In Taming Dogs, Humans May Have Sought a Meal

By NICHOLAS WADE

The dog has so many fine qualities it is hard to know which it was prized
and bred for by the early people who first domesticated its noble ancestor,
the wolf. Was it the dog’s valor in the hunt, perhaps, or its role as night
watchman, or its strength in pulling a sled, or its companionable warmth on
cold nights?

A new study of dogs worldwide, the largest of its kind, suggests a different
answer, one that any dog owner is bound to find repulsive: wolves may have
first been domesticated for their meat. That is the proposal of a team of
geneticists led by Peter Savolainen of the Royal Institute of
Technologyin Stockholm.

Sampling the mitochondrial DNA of dogs worldwide, the team found that in
every region of the world all dogs seem to belong to one lineage. That
indicates a single domestication event. If wolves had been domesticated in
many places, there would be more than one lineage, each leading back to a
local population of wolves.

The single domestication event seems to have occurred in southern China,
where the dogs have greater genetic diversity than those elsewhere. The
region of highest diversity is usually the place of origin because a species
tends to lose diversity as it spreads.

Dr. Savolainen sampled a part of the dog genome, the mitochondrial DNA, and
was able to estimate the time of the domestication — probably around the
period that hunter-gatherers first settled down in fixed communities in
China, about 11,000 to 14,000 years ago. Those people would have had an
organized culture that enabled them to make muzzles, and possibly cages,
that would have been needed to handle wolves.

There is a long tradition of eating dogs in southern China, where dog bones
with cut marks on them have been found at archaeological sites.

Dr. Savolainen said wolves probably domesticated themselves when they began
scavenging around the garbage dumps at the first human settlements, a theory
advocated by Ray Coppinger, a dog biologist at Hampshire College in
Massachusetts. As the wolves became tamer, they would have been captured and
bred. Given local traditions, Dr. Savolainen suggests, the wolves may have
been bred for the table.

Thus, dogs may have thus insinuated themselves into human life by means of
garbage and dog meat, but they quickly assumed less demeaning roles. Once
domesticated, they rapidly spread west from the eastern end of the Eurasian
continent.

Most people do not eat dogs, so they must have spread so quickly for other
reasons, perhaps because of their use as guard dogs or in pulling sleds, Dr.
Savolainen said.

His report was written with Jun-Feng Pang of the Kunming Institute of
Zoology in China, who analyzed the DNA of the many Chinese dogs in the
study. It was published last week in the journal Molecular Biology and
Evolution .

In 2002, Dr. Savolainen wrote that dogs had been domesticated from wolves in
East Asia, a conclusion that was challenged last month by a team at Cornell
University.
The Cornell team said genetic diversity was as high in African village dogs
as in those in China.

Dr. Savolainen disputed the Cornell calculation in his new report,
contending that diversity was, in fact, higher in Chinese dogs.

Adam Boyko, a member of the Cornell team, said that Dr. Savolainen’s team
had now built a plausible hypothesis from detailed genetic data but that
other explanations might still be possible, including that dogs had been
domesticated at a second site, outside China, and had spread everywhere but
China.

Stephen O’Brien, an expert on the
geneticsof
domestication at the National
Cancer Institute,
said Dr. Savolainen’s argument for a single domestication event in southern
China was “a pretty good conclusion” but one that could be strengthened by a
more thorough sampling of wolves throughout the world.

A team of American researchers is examining the genetics of dogs and wolves
with a so-called dog chip, a device that is programmed to recognize
thousands of different sites on the dog and wolf genome, not just the
mitochondrial DNA studied by Dr. Savolainen. The data have not yet been
published, but some of it “doesn’t agree completely” with an East Asian
origin of dogs, Dr. O’Brien said.

The disputes about the origins of dogs arise because researchers are just
cutting their teeth on what Dr. O’Brien called “genomic archaeology.”

“It’s a brand new field,” he said. “We’re just learning how to do it.”

Domestication of the dog and other animals is both of intrinsic interest and
of relevance to the human past. “Domestication was really the lever by which
civilization was able to organize into communities larger than those of
foraging families,” Dr. O’Brien said.

Dogs were evidently so useful to early people that they spread like
wildfire. On the basis of current evidence, they were the first species to
be domesticated.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/science/08dogs.html?scp=1&sq=dog%20meat%20china&st=cse

KARA Summer Campaign #1: Love Companion Animals

The first KARA summer rally for 2009 was on Saturday, July 11. The theme was our love for dogs and our rejection of the brutal dog meat industry. Most KARA members and their companion animals wore matching KARA logo t-shirts.

