Beijing Cat Issue

[Guest guest]

ACTASia Update on Beijing Cat issue in March 2008

 

Reports in the UK press- The Times on 25th February and the Daily

Mail on 8th March - regarding stray cats in Beijing have caused major

concern to animal lovers worldwide.

 

Many of us are worried that thousands of cats may be in danger due to

the Chinese government's preparation for the Olympic Games this year.

As soon as ACTAsia heard the news, our colleagues in China

immediately started looking

for evidence. We also contacted members of several key Beijing animal

groups.

 

The information we have gathered so far:

 

.. To date, we have found no evidence that the Beijing Municipality

has started organised operations to remove stray cats from streets or

other public areas.

 

.. In June 2007, the Municipality started to establish cat pounds. 18

telephone numbers, one for each district, have been set up for the

public to report stray animals and to find out how to hand over

unwanted pets. So far, we have confirmed that two pounds have been

set up specifically for cats, one permanent and one temporary (from

where cats are transferred to the permanent facility). In November

2007 the Municipality started to publicise these facilities to

encourage the

public to send unwanted and stray cats to these pounds. The

Municipality is planning to build more temporary animal pounds in

different districts.

 

.. When animal groups visited the pounds, they observed that the cats

were kept in appalling welfare conditions as described in Daily

Mail's articles. Many cats were ill, and had not received any

treatment. The cages were small

(30x30cm) and placed in vertical stacks. In December 2007, animal

group Lucky Cats and its volunteers rescued over 60 cats from these

pounds.

 

.. In early January 2008 several key cat rescuers, together with Lucky

Cats, had a meeting with the Vice Director of the Animal Health

Inspection Centre and suggested that the Municipality make the

following changes:

 

1. Increase the size of the cages, isolate sick cats and give them

appropriate treatment o Do not remove neutered and monitored animals

from the streets. Lucky Cats and a few other groups/individuals run

Trap-Neuter-Release programmes in which cats are neutered and cared

for by members of the community.

 

2. When cats are received which have been neutered (to be confirmed

by the ear notch) by animal groups, please ask the groups to remove

the animals from the pound.

 

3. Acknowledge the rescue methods and experience of the animal

groups, and allow volunteers to visit and help at the pounds o

Explain to the public the real purpose of animal pounds and what

happens to unwanted animals in the

pounds, so that people do not have any unrealistic perceptions on the

fate of these animals. Openly explain how animals are dealt with

after 14 days in the pounds. Although it is known that cats are

killed after 14 days, the

method is still unknown.

 

The Centre agreed to inform Lucky Cats when it received neutered

cats. However, cat rescuers are no longer allowed to take other cats

away from the pounds.

 

2 . People are allowed to adopt cats from the pounds if they have not

got any cats at home - to do this, they need to show proof from the

residential community offices.

 

To date, the majority of the cats in the pounds appeared to have been

handed over by their owners, with a small percentage of cats caught

from the street. This abandoning of animals appears to be at least

partly due to a long running government campaign about the

disadvantages and dangers of keeping a cat (such as zoonoses), in

which a false picture is painted of the wonderful life a cat will

have in a pound. Animal groups in Beijing are trying to counteract

this campaign by educating the public about the conditions in the

pounds and the death that awaits abandoned cats. They also provide

information about the benefits of keeping cats, and how to care

responsibly for a cat.

 

In conclusion, we are relieved that no organised operation has been

started to actively catch stray cats in Beijing at this stage, but we

have heard from reliable sources that the municipality is actively

seeking training on how to catch stray cats. This could be an

indication that there may be some organised government action on this

front before too long. Therefore, it is very important to urge the

Beijing Municipality to understand that purely relying on catching

and killing will not resolve stray animal problems, and that it is

important to have a comprehensive approach to tackle the roots of the

problem. It should be noted that like other governments the Beijing

Municipality has set up procedures, facilities and personnel

resources to deal with stray animals. Therefore, ensuring that animal

welfare is considered within this structure will continue to be the

major challenge for animal protection groups both nationally and

internationally.

 

The most urgent problem to be resolved is that of the appalling

conditions in which cats are kept in the Beijing Municipality pounds.

These conditions need to be improved at once. This situation is,

unfortunately, the tip of the iceberg. In order to achieve lasting

positive changes for companion animals, we feel it is important to

focus on building the capacity of local groups so that they can

improve their ability in various ways to tackle these issues

strategically over the long term. ACTAsia will continue to monitor

the situation and is working closely with animal groups in China to

improve the welfare standards of companion animals in Beijing and

elsewhere, through capacity building and project partnerships.

 

www.actasia.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

After reading Pei Su's letter, I realise that Merrit Clifton's response to

the original mail

was remarkably accurate.

