200 Dogs Saved, Bound For Chinese Restaurants

[haven]

What exactly is the issue here? I can understand people having issue with the way these animals are acquired, transported and killed but it seems that the majority are against it simply because they are dogs. Don't get me wrong I'd probably barf if I had to eat dog, but I find it a bit hypocritical to condemn a culture for eating one type of meat when we eat several others. What makes a sheep, cow or pig ok to eat and a dog not ok?

[cannibalgoldfish]

I'm assuming someone will chime in about it's how they are treated and loaded up on trucks to be killed (stress) and then how they are killed. We might not agree dogs are food and yes, some are killed in horrific ways. Yet Some people eat dog. Sad but true. At the end of the day its how they are raised and killed that might be the issue , not that they are.

Looking at the photos, they all look the same. Like cattle trucked for slaughter. We might not agree with it but are we stopping every livestock transport truck? Yes, we apparently have better treatment of our food animals.... or do we??????????

Looking at those photos I cant see any difference in animals if someone stopped a cattle truck here in Aus. Truckload of animals sent to slaughter? check. Packed into little cages? check. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with this issue. I just think if we have some issues, we need to look at our own food practises.

Edited April 19, 2011 by cannibalgoldfish

[~Anne~]

What exactly is the issue here? I can understand people having issue with the way these animals are acquired, transported and killed but it seems that the majority are against it simply because they are dogs. Don't get me wrong I'd probably barf if I had to eat dog, but I find it a bit hypocritical to condemn a culture for eating one type of meat when we eat several others. What makes a sheep, cow or pig ok to eat and a dog not ok?

The animals are not exactly treated kindly. We do not transport our cattle like this, these dogs are crammed into the cages;

However, I do understand your point that the idea of eating dog meat itself should be considere din the same way as the idea of eating cow meat or pigs for that matter.

[~Anne~]

An interesting thing that I noted whilst in China, is that the CHinese dote over their pet dogs. I saw them on leads everywhere. They wore cute diamonte collars, the had on impressive fur jackets. They were in beautiful condition and all obviously very pampered.

It seems though that there is a marked difference to how dogs that are menat for slaughter are treated though.

China is changing though. They are certainly becoming more aware and they are apparently currently looking at the introduction of animal abuse laws which will help stop the abusive practices.

[twodoggies2001]

What exactly is the issue here? I can understand people having issue with the way these animals are acquired, transported and killed but it seems that the majority are against it simply because they are dogs. Don't get me wrong I'd probably barf if I had to eat dog, but I find it a bit hypocritical to condemn a culture for eating one type of meat when we eat several others. What makes a sheep, cow or pig ok to eat and a dog not ok?

Sheep, cow or pig are killed in a supposed more humane way, and stunned before slaughter, but the way these dogs are killed is not to be applauded. They are tortured before slaughter because the people eating them believe the adrenalin gives the consumer more sexual prowess. All this is done in front of the others waiting for their turn!!! Jump on google or utube and see for yourself. I agree, different cultures have different beliefs and that's OK, but the cruelty that comes with it is not.

[Staranais]

Does anyone know how these dogs are kept? Are these "free range" dogs or kept in little enclosures? Do they get sufficient environmental enrichment to keep them sane before they're killed? How are they killed?

I don't disagree with eating meat, per se. But I really have an issue with animals that aren't raised or killed humanely.

I've worked on farms & toured slaughterhouses. The vast majority of the free-range cattle and sheep I've seen look pretty happy most of the time (until they get loaded on the truck or prodded up the race to the stun box, anyway!) It just doesn't seem to take much to keep a sheep happy. But I find it hard to see how you could raise dogs humanely for meat. All the carnivores I've ever seen farmed (granted, not in person, only in documentaries or films) seem very understimulated, stressed and unhappy.

[~Anne~]

Does anyone know how these dogs are kept? Are these "free range" dogs or kept in little enclosures? Do they get sufficient environmental enrichment to keep them sane before they're killed? How are they killed?

I don't disagree with eating meat, per se. But I really have an issue with animals that aren't raised or killed humanely.

I've worked on farms & toured slaughterhouses. The vast majority of the free-range cattle and sheep I've seen look pretty happy most of the time (until they get loaded on the truck or prodded up the race to the stun box, anyway!) It just doesn't seem to take much to keep a sheep happy. But I find it hard to see how you could raise dogs humanely for meat. All the carnivores I've ever seen farmed (granted, not in person, only in documentaries or films) seem very understimulated, stressed and unhappy.

It is pretty well documented that the animals are not kept in pleasant conditions. They are not 'farmed' but rather they are caught on the street and are kept in wire cages, where they can barely move. They have sadistic methods of killing the dogs, with the intention of 'preserving the tenderness or making the meat more tender'.