Signs were held appealing to the public to reject dog meat consumption and the dogs had messages attached to their shirts in both English and Korean.



The pink dot was where we were supposed to meet, but the campaign got off to a shaky start when it was discovered that this meeting place had turned into a construction site!

That meant some hasty rearrangements by cell phone. We all met across the road on the sidewalk near Pagoda Park, as seen below. Unfortunately, the unexpected location change led to some people missing the rally.
Full report and pictures here:
http://animalrightskorea.org/actions/kara-campaign-1-love-companion-animals-campaign.html

Dog meat is 'sweet meat'

Seoul - North Korea is promoting the virtue of dog meat as a way to beat the summer heat and says customers are packing Pyongyang restaurants which serve the traditional dish.

The North has been hosting dog meat food contests to help develop the traditional cuisine, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Saturday.

Dog meat is called dangogi, or "sweet meat", a euphemism coined by North Korea's founder Kim Il-Sung in the early 1980s. Dangogi-jang is dog meat soup.

"Our ancestors believed hot dangogi soup consumed during the dog days of summer helped prevent diseases from malnutrition and bolster stamina," KCNA said.
Continues Below ?

It cited a 17th century book on herbal medicine to tout the nutritional value of dog meat. According to the book, dog meat is especially good for the digestive organs, blood circulation and bone marrow and improves stamina.

"During the current dog days of summer, many customers are visiting dangogi restaurants in Pyongyang," KCNA said.

"Dangogi-jang is becoming popular even among Koreans living abroad and foreigners as well," it said.

Dog meat is enjoyed in both North and South Korea, especially during hot summer days.

But while dog meat restaurants in the South are assuming a low-profile because of international criticism, in the North dangogi cuisine is a source of pride and a mark of national identity.

Defectors say Pyongyang has many dangogi restaurants but note that dog meat has become a luxury elsewhere in the impoverished communist state. - AFP

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=nw20090725071905496C703931&newslett=1

Cornwalls Voice for Animals Top Stories

Pit bull kills goat, injures others at rescue ranch http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2009/07/14-21Pit-bull-kills-goat-injures-others-at-rescue-ranch.html?ne=1

Why have "Pit Bulls" increased from 1% of the dog population to 6%?
Because they are great family pets.
Along with misreporting the state of the economy for decades the mainstream media has misrepresented the amazing story of "pit bulls."
This breed had always been referred to as "the nanny dog" and was the dog of choice for kids in TV programs such the East Side Kids.
However, the modern media's need to sensationalize the extreme cases of any issue in order to gain viewers and readers has re-identified this gentle breed as aggressive.
Learn the story of the American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier in a documentary entitled "Pit Bull Paradox."

Pit Bull Paradox

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzyG_gaYo38

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKR0j0eVL0s

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmsdesFzel8

YouTube - Pit Bull Blues by John Shipe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtGT2apOlKw&feature=email

Know your horses before it is too late - Yorkshire Post http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/equestrian/Know-your-horses-before-it.5449256. jp

RSPCA Speaks Out Over Death Row Dog, Bruce http://www.dogmagazine.net:80/archives/3100/rspca-speaks-out-over-death-row-dog-bruce/

Eastern Equine Encephalitis Strikes Grady County http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/50799167.html

The Associated Press: Horse found with brand cut out of hide in Nevada

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gKx4mBFslrShf2K-GIlk8PxzVtqQD99BQ4UO0

Stop the animal cruelty now ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX-WUtipIdM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsxII4ePtCg

Description:

A heart wrenching video account showing the cruelty to the dogs held at a South Korean meat market.
Animal Freedom Korea ( http://www.animals.or.kr/ ).

Further information : http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/korea...

Please visit United Dogs and sign their petition to help end this trade, http://www.uniteddogs.com/stopkilling...

Video production details:

A video from Animal Freedom Korea ( http://www.animals.or.kr/ ) networked by Companion Animal Network TV - CANTV ( http://www.companionanimalnetworktv.org/ ) to raise the awareness of the suffering and to ask you to TAKE ACTION TODAY to stop the suffering.

To help fund Companion Animal Network TV's work to help suffering animals please visit this link:
http://www.companionanimalnetworktv.o...

