(CN) Animals Asia statement on massacre of Beijing cats

[Guest guest]

AAF Position Paper on cat " cleansing " in Beijing March 2008:

 

We are appalled with recent news that cat colonies are being rounded up from the

streets of Beijing as part of the " cleansing " of the city for the Olympic Games.

Since this news was reported, we have been coordinating together with a local

group (Capital Welfare Association), and talking directly with the Agriculture

Department of the Beijing Government, which is in charge of stray cat

confiscation.

Although we have yet to receive direct confirmation that local residents are

abandoning their cats as a result of fear of disease, we are however deeply

concerned that a great many cats currently fed by local residents and welfare

groups are now being collected and taken to Government-run pounds. According to

people on the ground, the welfare and management of these facilities is grim and

the cats are apparently being left to die of starvation and disease.

Together with members of the Capital Welfare Association, we are asking the

local authorities to allow us to visit their confiscation centres in Beijing.

We are offering to discuss proper short-term management and care, together with

more long-term help in a programme that would release vaccinated, micro-chipped

and de-sexed cats back to the areas from which they came. Such TNR (trap,

neuter, release) programmes are already showing how street cats can integrate

safely and harmoniously with local communities in countries across the world –

including China. We have recently funded a similar programme in Guangzhou and

are setting the standard of vet care in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and soon Chengdu

with our vet team outreach programmes, which are providing training at vets

clinics in basic spay/neuter programmes and animal care.

 

Although the government Agriculture Department has expressed a vague interest in

talking with us and local groups, they have still not offered us a date on which

to meet.

 

Thank you for supporting our work – we hope that the Government will offer more

positive news soon and we will update our website as soon as more information

becomes available.

 

http://www.animalsasia.org/