News
Tragedy in China
IAKA's Response to the China dog Culls
IAKA has received many emails calling for our help and intervention regarding the Chinese government’s tragic decision to cull thousands of pet dogs in response to a rise in human rabies cases. In July and August 2006, authorities throughout the Chinese countryside confi scated and killed thousands of dogs. Over 50,000 dogs were slaughtered in a 5-day killing spree in the Yunnan province, where methods included hanging, electrocution, and beating to death.
Most recently, the Beijing municipal government announced they would be enforcing a 1995 regulation limiting each family to one dog no taller than 35 cm (14 in), which must be registered and vaccinated. Starting Nov 7, authorities have been entering homes to
confi scate and kill any dog that doesn’t meet regulations. The announcement sparked a rare protest in Beijing, where some demonstrators alleged that underlying motives of the policy are to rid the streets of strays in preparation for the 2008 Olympics.
Here at IAKA we are horrified by these barbaric policies which have resulted in the confi scation and inhumane killing of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dogs. We acknowledge that rabies has become a health crisis in China, but massive slaughter has proven to be an ineffective means of controlling rabies. Furthermore, the Beijing policy places arbitrary limits based on breed and size, not aggression.
The rise of dogs kept as companion animals in China is a comforting statistic for many of us in the international community; however, to effectively manage strays and prevent rabies, China must adopt better vaccine protocols and promote awareness among the population of pet owners. Currently, only 3% of dogs in China are vaccinated. China must follow the lead of other nations who have nearly eliminated rabies through large-scale vaccinations, not large-scale slaughter.