Uploaded with full permissions: paul@linpaul.net

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsxII4ePtCg

Now you have seen her, will you help her ?

http://www.atdr.org/info/display?PageID=6597

Please cross post this widely, lets give this brave abused little girl a chance of the life she deserves.

Koreans Protest Dog Eating!

"It's Their Destiny"

News items on Asian animal abuse

July 16, 2009

Koreans Protest Dog Eating


Dear Friends,
We are pleased to be able to forward on the following
report from the Korea Times, perhaps a sign that there is hope for the
future. Our congratulations to our Korean colleagues who have campaigned for
so long.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

Concert Consoles Puppies on Dog Day

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

For human beings, summer is a thrilling season. Millions
of Koreans escape from the hustle-and-bustle of daily life to enjoy their
freedom under the blazing sunshine.

For dogs, however, it must be an appalling period as tens
of thousands of chubby dogs are slaughtered for use in an energy-boosting
meal.

Any sense of guilty?

An inaugural concert for puppies and dogs was held in
Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday.

It marks ``Chobok'' ? the first of the so-called dog days
in July-August when dog meat soup called ``boshintang' ' is consumed
nationwide as a traditional health food for summer.

The concert symbolizes the changing lifestyle of Koreans,
with more and more men refraining from eating dog meat these days out of
concerns at the content of boshintang.
Due to a lack of supply, boshintang sometimes contains
other animal meat, including rabbit and cat. Sometimes ill and stray dogs
are used for boshintang.

On the other hand, many young Koreans love to live with
puppies and dogs as pets, and this new generation has grown up without
eating dog soup.

A Seoul-based 64-member symphony orchestra and popular
K-pop singers went to Cheongdo, 320 kilometers south of Seoul, to play in
the unprecedented event, hosted by famous comedian Jeon Yoo-sung. Cheongdo
ward office was the sponsor.

The 60-year-old comedian, now retired, is well known for
his eccentric and norm-breaking repetoire.

``Dogs have sacrificed themselves a lot for humans. But we
have done nothing for them. That's the reason for the event,'' Jeon said.
``I hope this event will help refresh their minds during the stressful
season.''

Raising the curtain at 8 p.m. with the ``Light Cavalry
Overture'' composed by Suppe, the orchestra played a variety of classical
and contemporary music pieces, whose themes either originated from dogs or
were helpful in consoling their ``sacrifice. ''

The concert went on for about two hours under torrential
rain.

To enter the venue, small dogs were required to wear a
name tag, while wearing a muzzle was necessary for larger dogs, the office
said.

``Among the music played were marching songs such as `Pomp
and Circumstance' composed by Elgar, and others by Beethoven. This is to
keep participating dogs from being disheartened so much during the season,''
Jeon said. ``I am considering making it an annual event.''

14/07/09
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/
www/news/nation/2009/07/117_48448. html



------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----


On another note, most of us have at some time or another
felt the pain of the passing of a pet dog or cat. Our friends at Sirius GAO
http://sirius.2kat.net
have now opened a forum at
http://sirius. forumotion. com - anyone is welcome to leave a comment,
memorials, or just share thoughts.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

Our continued thanks for your support and for caring
enough to want to make a difference.

From all the team at ITD

Our updates are meant to be viewed in
html - if you receive in simple text through another list and would like to
receive in the original format, please email itd@2kat.net with subject line
"Subscribe".


http://itstheirdestiny.2kat.net




============ ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ======

The cruelty of Korean Dog Markets

What sort of savage, uncivilized, brutes are the sub-humans who treat animals so cruelly?


Korean Dog Markets - Don't look if you are likely to find this upsetting.

When people ask "How can you be an activist?" I ask "How can you not be?"

Our sheep, cow and goat slaughterhouses are equally horrific.

Phil

The Psychopathology of Animal Abuse

The following message will be sent to media around the globe:

"If you have ever shared your life with a dog you will understand the following eulogy:

A Memorial to Boatswain
by
Lord Byron
Newstead Abbey, November 30, 1808.

Near this spot
Are deposited the Remains of one
Who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity,
And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.
This Praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
If inscribed over human ashes,
Is but a just tribute to the Memory of
BOATSWAIN, a DOG
Who was born at Newfoundland, May, 1803,
And died at Newstead, Nov 18th, 1808.


