Dogs have a long history of providing companionship to humans, being loved for their affectionate, loyal attitude towards their owners. Most dog owners think of their dog as being a part of their family, and treat them as a valued member of their household. However, this is not the case in all countries. Recently, China has initiated a mass killing of dogs, many of which are clubbed to death on the streets. The reasoning for the slaughtering of over 50,000 dogs seems to be the ineptitude of the Chinese government to control the spread of rabies.
Chinese officials have organized “dog killing teams”, which are responsible for the complete eradication of dogs in areas most affected by rabies. These teams, led by police officials, are tasked with hunting down every dog in the zoned areas. These dogs are often ripped from their owner’s hands, and beaten to death right on the street. The city of Hanzhong has been recently targeted as being one of the areas most heavily affected by rabies. Shi Ruihua, head of the livestock department in Hanzhong, said that beating the dogs to death was found to be the “most economical” option for dealing with the rabies problem. In some villages, dog killing teams make noise to encourage dogs to start barking, and then hunt them down to kill them. The majority of the dogs are clubbed, beaten or stoned to death.
The reason behind this unimaginable slaughter of dogs seems extremely irrational. Thirteen people have died from rabies since March 2009 in the city of Hanzhong. Only 3% of dogs in China are estimated to be vaccinated against rabies, while over 70% of households in China currently own a dog.
China’s decision to simply kill thousands of dogs is an extremely irresponsible method for dealing with the rabies problem. Some people speculate that the only reason that China is focusing on destroying dogs, is that the government is trying to “clean” the city for China’s national day on October 1st, 2009. Though this may be the case, it is clear to the rest of the world that the government is simply trying to cover up their ineptitude to implement a rabies vaccination program. To put it lightly – Something needs to be done. From an empathetic standpoint, try to imagine that your dog was forcefully taken from you, and beaten to death right before your eyes. There are some acts that are executed with obvious disregard for the humane treatment of animals, and this is a prime example. A government’s decision to cover up their own faulty political system by slaughtering 50,000 dogs should not be without reprehension. If you consider yourself an animal lover, it is now your duty to take a stand, to make your voice heard against this extremely cruel practice taking place even at this very moment.
Many animal rights activists are already encouraging people to take a stand to protest this merciless slaughter of domesticated dogs in China. PETA has already initiated a public boycott of all products made or manufactured in China, while other groups have called for the USA and Europe to make a public denunciation of the act. Some people have begun a “call for action”, with several petitions already circulating around the internet. It’s true, many people may be disturbed by this situation, but it takes a true animal lover to actually take a stand and initiate action to help bring the slaughter of dogs to a stop. If you wish to make your voice heard, and to truly make a difference in this situation, you can begin by contacting an animal rights group in your area. If enough people are active in protesting this situation, perhaps we can all make a difference in making this world a more humane place for our animal companions.
[...] China Deems Necessary to Slaughter Dogs [...]