China's Cruel Cure for Rabies

Two weeks ago a headline hit news stands and Internet sites that shocked nearly everyone: “China Begins Mass Dog Slaughter.”

The story behind the headline: As a result of three rabies deaths, Muding County in China’s Yunnan Province initiated a dog cull, aiming to kill 50,000 dogs in the county whether or not they had been vaccinated against rabies. Coordinated by the county police department, dog owners were told to kill their dogs themselves or face dog butchers clubbing their dogs to death.

Nearly 50,000 dogs were clubbed and beaten to death.

Upon questioning by IFAW, Muding County has now claimed to have stopped the cruel massacre. Whether this decision was in reaction to global outcry and opposition, or whether it was because there were simply no more dogs left to slaughter, is unclear.

While Muding County may have dropped their beating sticks, there is still an extremely high chance that other counties will engage in the same exercise in a misguided effort to get rid of rabies. According to media reports, Shandong Province, where 16 people have died from rabies in the last 8 months, is gearing up for a mass slaughter of their own.

Unfortunately, this is not a unique event in China. With no animal welfare legislation at the central government level and without an effective vaccination program or dedicated education efforts, the rabies problem is certain to return. However, in fairness not every county in China plans to execute the same ‘ingenious’ plan. Some counties are allowing owners to have their pets vaccinated for a fee of $25.

Without a doubt, rabies continues to be a battle for China. According to the Chinese Health Ministry, 2375 rabies deaths were reported last year nationwide. There is no question as to whether this problem needs to be dealt with or not, it definitely does. The world is merely asking China to consider humane options that make sense both to solve the problem and relieve such needless suffering for dogs.

I’m curious, does anyone know why police and military dogs are being spared……?

Comments

[Marina]

I would like to appeal to people to boycott China by trying to steer away from products made there----and letting China know this. The fact that there are NO animal welfare laws in place are despicable ---and this in a country whose people claim to be highly evolved and superior when it comes to culture and spirituality. The money grubbers of the world will never care, it is up to the people on the street to take a position on this and LET CHINA KNOW. Let people in stores know you are looking for NOT China made, let the Chinese government know you plan to stay away from their products, go on the internet and research which companies use chinese labour in order to produce cheap products-and let them know you will not be buying from them. You will be giving your own country and culture a boost as well as pulling the noose tight around the necks of those who care nothing for animals and their rights. PLEASE---lets try and stop this atrocious behaviour. As I write this dogs are suffering and dying. Please, do just one little thing a day to try and put an end to this.
I wish you all well
Marina

[Amy]

I am sickened as to the way this is being handled in China...surprised...NO...because it seems that China do not care about animal welfare at all. Where is the government? Where are the animal rights? And WHO could do such horrible things to these dogs and not even care???? It amazed me that Chinese people do not care for animal life.....that they are choosing to club and beat to death thousands of dogs instead of having rabies shots given to their pets. The Chinese government is one the most useless and infamous governments in the world. Do something...step up and have your voice heard if anyone wants to put a stop to this inhumane treatment of animals!!!

[Amy]

I am sickened as to the way this is being handled in China...surprised...NO...because it seems that China do not care about animal welfare at all. Where is the government? Where are the animal rights? And WHO could do such horrible things to these dogs and not even care???? It amazed me that Chinese people do not care for animal life.....that they are choosing to club and beat to death thousands of dogs instead of having rabies shots given to their pets. The Chinese government is one the most useless and infamous governments in the world. Do something...step up and have your voice heard if anyone wants to put a stop to this inhumane treatment of animals!!!

[Marcela Donato]

I am not surprised. China's behaviour towards animals is despicable but since I saw the video of raccoons, foxes, rabbits being skinned alive for their fur, nothing shocks me any more. These are the same people that eat dogs and cats, eat seal penises to enhance their sexual potency or eat wild cats which ultimately caused the SARS epidemics. I am boycotting China and the world shoud boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Make your voice heard, for the animals.
Please sign my petition on this matter.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/929719093?ltl=1155865355

[Emily]

I had never heard of the people of China skinning animals alive, although it wouldn't surprise me given the extent to which humans can be so evil. But there are also so many people who love animals, like me, out there. Frankly I would rather be around animals than people sometimes. I would do anything to stop this bizarre behaviour. I certainly won't be buying anything (or as little as possible, seeing as almost everything is MADE IN CHINA) that they produce. I hope we can act fast because the more we sit around and feel sad, the more loving, helpless dogs are mercilessly beaten to death.