The virtues of an animal, as described by Lord Byron, that is beloved throughout the world for it's decency and willingness to help and cooperate with humans means nothing in Korea. The dog is an animal that would willingly risk it's life to save a human, yet in Korea this good-natured, loyal and companionable being is considered as nothing more than a bowl of stew with alledged medicinal properties, in a culture that does not even grasp the spiritual poverty of this betrayal of man's best friend.

Until now dog meat consumption in Korea has been an underground affair, but in September 2008 a law went into effect which classifies dogs as livestock along with all the accompanying abuses of this industry:

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/


Korean superstition holds that if a dog is agitated ( i.e. visciously abused) prior to slaughter the potency and flavor of the meat is enhanced. Even if this were not the case the killing of an animal, who is a functioning member of human society, to be used as a snake-oil tonic for the feeble and infirm, exhibits a lack of compassion and empathy so profound that it borders on depravity.

If one probes further, it becomes apparent that this is not the only animal abuse in Korea which is based on superstition and ignorance. Beneath the surface of Korea's seemingly modern and technologically advanced facade lies a primitive, expoitive and cruel view of animals which allows for their sacrifice in shamanistic rituals intended to bring good fortune to those paying for the killing. A highly evolved spiritual view appreciates that the lives of all living beings is sacred and should be respected. Clearly this message has been perverted in Korea into bartering the life of an animal to obtain good fortune. Please refer to the following for additional information:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/07/world/asia/07korea.html

South Korea has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and one would have hoped that with increased wealth there would also be an increase in consciousness. This does not seem to be the case, as it seems increased wealth has resulted in increased abuse of animals in the name of superstition, greed and suppressed rage taken out on animals.

The following is a depiction of a 'performance art' piece involving the evisceration of a piglet carried out for an audience that cheered wildly as the the poor creature screamed in excruciating pain, The brutalization of those attempting to protest this sadistic display is further evidence of a deep-seeded rage that attempts to preserve and maintain such violence to living beings. The following is an action alert issued by In Defense of Animals:

"S. Korean Political Protesters Torture and Kill Pig as "Performance" ...

WARNING: The following contains graphic descriptionsof animal
mutilation which some readers may find objectionable and revolting.

Our members know that IDA has long led the fight against the
brutal practice of eating dog and cat meat in South Korea.

Unfortunately, this is just one of the abuses taking
place in a country that has lax laws regulating the
treatment of animals slaughtered for food.
Recently, this lack of protection left one young
piglet the helpless victim of a revolting public
spectacle, as she was bound, stabbed, and gutted while
fully conscious for symbolic purposes at a political
protest.

Hundreds of demonstrators organized by the Icheon City
Committee assembled in front of city hall in
opposition to a plan by the Ministry of National
Defense to build military bases in the area. To
represent the protesters' outrage, self-styled
"performance artists" tied a two-month-old piglet by
all four limbs and stretched her out in the air on a
stage. Men wielding knives then ritualistically sliced
the pig's skin and eviscerated her as she screamed and
struggled in agony. National and local officials
attending the event cheered and applauded,
some waving Korean flags. By the end, men pulled like
a tug-of-war on the ropes tied to pig's limbs, tearing
her body to shreds.

Several days after the protest, two animal protection
organizations -- Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth
(CARE) and Korean Association for Animal Protection
(KAAP) -- held mourning rites for the pig. At the
second vigil, they were attacked by members of the
Icheon City Committee, who hurled insults at mourners
over loudspeakers and destroyed the shrines
they had constructed out of flowers, hanging banners,
and framed photos of the sacrificed pig. One female
animal advocate was severely beaten...."

Pyschological studies have established a link between violence to animals and human on human violence. Therefore it comes as no suprise then, that in a society which displays such a predilection for violence to animals there will also be an increased rate of violence to humans as well. Not coincidentally, two Koreans hold the world's record for number of killing-spree victims in one burst of rage: One can't help but wonder how much gratuitous violence to humans and animals these fragile individual were exposed to as children: Woo Bum Kon carried out the largest known incident of spree killing in modern history. His victims included 58 dead and 35 wounded. Seung Hui Cho committed mass murder of 32 people and wounded 25 in what has come to be known as the Virginia Tech Massacre.