 

S. Chinny Krishna

 

aapn [aapn ]On Behalf Of Pei

F. Su

Thursday, March 20, 2008 6:37 PM

aapn

Beijing Cat Issue

 

 

ACTASia Update on Beijing Cat issue in March 2008

 

Reports in the UK press- The Times on 25th February and the Daily

Mail on 8th March - regarding stray cats in Beijing have caused major

concern to animal lovers worldwide.

 

Many of us are worried that thousands of cats may be in danger due to

the Chinese government's preparation for the Olympic Games this year.

As soon as ACTAsia heard the news, our colleagues in China

immediately started looking

for evidence. We also contacted members of several key Beijing animal

groups.

 

The information we have gathered so far:

 

. To date, we have found no evidence that the Beijing Municipality

has started organised operations to remove stray cats from streets or

other public areas.

 

. In June 2007, the Municipality started to establish cat pounds. 18

telephone numbers, one for each district, have been set up for the

public to report stray animals and to find out how to hand over

unwanted pets. So far, we have confirmed that two pounds have been

set up specifically for cats, one permanent and one temporary (from

where cats are transferred to the permanent facility). In November

2007 the Municipality started to publicise these facilities to

encourage the

public to send unwanted and stray cats to these pounds. The

Municipality is planning to build more temporary animal pounds in

different districts.

 

. When animal groups visited the pounds, they observed that the cats

were kept in appalling welfare conditions as described in Daily

Mail's articles. Many cats were ill, and had not received any

treatment. The cages were small

(30x30cm) and placed in vertical stacks. In December 2007, animal

group Lucky Cats and its volunteers rescued over 60 cats from these

pounds.

 

. In early January 2008 several key cat rescuers, together with Lucky

Cats, had a meeting with the Vice Director of the Animal Health

Inspection Centre and suggested that the Municipality make the

following changes:

 

1. Increase the size of the cages, isolate sick cats and give them

appropriate treatment o Do not remove neutered and monitored animals

from the streets. Lucky Cats and a few other groups/individuals run

Trap-Neuter-Release programmes in which cats are neutered and cared

for by members of the community.

 

2. When cats are received which have been neutered (to be confirmed

by the ear notch) by animal groups, please ask the groups to remove

the animals from the pound.

 

3. Acknowledge the rescue methods and experience of the animal

groups, and allow volunteers to visit and help at the pounds o

Explain to the public the real purpose of animal pounds and what

happens to unwanted animals in the

pounds, so that people do not have any unrealistic perceptions on the

fate of these animals. Openly explain how animals are dealt with

after 14 days in the pounds. Although it is known that cats are

killed after 14 days, the

method is still unknown.

 

The Centre agreed to inform Lucky Cats when it received neutered

cats. However, cat rescuers are no longer allowed to take other cats

away from the pounds.

 

2 . People are allowed to adopt cats from the pounds if they have not

got any cats at home - to do this, they need to show proof from the

residential community offices.

 

To date, the majority of the cats in the pounds appeared to have been

handed over by their owners, with a small percentage of cats caught

from the street. This abandoning of animals appears to be at least

partly due to a long running government campaign about the

disadvantages and dangers of keeping a cat (such as zoonoses), in

which a false picture is painted of the wonderful life a cat will

have in a pound. Animal groups in Beijing are trying to counteract

this campaign by educating the public about the conditions in the

pounds and the death that awaits abandoned cats. They also provide

information about the benefits of keeping cats, and how to care

responsibly for a cat.

 

In conclusion, we are relieved that no organised operation has been

started to actively catch stray cats in Beijing at this stage, but we

have heard from reliable sources that the municipality is actively

seeking training on how to catch stray cats. This could be an

indication that there may be some organised government action on this

front before too long. Therefore, it is very important to urge the

Beijing Municipality to understand that purely relying on catching

and killing will not resolve stray animal problems, and that it is

important to have a comprehensive approach to tackle the roots of the

problem. It should be noted that like other governments the Beijing

Municipality has set up procedures, facilities and personnel

resources to deal with stray animals. Therefore, ensuring that animal

welfare is considered within this structure will continue to be the

major challenge for animal protection groups both nationally and

internationally.

 

The most urgent problem to be resolved is that of the appalling

conditions in which cats are kept in the Beijing Municipality pounds.

These conditions need to be improved at once. This situation is,

unfortunately, the tip of the iceberg. In order to achieve lasting

positive changes for companion animals, we feel it is important to

focus on building the capacity of local groups so that they can

improve their ability in various ways to tackle these issues

strategically over the long term. ACTAsia will continue to monitor

the situation and is working closely with animal groups in China to

improve the welfare standards of companion animals in Beijing and

elsewhere, through capacity building and project partnerships.

 

www.actasia.org