[Raina Spaziani]

BOYCOTT all Chinese goods! Hit these uncivilized creatures where it hurts...in the pocketbook. The Chinese are a dirty, uncaring lot as a race. I work around them every day and find their manners and habits dispicable. They treat people badly, why would they treat animals any differently. They eat cat and dog, so why protect them?? Stop buying WalMart products. All of it is made in China. If we refuse to contribute to their economy the situation will change over night!

[Maria]

As China becomes one of the economic forces driving the world, we need to ensure they also become leaders on environmental and animal welfare issues. They are so focused on growing their wealth that they are forgetting their past, their roots as a nation. What about bear farming? I think the world needs to know the kind of things China is capable of doing, especially before the Olympic Games in 2008, in hopes they would realize the cruelty of their practices.

[Jen]

Barbarians...

Unfortunately look at almost everything you will see "Made in China"....Makes me sick.

[Mitja]

I would just like to say that this kind of behaviour is sick and cruel and I for one would put financial restrains on China, until they changed their animal welfare politics.

[Maureen]

One morning about a year ago, my big tough 25 year old son said he had been looking at animal welfare sites on the net the previous evening, and he had come across the worst thing he had ever seen regarding animal cruelty. He said he would never forget what he saw, the horror would stay with him forever. He would not tell me what it was, so I went through my list of animal rights issues, and came up with the slaughter of animals for fur in China, and was correct. He made me promise not to watch the video, but I told him I had already read all about it on the internet. The wholesale slaughter of dogs and cats because of the rabies outbreak is just another wicked example of their total lack of compassion or indeed their inability to do anything properly. Please take notice of the post above from Marina, and be guided by her suggestions - it is no good just not buying produce from China - they have to know you will not be buying it. Lastly my heart goes out to those poor people in China who have had their beloved animal companions dragged away from them and butchered. You are not alone, there are many, many people in the West who will fight with you for animal rights legislation in your country, and sympathise deeply for your current plight.

[Kieran]

Well i think this slaughter of innocent dogs is just cruelty so couple dogs have rabeis so you kill all dogs in a five mile radius killing thousands of dogs thats the cure!!it's insane. Ok lets say in China a couple people have sars they dont go killing all people in a 5 mile radius they go to hospitals and try to cure it why cant it be the same for animals animals feal pain happiness depression ect...thats all i have to say.

Kieran Nanaimo B.C

[Tara]

While the recent mass slaughter of dogs in China is certainly despicable let's not lose sight of the fact that we in the West are not squeaky clean either. Rather than demonising a nation we should recognise that all people could lift their game.

[Marcela donato]

We are not clean in the west at all but at least we have SOME animal welfare laws and beating a dog to death would definetely result in a conviction for animal cruelty. Our worst crimes in the west are to support cruel industries such as the fur industry, dairy , leather and meat. This is not the 15 th century any more. We don't need animals to feed ourselves or dress ourselves. Best thing I did in my life was to become a vegan.

[Louise]

These recent events in China infuriate me to the point of explosion, I can not believe and find it really hard to accept that a mass slaughter like this is allowed to take place and how no compassion can be shown to these poor animals. Animal cruelty is so widespread across the globe and live for the day when laws are tightened and animal welfare is mandatory.Whaling,slaughterhouses, culling of seals in Canada,captivity of animals abused in circuses, complete ignorance and stupidity of some pet owners, the greed of man which contributes to thousands of cruelty cases across the globe, dancing bears, animal testing,the list is endless unfortunately....I wish for all unecessary suffering to stop...

[soph]

bravo pour ton blog, il est trés bien fait
soph

[Diana Barrowcliff]

I was just wondering if China does the same thing to their people if they end having a disease. Their reputation for what they do to their female children is legendary so I guess from people who are so uneducated on the ways of the world today what could we expect.

[CAROLE TURNER]

I am appauled!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't there anythng anyone can do to help those poor helpless sweet aniamls? I truly wich I could afford to take a trip to China and beat one of those IDIOTS to death(slowly). Animals do not have a voice. We must somehow STOP THE SLAUGHTER. It sickens me to think there are people ill-minded enough to do these types of things. Yes, there is animal cruelty all over the world...but to slaughter 50,000 dogs?
Animal lover here.
Carole

[Kieran]

Myself as an animal lover I am in pain everytime I have to mension these subjects to my friends and family to get my point across and to tell people whats going on wether it's in china or newfoundland or wherever animals are suffering from humans made disasters,slaughets or just diasasters(ect. I cant imagine how anyone can look a seal in the eye raise the Hakipic and club it to death! Same goes with any other animal killed not just this issue but every issue.I'm so glad they made this site I love expressing my opinion where almost everyone will agree with me. Unlike my school where everyone around me just says Kill Seals! Boil cats alive! Ect. so thank you for making a blog.

