Petition to US Gov't to help prohibit Dog Meat Industry

[Tobi]

(Quoted from the petition page)

"We petition the Obama Administration to:
work with Asian animal rights activists and politicians to create laws that prohibit the cruel dog meat market industry."

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitio...t-industry

Only 642 signatures so far and the goal is 100,000. So please sign and share.

[Catherine]

I have signed the petition. We need to fight the dog meat industry in any way possible. If there is enough pressure from around the world, it will help those who are fighting it at home. Someday it will be a part of history that future generations will have trouble believing ever happened.

[LPC]

I signed as well. Much as I hope that the petition will succeed, I fear that it is expecting too much for the US Administration to work with Asian animal rights activists. It certainly should do so, but realistically the chances of it happening are more or less zero.

Considering sanctions against countries which eat dog meat would probably work - but the trade with China and Korea is probably too big for the US Govt. to even look at the idea. Money before ethics, as usual.

[Catherine]

I agree with you. Even the USA can't influence and pressure enough to change things even if they want to. I think the change will come from within the countries that eat dog. Their own people will reject it.
That is the only change that will work in the end. We just need to be supportive of their efforts.

I wish there was some way to bring more of the rescued dogs out of the country to safer places. Then they could concentrate on the dogs still in danger. Once a dog is actually rescued it should be possible to pass it on to people elsewhere. That is what we can do. The American government could arrange to airlift dogs to places where they could get homes. Of course there are dogs in need in the USA already, but sometimes that is a matter of moving them to places where there are homes. In Toronto we are taking Chihuahuas from Los Angeles and finding them homes. We bring a number of dogs in to our shelters and find them homes. I wish we could do an airlift from China and Korea.

[LPC]

(07-24-2015, 02:03 PM)Catherine Wrote: I think the change will come from within the countries that eat dog. Their own people will reject it.
That is the only change that will work in the end. We just need to be supportive of their efforts.

Yes, and lots of petitions also help to raise awareness of the issue.

[Tobi]

Unfortunately in the eyes of the law in those countries, the dogs for consumption are considered the owner's (merchant's) property. Similar to a farmer's herd of cows.... Perhaps they technically are, as the merchant may have exchanged money for them.
Now the tricky bit would be proving the merchant had handled stolen goods, in the case where dogs have been stolen still wearing ID collars from their original owners. And whether the police are willing to view that as a crime, or even to spend time investigating it....
They probably wouldn't even think of it. And collars are easily removed. Even microchips are. It is easy to feel them beneath the skin.
There is quite a bit of money changes hands in that 'industry'. Apparently one dog, for meat, is worth $200.
I wouldn't expect the police to change their ways unless it were enforced by Government rules. And even then, there could be corruption.

And I suppose realistically, no other country has a right to tell a culture what meat they can or can't eat. It's not as if dogs are on the 'endangered species' list. Change has to come concerning the intense cruelty however, plus the legal rights of the dogs' original owners (where it can be proven), and animal welfare legislation worldwide (which some countries feel they are exempt from!).
It is a tricky subject politically, legally and practically, and the countries involved have to be willing to co-operate.

But nevertheless, we all have to keep shouting. These tremendous hurdles should never be used as an excuse.

[Catherine]

Quote:Yes, and lots of petitions also help to raise awareness of the issue.

Quote:But nevertheless, we all have to keep shouting. These tremendous hurdles should never be used as an excuse.

I think we are all seeing the problem in the same way. It is complicated and it is going to take a lot of work to sort out. Many things have to change in the countries where dogs are being eaten. The changes have to come from within the countries.

However pressure from outside sources is important. Governments are sensitive to outside pressures. Activists are encouraged by them.
So as much as possible we need to be part of the outside pressures.
Alone we can do little, but many of us want to end the dog meat industry and together our voices will be heard. So we need to keep posting and signing petitions and making public anything we can about the dog meat festivals.
I wish there could be quick results, but we all know that real change takes time. All bad things come to an end when enough good people want to stop them.

[AnimalFamily]

(07-25-2015, 02:38 AM)Tobi Wrote: .....And I suppose realistically, no other country has a right to tell a culture what meat they can or can't eat........

While I agree it is disconcerting to think of anyone choosing to eat dog. I think the thought is ingrained in my brain because here we have domesticated our dogs and consider them pets/loved ones.
However, in all fairness, I must consider the above portion of Tobi's quote.
I know there are cultures that will starve before they will kill and eat a cow, as these are highly regarded animals in their culture. Yet we raise [beef] cattle specifically for butchering. A practice I think they would find appalling.
So i must say I'm not really sure what to think on the subject.

[Catherine]

I think part of the objection to dog meat is how it is done.

Many of the dogs are stolen pets. Some even have collars on and when they are rescued it is obvious that they are pets.

The dogs are kept and transported in very inhumane conditions.

The way the are killed is brutal. In some places puppies are boiled alive. Dogs are beaten to death because it is thought that they would taste better.

I am never going to like the idea of dog meat. It seems that cruelty is built into the whole custom of eating dog.

A whole other level of objection is the extreme unhygienic conditions of the whole festival. It can't be safe to serve meat prepared like that.
I am sure there are diseases that are transmitted through this.

[Ruth]

The petition is closed now. I wish I could have signed it. I think it is horrible they eat dogs!!