from [email protected]
A global Petition which has attracted nearly 4 million
signatures and supporters is to be presented to the United Nations in
November. Representatives from New Zealand, Norway, Italy and Great
Britain will be attending the presentation. The Petition is protesting
the fact that China is importing
western breed dogs, namely, Saint Bernards, Great Danes,
Newfoundlands, Tibetan Mastiffs and breeding them as livestock for food.
Some quarters have said that there is nothing to be done
as it is China's "culture" to eat dogs. Mrs. Elly Maynard, Initiator of
the Petition and President of Phoenix Animal Trust New Zealand
disagrees. "If you want to talk 'culture', then these animals belong to
ours. We breed them purely
as domestic companion animals not food and this will
never happen". Four million people agree and the signatures are still
coming in from every part of the world.
With many Asian countries now banning the slaughter and
sale of dog meat, it is about time that China became a part of the world
and followed suit. Otherwise, it will seem that this country thinks they
can do what they please with our animals. The Korean dog situation is
horrendous and our
animals are being slaughtered the same, though with the
Saints, the slaughter has been refined to include cutting holes in their
paws and letting them bleed to death, breaking of legs the night before
slaughter and of course, the live skinning so the coats do not shed to
name a few methods.
Mrs. Maynard is fully committed to this cause and will
be traveling to Rome to present the Petition. "We want the dogs
classified as not for human consumption. While the United Nations do not
set laws, they have the power to classify these animals on the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the UN list of all edible animals. It is
interesting to note that dogs do not appear anywhere on the list."
The breeding/cross breeding of these beautiful animals
was started as a pure money making venture. The Saints were chosen
because they did not bite and had large litters of puppies. To all those
signing the international petitions there is also no difference between
a full bred Saint Bernard and a cross bred one. The breeding of these
animals as livestock is abhorrent.
Great Britain is presently voting on a Bill which will
safeguard all animals going to Asia. It has passed the first Reading
unopposed and goes to a Second Reading in three weeks time.
Go on to Say No To
Trapping Stamp
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