Dog thief caught red-handed
- Occy was almost dinner

IN early October 2002, in Victoria, Australia, Occy, a Staffordshire terrier pup, was destined for someone's dinner plate. But a suspicious dog lover saved him from the pot when she questioned an Asian-looking man carrying a dog in a plastic bag. Nine-week-old Occy was tied up inside with a plastic bag around his neck - a day after vanishing from his owner's back yard.

Occy's brush with death, once publicised, prompted steps to put in place a ban on the consumption of dog and cat meat in Victoria - a practice that was not illegal at the time. The law allowed an individual to slaughter an animal for his or her own consumption provided they did not sell or give away the meat.

RSPCA president Hugh Wirth had been trying to have the loophole closed for some time. He said he had been stalled by the Government claiming cultural sensitivities ... a statement Agriculture Minister Keith Hamilton had repeated.

"We live in a multicultural society. We have to respect cultural practices from other groups of people," Dr Wirth said.

But after Occy's story became known, Mr Hamilton vowed to act. "This sort of practice is not acceptable to the Government or, I would think, the great majority of Victorian people," he said. "We will look at ways in which we can legislate to make sure that this practice is not acceptable in Victoria."

Sales assistant Rebecca Sliva had noticed the man carrying a dog in a plastic bag in Niddrie's Wallis Mall and asked to see the dog.

The man did not understand her questions and Ms Sliva asked a worker from a nearby restaurant to translate.

Both were shocked when the man acted aggressively toward the pup and indicated he planned to eat it. Ms Sliva took Occy from the man after he tried to sell the pup to her. He did not resist.

Occy was taken to a local vet, where he was treated and a new home found for him. However, after a vet nurse saw a lost dog notice in the area, Occy was returned to his owners Erin Marquis and Shannon Richter - six days after he had vanished.

Ms Marquis had pinned up lost dog posters, door-knocked the area, rung pounds and walked the streets looking for Occy after he disappeared. "I think I had most of Niddrie looking for him," she said.

Occy's ordeal has shocked her: "Pups go missing all the time ... I was thinking very measuredly about it, trying to think he was at a nice home, but imagine if he had not been found, what would have happened."

Mr Richter, too, had difficulty believing what Occy's fate could have been: "I didn't believe it - it doesn't seem real."

Welfare groups working to have the sale of dog and cat meat banned in Asia were shocked the practice had appeared in Melbourne. "We are very disturbed in hearing that this practice is going on in Victoria," said Dogaid Australia president Laura Teresa.

On October 19, acting with pleasing speed after reading the story of Occy, Australian government officials banned the eating of cats and dogs. The move by Victoria state came after a newspaper sparked public outrage by publishing the story of Occy's theft and almost fate.

The pup's owner said she couldn't believe someone was intending to eat her dog. She stated: "People in Australia go and get a pie, not a dog."

Agriculture minister Keith Hamilton said that after hearing the tale he decided to toughen up meat industry laws concerning the consumption of animals, describing the practice of dog eating as "abhorrent".

There was later a small concern from vote-wary members of parliament that minority groups would be offended by the new law, but the president of the Korean Society of Victoria said Koreans living in Victoria did not eat dog because they had accepted Australian culture when they had begun living in Australia - anyone not willing to accept that requirement had the option of returning to Korea.

Editor's note: Can you imagine the New Zealand MPs, PC to the point even of inventing beliefs for other cultures, passing a law banning such repulsive practices within two weeks of hearing about them happening? I have to say I personally think not - such frenzy is reserved for really important stuff ... like the raising of MPs salaries!