PERHAPS, like me, you have read the monthly lists of exported pedigree dogs in the New Zealand Kennel Gazette and are horrified to see that several Labradors have been sent to China, Korea and the Philippines this year by NZ breeders. Perhaps, if these breeders would care to log on to http://sirius.2kat.net they might see horrifying images that would make them think twice about exporting to countries where dogs are tortured and slaughtered in the most brutal and inhumane fashion.
If the aforementioned breeders are not ashamed to send their precious Labradors to these countries, then they won't be ashamed if the NZKC prints their names in the Kennel Gazette every time a dog is exported. Let's suggest that to the NZKC!
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This dog was one of the lucky ones - it was rescued before it could be bashed and hacked to death for a meal in the Philippines.
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Be warned, the pictures and stories on this website are extremely distressing but all dog lovers should be aware of the horror perpetrated every day on innocent creatures. I defy anyone to view this website and not weep tears of outrage, frustration and grief.
Here are some excerpts from the Sirius website:
"It seems that cruelty toward animals is endemic throughout Asia, although the South Koreans are truly outstanding in this field of endeavor. The exact figures vary according to the source, however it is certain that at least 2 million dogs are tortured to death each year. Dogs die a slow death for a different reason. In the early 1980s, when new-found prosperity saw an increase in demand for beef and pork, the dog butchers propagated the myth that dog meat was an aphrodisiac.
The final touch to this lie was the embellishment that the more the animal suffered in its death, the more tender and "potent" its flesh would be. The dog butchers are very imaginative in the administering of this slow death. Slow strangulation or hanging is one of their favourite methods, since there are no costs involved and they can regulate the suffering and length of time it takes the dog to die. Often, the strangulation ends before the dog is dead, and it dies from shock as its fur is burnt off with a blow-torch. Another favourite method is to suspend the dog by its hind legs and beat it to death with sticks or bats. This method has the advantage of not having to rely upon adrenaline to tenderise the meat and can take up to an hour.
"In the Philippines, dogs are usually sold at markets while still alive, their front limbs dislocated and tied painfully behind their backs, and a jagged tin can rammed over their jaws to make them easier to handle. All in blatant disregard of a law that carries a minimal penalty which the police do not bother to even try to enforce"
And here ..another eye witness account of suffering in the Philippines:
"The area around Baguio City is the dog-eating centre of the Philippines where for centuries people have killed and eaten the animals with impunity. An early-morning raid on an illegal slaughterhouse took us into a scene from hell. It was no more than a grubby backyard with bamboo shelters, its cracked concrete floor splattered with fresh blood. On a table in the middle was a pile of dead dogs, their throats slashed and their jaws still tightly bound with plastic ties. One of the animals began to twitch. Blood dripped from its mouth.
"Around them were the tools of the butcher's trade - a blood-stained wooden club used to beat the dogs, knives and choppers to finish them off and a gas-fired blow torch for burning away their fur.
"And in cages nearby were the dogs which would have been next for the chopping block. They stared meekly at us, subdued, weak from heat exhaustion and unable to make any noise. With no food or water, they had watched their fellow animals being slaughtered and must have assumed that we had come to do the same to them."
The following is an eye witness account of the slaughtering process in a Chinese village where dogs are slaughtered for skins and meat:
"One by one, dogs are taken into a filthy shed where staff using long-handled tongs restrain each animal around the neck. A second person then strikes the dog over the head with an iron bar before plunging a knife into its throat, drawing it down towards the heart.
The slain beast is then skinned, and its meat freshly sliced, chopped and parcelled up for distribution to local restaurants. Stewed, fried or minced - and served with lots of chilli - dog meat is a delicacy in the Shandong province of northern China, where it is sold for the equivalent of £1.70 a kilo."
The New Zealand contact for the Sirius Global Animal Organisation is Ellie Maynard and she can be contacted by email at: conectus@enternet.co.nz or by mail at :P.O. Box 642, Tauranga. Elly must be one of NZ's unsung heroes for her work in this field.
"Sirius" desperately needs funds for its fight against these cruel practices so please take the time to send a donation ... no matter how small, it will help. Donations may be made online through their website but cheques can be posted to the above address made out to Sirius Global Animal Organisation (this is a registered charity).
In response to those Labrador breeders who believe that exporting pedigree dogs to the above countries is perfectly acceptable because they are being sent to "reputable breeders", think again ... I have recently been told of a Labrador bitch who was exported to the Philippines in good faith to a "reputable" breeder. For one reason or another, the bitch was not retained by this breeder and was "passed on" to relatives. This bitch has now disappeared without trace and enquiries about her welfare and whereabouts have met with a wall of silence. All breeders considering exporting to Korea, China, the Philippines etc must be aware of the following scenarios:
What would happen to this dog if the breeder was killed or died of illness and his kennel stock was dispersed? What would happen if the dog or bitch was not able to reproduce and was re-homed...maybe several times? What would happen if the breeder became bankrupt or short of money and had to dispose of the dogs to the highest bidder? Can you guarantee with absolute certainty that the dog at some stage in it's life will not end up in the hands of people who would be using it for other purposes? Remember there is a lot of meat and hide on a fully grown Labrador retriever.
Also, Labrador breeders should be aware that the presence of pedigree Labradors on dog meat farms in China is now well documented. And New Zealand itself has dog meat farms in existence. On the 9th of June 2003, Television NZ One News screened an item about a raid on a dog farm in rural South Auckland run by the Poh family. The camera panned along the kennel block to reveal the gut-wrenching site of Labradors amongst the unfortunate dogs in the pens. They looked nice, typey specimens. The Pohs must have purchased these dogs from breeders - either direct, or through the dubious auspices of a pet shop.
I will leave you with the famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi - "the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way it treats its animals"
It is reported that the Poh family has resurrected and is still trading around Auckland - breeders of all types of dogs are warned to avoid this person at all costs! - Ed
