AnimalsAsia Foundation (English, Deutsch, other languages too) has reacted to the brutal killing of over 50,000 pet dogs in Yunnan Province by meeting with the authorities and presenting suggestions of humane ways to approach rabies.
On their website is a sample letter / email (scroll down) – they want as many people as possible to write and complain to the authorities in China.
Protestbrief an die Behörden in China auf Deutsch (unter der Rubrik Töten von Haushunden).
I don’t know if this will help, but it seems the only way that might.
From an email from AAF:
bq. As you may have read from international news reports, government authorities in Chuxiong in Yunnan province, embarked on a 5-day dog killing campaign between July 25th and July 30th following the deaths of 3 local people from rabies. Over 50,000 dogs, including pet dogs, were brutally beaten to death, hung or electrocuted. Initially the government offered dog owners 5rmb (62 US cents) to kill their own dogs, but when this measure failed a special task force was set up to raid suspected homes and kill all dogs found. (Only military and police dogs were spared by the slaughter squads.)
bq. We are requesting urgent meetings with the authorities in Chuxiong to discuss far-reaching, practical and above all – humane – solutions and would like to request your help by voicing your protest to the Chuxiong authorities. Please go to:
http://www.animalsasia.org/dogcull.php
I know this weblog hasn’t got enough cat content, but the comments to the workplace bullying article indicate that at least one reader thinks money should go to animals instead of office bullying victims.
Ugh, that’s awful. Considering this and the Chinese government’s treatment of the SARS outbreak, the health situation in that country seems pretty bleak and backwards.
I usually try to forget about stories like this, since I can’t imagine there’s anything I could do. But someone pointed out to me that AAF have some concrete approaches to try to improve things in future, hence the post.
Please boycott products made in China. Go to http://www.helpdogsinchina.com for more information about the worldwide boycott to be held the week of September 17-23,2006.