An animal who has been nothing but a friend to mankind is himself in desperate need of a friend in Korea. If you would like to protest the latest development in Korea which now includes government regulation of dog farms in the Livestock Act and in essence sanctions dogs as livestock please inform Korean government officials that you will not tolerate such abuse. You may address your concerns to:

1. Mayor of Seoul Mr. Oh Se-hoon

Email: ohsehoon@seoul.go.kr
Address: Euljiro1, Jung-gu, Seoul, 100-744, Korea
Tel +82 2 735 6060

2. Korean President Mr. Lee Myung-bak
Email: webmaster@president.go.kr
Address: 1 Cheongwadae- ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel: +82 2 730 5800

Ambassador Lee, Tae-Sik
Embassy of the Republic of Korea
2450 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel: (202)939-5600
Fax: (202)797-0595
E-mail: korinfo@koreaemb.org

Extreme violence to animals, as a means of dealing with suppressed rage is not an acceptable cultural mechanism for relieving psychological stress. Surely there must be a better way to work out this anger without vicitimizing helpless, innocent animals.



"He that would hang his dog, gives out first that he is mad" a British proverb"
............ ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .....

Can't view this email properly? Click here for the online version

WATCH, WEEP, and let's get to WORK to end of one of the cruelest practices in the world
July 7, 2009



Please Forward to friends and family






www.CompanionAnimalNetworkTV.org





SOUTH KOREAN
DOG MEAT MARKET

CLICK ON PICTURE ABOVE TO WATCH RECENT VIDEO OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SOUTH KOREA RIGHT NOW . . . . . . .

One American soldier who fought for South Korea 's independence commented:

"This is not what my friends died to defend. "

Although eating dog meat was officially banned in 1991, people in South Korea still consume vast quantities of “Gaegogi” (literally: dog meat) the fourth most popular meat, after pork, beef and chicken. There is even an unofficial ‘holiday' known as 'Malbok' (August 17 in the Korean lunar calendar) when Koreans - mostly old men - eat lots of dog meat in the belief that it will boost virility. Others believe that dog meat helps keep one cool during the intense Korean summer. The South Korean government defends their monstrosities as "cultural food," and by equating the eating of dogs with eating farm animals, arguing that anyone who eats any meat has no moral right to complain the eating of any animals, including dogs. Any person with ordinary intelligence knows that tortuting former family pets under the guise of "culture" is a disengenuous argument and that there is a significant difference between eating farm animals specifically raised for
food and torturing and eating former family pets who have lived with people as man's best friends. South Korea 's inability or unwillingness to acknowledge these differences has earned it our accusation that:
SOUTH KOREA IS TO DOGS WHAT NORTH KOREA IS TO PEOPLE !!
End military support to South Korea , the animal terrorist nation.
To find out which cities and countries are holding protests and vigils visit
www.idausa.org

In July and August up to 2 million family pets are first tortured and then killed with hammers, suffocation, bleeding, hanging and other horrific ways!
They are squashed into cages like factory chickens, unable to stand, sit, turn. They are not given water in 100 degree heat. They are former family pets intentionally being tortured prior to being killed for food. Why torture? Because the dog meat dealers have fabricated reasons to eat dog meat with the myths that the excretion of hormones during bodily duress makes the meat more tender, and that eating dog meat helps people better cope with the summer heat and that it is an aphrodisiac. . . . . . .with no medical evidence in support of any of these fabrications!

Join "Golden Girl" Rue McClanahan
and
Councilman Mayoral Candidate Tony Avella and
New York Post Pet Reporter
Julia Szabo

NEW YORK CITY VIGIL
July 14, 2009
4 - 6:30 PM
South Korean Visa Office
460 Park Avenue (57th St. & Park Ave )

C.A.N.
PO Box 656712 , F.M. , NY 11365
718-544-PETS






............ ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ...

To: korinfo@koreaemb.org ; webmaster@president.go.kr ;
ohsehoon@seoul.go.kr
Subject: brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption

Honorable Officials,

The civilized world is horrified, disgusted and appalled to learn that the Republic of Korea continues to allow the brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. Forced to live in tiny, filthy cages and killed in unimaginably cruel ways, the fate of these unfortunate animals can in no way be compared to the slaughter of cattle in the western world, although this too is an abomination.
Two million South Korean dogs are electrocuted, strangled, or bludgeoned to death each year. They are killed in the cruelest ways imaginable, because some Koreans believe the adrenaline that rushes through the animal's system pre-slaughter will improve virility in the consumer. This is shameful and demonstrates the ignorance, superstition and misinformation which South Korean citizens continue to believe, thanks to the failure of the Government to make any real effort to educate its own people or to pass and enforce humane laws that would prohibit such depraved practices.
Eyewitnesses have reported dogs being torn apart while still alive, their tormentors saying that the more prolonged the torment of death, the better the taste. This attitude toward any living being is barbaric and deplorable.
The Republic of Korea will continue to be the object of scorn, derision and boycotts by civilized people all around the world, so long as this practice is allowed to continue. Dogs and cats are beloved companion animals in almost every country around the globe, including in South Korea. Most of your own citizens view the abuse, the cruelty and killing of cats and dogs as barbaric and reprehensible. It is time to put an end to this hideous and unholy practice.
Respectfully,
Zelda Penzel, President
PEACE~People for the End of Animal Cruelty and Exploitation
New York, NY

The International Day Of Action for Dogs and Cats in Korea-July ,14

Houston Demo On July 14

Speak Up For The Dogs And Cats Of Korea

The International Day of Action for Dogs and Cats in Korea is July 14. In Defense of Animals (IDA) is again co-sponsoring this worldwide event to stop the terrible suffering these animals endure when raised and slaughtered for human consumption. Events will be taking place all over the world.

What: Peaceful educational demonstration concerning dogs and cats raised and slaughtered for human consumption in South Korea.

When: Tuesday July 14, Time TBA

Where: 1990 Post Oak Blvd., #1250, Houston, TX 77056

Contact: Elaine Hutzelman, emhutzelman@ sbcglobal. net, 281-556-5913


For more information about IDA's campaign to help the dogs and cats of Korea, please contact Hope, IDA's Grassroots Campaign Director: hope@idausa. org or 415-448-0048 x. 211.

And click here for more information about dogs and cats in Korea.

Background: IDA continues to work with the South Korean animal protection organization Coexistence for Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) to end the brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. Forced to live in tiny, filthy cages and killed in unimaginably cruel ways, they deserve a voice.

Two million South Korean dogs are electrocuted, strangled, or bludgeoned to death each year. They are killed in the cruelest ways imaginable, because some Koreans believe the adrenaline that rushes through the animal's system pre-slaughter will improve virility in the consumer.

Eyewitnesses have reported dogs being torn apart while still alive, their tormentors saying that the more prolonged the torment of death, the better the taste. This attitude toward any living being is deplorable.

Building coalitions around the world, IDA is creating the network needed to put pressure on the government of the Republic of Korea to end this tragic practice.

(Important note - all references herein to "Korea" are to the Republic of Korea, or South Korea. The problems for dogs and cats are probably at least as bad in North Korea, but we do not have activists in North Korea with whom to partner. If you have information concerning activists in North Korea working to improve the lives of animals, please let us know.)
1) Attend a demo (info above)

2) Send letters, fax, e-mail to:

Ambassador Duk-soo Han
Embassy of the Republic of Korea
2320 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
phone: (202) 939-5600
fax: (202) 797-0595
e-mail: korinfo@koreaemb.org

3) Send a donation to support IDA's campaign.





More Information About Dogs And Cats In South Korea

The practice of eating dogs is not widely accepted in Korea. It gained popularity after the Korean War due to widespread starvation. The practice continues to thrive with the aid of greedy restaurateurs, meat dealers, and butchers.

Many Koreans love dogs and keep dogs as companions. However, we must take action to stop the small number of people who ignore the law and continue to abuse these innocent beings to make money.

It is unacceptable that dogs and cats should be kept in filthy crates, forced to watch one another be bludgeoned to death. It is illegal in Korea and it is the Korean government’s responsibility to ensure that anyone who breaks their laws be strictly punished.




In Defense of Animals, located in San Rafael, Calif., is an international animal protection organization with more than 85,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA's efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi, Mumbai, India, and Cameroon, Africa.

In Defense of Animals is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your donations. Please join today! All donations to IDA are tax-deductible.

In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner, San Rafael, CA 94901
Tel. (415) 448-0048 Fax (415) 454-1031
idainfo@idausa.org





“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is
violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)




"The fate of animals is of greater importance to me
than the fear of appearing ridiculous;
it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men."

- Emile Zola (1840-1902)

INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST KOREAN DOG EATING

PLEASE ATTEND

WHAT: Vigil to expose the Korean dog eating season coming up in July and August.