Kieran James Davidson
British Columbia Canada

[renee]

What these SICK, CRUEL chinese and korean people sow, so shall they reap!! May every single one of them rot in hell for the cruelty that they inflict on animals. I do not buy any products that are made in Asia. Boycott Asia. They are not going to ever become the next world power

[Kieran]

But Remember not all of the korean's and chinese people eat and torture dogs yes im against this inhumane cruelty but only some of there poeple eat dogs i do belive dogs should ahve a happy life inside a home witha great owner

Kieran

[June Zhao]

I am Chinese and was born and raised in China. As an animal lover and vegetarian, it is heart broken to witness or read all the animal cruelty happening in China. I feel physical pains in my heart when I think about the suffering of animals, in China or where else. Yes many Chinese see dogs differently from Western world just as non-vegetarians or hunters see farm animals and wild animals differently from vegetarian/vegan. All animals have feeling and souls. They deserve better life. If you really want to help animals in China, you can let your voice heard by Chinese government and Chinese people as a bloc. Donations to IFAW or other international animal welfare organizations are one of effective way to help those defenseless animals. As I know some of the international organizations are opening offices in China. I don't agree with some people here that Chinese are evil people in nature. China just opened its door in 1980s. There are many things China can learn from western countries, one of them is animal welfare. Any nation or race has its own flaws in terms of culture or habits/behaviors. Attacking each other is not the solution. Condemning Chinese would not ease animals' suffering there. One good example is how Japan has evolved over the years. One of my friends told me when he was in Japan in early 1950s, restaurants there would ask you to pick an alive dog in the backyard for your dish. But today Japan has better animal welfare system than many of the western countries. But they still have many problems such as slaughtering whale for human consumption. Taking actions either by writing letters to Chinese trade/tourist organizations or Chinese embassy near you or donating to international organizations who have presence or plan to enter China are ways you can help those poor animals there!! Education is the key!!

Thank you for caring for all of our animals, dogs, cats, seals, cows, pigs... Imagine how many terkeys were slaughtered for Thanksgiving dinners..

June Zhao

[Paul]

Brutal Killing of Animals is just the tip of the iceberg, over 30,000 people were killied in Beijing in the first half of this year in Road Accidents, the Government was pleased that there had been a drop, and then predicted a 75,000 annual cull of people on its City roads, 10's of thousands of people forced from their Hutongs for Olympic car parks, Olympic venues sinking, main stadiun with sections collapsing, velodrome with a major fire and no steel being replaced, 30 people shot and killed by security Police because power station developers would not pay compensation for their land, a 13 year old girl murdered by police with a stun gun as she watched people protesting about corrupt officials, security police severely beating 80+ year olds because the stupid foreign press used their face's when reporting on subsidence caused by inept olympic building practices,
Security police mudering people that would not move for the olympics, manipulation of many foreign governments through colonialisn, and threats to stop investment if they complain about how they rape their countries of natural resources, All of this is supported by the WTO, who now has a Chinese judge to ensure that IPR theft by Chinese Government sponsored departments goes unpunished, Just like the exact copy of the BMW X5, its called a CEO in China, and the government factory made fake heart drugs and other medicines that poison or kill the recipients, ALL state owned companies produce copies, Foreign governments are also to blame for not having the Balls to make a stand and force change for good.. The Chinese people just want a quiet life, so are like the three wise monkeys!! These events are just a standard day in China, and dont allow the Chinese smoke screen of diverting attention to Western Crimes, at least we have real Police and justice systems to remedy any illegal activity, we are also not taught a pack of lies on world history in school!!

[dilon.brock]

I think the idea for killing dogs is really unthaughtful because if you imagine yourself as a dog not knowing your going to be beaten to death, i would think you know, it wasn't their fault for getting the rabies?

[dilon.brock]

We should think for others including our native animals

[Char 12]

Disgraceful, boycott the olympics, write to the Chinese embassy and fight against inhumanity in this vile country, with its useless government