China is not known for gentle treatment of dogs to be slaughtered. This is changing though as I said and animal rights are becoming an issue. Vietnam is another country that has undergone change in this area.

Cats are also treated similarly.

Edited April 19, 2011 by ~Anne~

[~Anne~]

If graphic images do not distress you, then take a look at this sites;

http://www.squidoo.com/dogsinchina

The issue also gained the attention of the UK Parliament where a petition was put before Parliament;

http://www.edms.org.uk/2006-2007/58.htm

While I acknowledge that there maybe a chance that the first article could involve sensationalism, it is without doubt well documented that China does not have a fabulous animal welfare record when ti comes to dogs and cats for the market.

Edited April 19, 2011 by ~Anne~

[twodoggies2001]

If graphic images do not distress you, then take a look at this sites;

http://www.squidoo.com/dogsinchina

The issue also gained the attention of the UK Parliament where a petition was put before Parliament;

http://www.edms.org.uk/2006-2007/58.htm

While I acknowledge that there maybe a chance that the first article could involve sensationalism, it is without doubt well documented that China does not have a fabulous animal welfare record when ti comes to dogs and cats for the market.

I grateful that you posted these links. I didn't want to go as far as stating these poor unfortunate dogs are skinned alive in front of the others waiting for the same end. I have viewed video of these horrific things happening and it was very distressing to me and most of all to the dogs. I have also seen a photos of a german shepherd like dog chained to a fence that had his artery in the groin severed so that he would suffer a slow death. To most people that is incomprehensible.

[merijigs]

What exactly is the issue here? I can understand people having issue with the way these animals are acquired, transported and killed but it seems that the majority are against it simply because they are dogs. Don't get me wrong I'd probably barf if I had to eat dog, but I find it a bit hypocritical to condemn a culture for eating one type of meat when we eat several others. What makes a sheep, cow or pig ok to eat and a dog not ok?

Dogs are NOT livestock. Their intelligence, trainability and thousands of years of development and use as workmates and companion animals gives them a unique position in relation to humankind.

[haven]

Yes, I can absolutely understand umbrage about how the dogs are kept, killed, and how they are obtained (if they are indeed stolen from homes). It just seemed like a few people were in uproar not so much about those things but specifically because it is 'wrong' to eat dog meat.

You make a great point, Staranais, about the different requirements of raising dog humanely for meat consumption to herd animals like sheep and cows.

Don't China have a massive problem with stray dogs on the streets (honest question here, this is not an issue I know a lot about)? Why is this, if it is indeed true, and if it is would people have a problem with these dogs being used for human consumption if they were handled, transported and killed humanely?

[~Anne~]

Yes, I can absolutely understand umbrage about how the dogs are kept, killed, and how they are obtained (if they are indeed stolen from homes). It just seemed like a few people were in uproar not so much about those things but specifically because it is 'wrong' to eat dog meat.

You make a great point, Staranais, about the different requirements of raising dog humanely for meat consumption to herd animals like sheep and cows.

Don't China have a massive problem with stray dogs on the streets (honest question here, this is not an issue I know a lot about)? Why is this, if it is indeed true, and if it is would people have a problem with these dogs being used for human consumption if they were handled, transported and killed humanely?

I am not sure it is as massive as we think. It was media pick-up on a story in Northern Chine were they went on a mass killing spree of dogs (both stray and owned) a year or so ago. I think they killed something in excess of 60 odd thousand dogs?? It may have been linked to an impending world wide event being helod there or was it a plaque like rabies or something??

I'll see if I can find the media stories about it.

[~Anne~]

Here you go, it was due to a rabies outbreak;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...ain-rabies.html

http://www.wspa-international.org/latestne...a_dog_cull.aspx

[haven]

Yes, I can absolutely understand umbrage about how the dogs are kept, killed, and how they are obtained (if they are indeed stolen from homes). It just seemed like a few people were in uproar not so much about those things but specifically because it is 'wrong' to eat dog meat.

You make a great point, Staranais, about the different requirements of raising dog humanely for meat consumption to herd animals like sheep and cows.

Don't China have a massive problem with stray dogs on the streets (honest question here, this is not an issue I know a lot about)? Why is this, if it is indeed true, and if it is would people have a problem with these dogs being used for human consumption if they were handled, transported and killed humanely?

I am not sure it is as massive as we think. It was media pick-up on a story in Northern Chine were they went on a mass killing spree of dogs (both stray and owned) a year or so ago. I think they killed something in excess of 60 odd thousand dogs?? It may have been linked to an impending world wide event being helod there or was it a plaque like rabies or something??

I'll see if I can find the media stories about it.

Yes, that's right, I remember it now that you mention it.

[all4addy]

I haven't ead the replies, but just wanted to say a few things.