WHERE: Korean Visa Office
460 Park Avenue, (57th St. & Park Avenue)

WHEN: July 14, 2009 4-6:30 PM


South Koreans are preparing for the July and August dog eating months, where up to 2 million dogs will be slaughtered and
eaten. In Defense of Animals has been a leader in exposing this horror by holding protests and vigils.
Won't you join everyone at this event? Previous such events have made the Korean print and television news, both here and
in Seoul, South Korea. We will have banners, DVDs showing the horrors, posters, flyers, speakers, and of course, BRING YOUR DOGS !!

PLEASE PRINT OR ORDER 25 COPIES OF THE FLYER AT http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/korea/multimedia.html AND BRING WITH YOU.
REACH OUT TO POTENTIAL SPEAKERS SUCH AS CELEBRITIES, POLITICIANS, AND REPS FROM OTHER GROUPS AND INVITE THEM TO SPEAK.
TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.

To find out what cities/countries are holding protests and vigils Visit the In Defense of Animals website announcement at

http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/korea/events.html

If you have any questions call 718-544-PETS. If you have no questions SEE YOU ON JULY 14TH !!!

ANIMALS ASIA:DOG AND CAT EATING IN CHINA

Animals Asia: Dog & Cat Eating in China
Dear Ms Croke and staff of the Secret Lives of Animals.

When you pander to the panda myth that the chinese are compassionate because they take such good care of the cute pandas this is what you perpetuate:

The following text and pictures are taken from Animals Asia, a British organization that works to end dog meat consumption in China.


Dog & Cat Eating in China
Dog Eating

3 caged dogs await their fate

Dogs arrive by the truckload

While some countries in Asia such as Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan have banned the practice of dog eating, evidence shows that in China, the biggest dog eating country in the world, it continues to thrive. It is estimated that up to 10 million dogs are slaughtered every year in China, many deliberately slowly and cruelly in the belief that "torture equals taste", while all suffer the stress and pain of being farmed in concentrated numbers before being killed in a variety of ways which rarely ensure a quick and humane death. Animals Asia field investigators have witnessed trucks loaded with anything up to 2,000 dogs per truck arriving at the wholesale Hua Nam Wild Animal Market in Guangzhou.

These poor animals have spent 3 days and 3 nights, squashed together in tiny cages, unable to move, without food, water or shelter. The dogs are then brutally lifted by the neck and hurled into a pen by a man wielding a metal tongs. Here they fight through fear, hunger and desperation to survive while awaiting a horrendously slow death in order to provide meat for restaurants in Guangzhou. Diseases such as parvo virus, canine distemper and leptospirosis are rife and spread like wildfire in dogs whose immune systems are already low due to depression and starvation. We often witness a large number of dead and diseased dogs and cats which have been pulled out of the cages and slung by the side.

The dog meat trade is becoming increasingly industrialized and is even promoted by the government in some provinces. Huge dog farms have been developed and giant gentle breeds, like the St. Bernard, have been imported to be cross-bred with the local Chinese mongrel to produce a fast growing, docile “meat dog” that can be slaughtered at 4 months. Livestock sections of large bookshops stock books and VCDs on dog farming which promote horrific slaughter methods, in the misguided belief that the more the dog suffers the better the meat will taste

Consequently, vacuum packed and canned dog meat are becoming increasingly available in some supermarkets. Investigations also reveal that the fur from slaughtered dogs is now entering local and international markets and being used as "trim" for fashion items, or for trinkets such as keyrings and hair accessories. Animals Asia has examined arguments ranging from those referring to culture, to those which state that, as long as the animal does not suffer, then eating dog meat is no different to eating the meat of other domestically raised animals such as pork, chicken and beef. However, we believe that to advocate humane slaughter for dogs would legitimize the practice and undermine the tireless and effective work of those Asian countries that have recently outlawed the practice. Time and time again, dogs across the world have proved their unique qualities and how valuable they can be in partnership with people. We believe that they should not be part of the food chain.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

Please consider doing a show that is an accurate portrayal of the life of a dog in China.

The secret lives of dogs in China is a nightmare.

