that the real issue is that the first-time

pet acquisition market has stabilized, after years of rapid growth.

Hinting that the abuses long associated with commercial

breeding in the west are of concern in China too, the Liaoning

provincial dog trade association general secretary recommended that

breeders and sellers should refocus on producing healthier dogs.

 

 

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

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