1. My DH lived over there for a bit, and his family purchased a "meat pup" from the markets, took it home and kept it as a pet. The thing as blind, sevely malnouished, and well I have seen sluaghterhouse cows in a lot better condition, so even if they are used as food, there are still standards that should be abided by. IMO the whole thing should be banned and jail fo doing so.

2. The state of those "crammed" cages is something you can never forget...ever. Imagine you gabage bin, and how sometimes you get to the point whee you jump on cram down the stuff inside, then you still have bits of bags hanging out and the lid doesn't close fully.....thats what its like. The dogs are shoved in there like some sort of squishable tetris, there are dogs upside down, ones with their paws broken hanging out, its absoutely horible and sends rethcing though my system. Some of these dogs you can still see the obvious owners colla on, a lovely blue collar with gold medallion. An obviously cared for dog.

The whole thing is sickening, but I don't get most things today, like bulls ball soups where they have the bull run, sheeps eyes or fogs legs being a delicacy. The place in Sydney that has live scorpion matinis and cockroach stew, with lovely ant incecream fo dessert. We are tuning every animal into some sort of delicacy/rite/ritual/novelty.

Ok, Ive ranted enough. xxxx

[Lindainfa]

What exactly is the issue here? I can understand people having issue with the way these animals are acquired, transported and killed but it seems that the majority are against it simply because they are dogs. Don't get me wrong I'd probably barf if I had to eat dog, but I find it a bit hypocritical to condemn a culture for eating one type of meat when we eat several others. What makes a sheep, cow or pig ok to eat and a dog not ok?

Dogs are NOT livestock. Their intelligence, trainability and thousands of years of development and use as workmates and companion animals gives them a unique position in relation to humankind.

I am totally against the way they treat dogs, but just because a pig for example is bred as livestock doesn't make it worth any more or less than a dog. Pigs are very intelligent, clean (yes clean) and sensitive creatures. What about the issue of Sow Stalls here in Australia, where the female pig is crammed in a stall, so small that they cant turn around, let alone move at all!

http://www.savebabe.com/ Perhaps we should look at our own practices first. And yes, I am vegetarian.

[haven]

What exactly is the issue here? I can understand people having issue with the way these animals are acquired, transported and killed but it seems that the majority are against it simply because they are dogs. Don't get me wrong I'd probably barf if I had to eat dog, but I find it a bit hypocritical to condemn a culture for eating one type of meat when we eat several others. What makes a sheep, cow or pig ok to eat and a dog not ok?

Dogs are NOT livestock. Their intelligence, trainability and thousands of years of development and use as workmates and companion animals gives them a unique position in relation to humankind.

I am totally against the way they treat dogs, but just because a pig for example is bred as livestock doesn't make it worth any more or less than a dog. Pigs are very intelligent, clean (yes clean) and sensitive creatures. What about the issue of Sow Stalls here in Australia, where the female pig is crammed in a stall, so small that they cant turn around, let alone move at all!

http://www.savebabe.com/ Perhaps we should look at our own practices first. And yes, I am vegetarian.

I apologise Merijigs, perhaps you posted at the same time as I did because I didn't see your reply until it was quoted. But basically I agree with Linda, I don't see why dogs shouldn't be eaten when other cultures eat just about anything, including deer, horse, crocodile, turtle, frogs etc. Dogs are not the only animal of intelligence that are eaten by some people, or the only animal used and trained by some people as companions. Isn't there a religion or culture that revere cows? Imagine the uproar if they tried to prevent us, in another country, from eating beef! As distasteful as I find it personally, we have no right to take issue with other countries or cultures eating dogs IMO, except with the manner in which those animals get onto their plate.

ETA actually, it occurs to me that there are other issues to consider, for example overfishing and the potential extinction of some species, but I hope you understand that my point is, if all of these kinds of issues can be handled morally then I don't see why one animal ought to be given status over another in terms of being eaten.

Edited April 20, 2011 by haven

[RL1]

this makes me sick.

In Vietnam, they've stopped eating dogs... not sure if that's the case in the country, but the main parts of Vietnam have stopped.

I wonder if they've stopping eating the dogs for the welfare of the dogs, or is it really so it doesn't harm tourism ??

[Tempus Fugit]

If you want to know more about chinese meat dog farming google on the chinese characters 肉狗 (edible dogs).

A number of meat dog farms have websites:

Fankuai

Yalongquan

Henan

Xiang

Oron

Yongxing

Beacon

Bishan

[~Anne~]

this makes me sick.

In Vietnam, they've stopped eating dogs... not sure if that's the case in the country, but the main parts of Vietnam have stopped.

I wonder if they've stopping eating the dogs for the welfare of the dogs, or is it really so it doesn't harm tourism ??

Cynical much?

Society attitudes change. Animal welfare is becoming an issue the world over. Traditions change, ideas change, standards change.