Ruth Eisenbud
Cambridge, Ma

ANIMAL ATROCITIES-ARCHIVE

[Harvard Crimson - opinion - comments at full story link]

I could hear the howls from three blocks away. But I still gasped as I
walked into the sprawling Dong Xuan live-animal market in Hanoi,
Vietnam. Dogs, many with open wounds, cowed in the corners of tiny
wire cages stacked five high, as restaurateurs and butchers haggled
over slaughter prices. Monkeys, chickens, and lizards huddled in cages
scarcely larger than their bodies. In one cage, two young rabbits
silently shook in fear as a python was placed in alongside them.

For the last three semesters I’ve written a Crimson column on animal
protection, and for many years I’ve been a strict vegetarian. During
that time, many friends and readers have voiced their surprise that I
care so much about such an unlikely cause. Many, I think, have simply
assumed I’ve always been this way—as if I were born with a PETA
membership card and an inexplicably visceral distaste for KFC.

Yet, for the first 15 years of my life, the opposite was true: I ate
meat, attended rodeos, and even occasionally went hunting in our
family’s forest. A longtime vegetarian friend recently remembered that
I teased her in middle school for her “rabbit diet” of fruit and
vegetables. So what changed? In this, my last Crimson column, I would
like to tell the story of how I became an animal advocate and explain
why I believe history will judge our generation harshly based on our
treatment of animals.

Looking back, I would love to pretend that my life changed after my
chance encounter with the Vietnamese live-animal market. But it
didn’t. In my mind, vegetarianism remained the preserve of
health-obsessed teenage girls and animal rights the territory of
self-righteous former hippies. Being neither, I returned to New
Zealand and continued attending meat-filled barbeques at weekend rugby
games.
...
We are all complicit in a great moral crisis. But there is also hope:
By informing ourselves, supporting political change, and even going
vegetarian, we can end factory farming. I hope that I have persuaded
you over the past year and a half that we must.

--
full story:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=527969

Tails of Asia

To listen to the radio talk show click the title!


Once again, WFL Endangered Stream Live radio talk show host and animal
welfare advocate, Katia Louise, has brought to the public an informative
and thought-provoking show with "Tails of Asia", which examines
the use of dogs and cats for fur and food. Those of us who are deeply
touched by animals are, by nature, sensitive people and therefore might
attempt to protect our feelings by shying away from such a topic. But
"Tails of Asia" host, Katia Louise, successfully approaches the
unsettling subject matter with tact and compassion without discounting
the importance of the issues.

Instrumental in achieving the show's objective are the featured
guests, which include Dena Jones, U.S. Program Director for the World
Society for the Protection of Animals, Bill Dyer, Regional Director for
In Defense of Animals, and Jill Robinson, Founder and CEO of Animals
Asia Foundation. These remarkable individuals, who work tirelessly to
put an end to animal cruelty around the world, are happy to share their
vast knowledge of the issues in an effort to bring awareness that will
motivate others to take action.

Perhaps you've wondered just how many dogs and cats are killed each
year in Asia for their fur or their meat. Maybe you've curiously
pondered the conditions in which these animals are kept or the methods
in which they're killed. You may have even contemplated how the fur
fashion industry's exorbitant profits are realized at the expense of
unimaginable suffering by animals and the damaging impact on the
environment. Ranging from the specific (how many chinchillas are killed
to make one fur coat) to the general (why many Asians choose to eat dog
and cat meat), "Tails of Asia" provides the answers to these and
many other questions relating to the issue—answers that arm the
listener with the knowledge they need in the fight for animal rights.

There were encouraging points made during the show as well. Guest Bill
Dyer noted that Israeli politician Nitzan Horowitz recently made an
unprecedented move by introducing a bill that would ban the fur industry
entirely in Israel. Jill Robinson, who called in to the show from China,
said that the tides are slowly changing there with regard to how people
view animal welfare. She told of a recent incident in China in which a
small, unorganized group of animal advocates broke into a facility to
rescue several hundred cats from a tragic fate, and while they
technically broke the law, the local authorities essentially turned a
blind eye to the group's actions and chose not to arrest them. It
was well-noted by all the guests that even the smallest of victories
should be celebrated as they end suffering of some animals and bring
awareness to the problem. Positive changes are slowly being made as a
result of the combined efforts of animal advocates world-wide.

To learn more about what you can do to help combat the cruelty, listen
to "Tails of Asia". This engaging show can now be accessed on
demand at http://www.blogtalk radio.com/ WFLEndangerdStre amLive
.

-by Kara Lemire

5 REASONS TO EAT YOUR DOG!-VIDEO!

Vietnam drops dog meat regs after rabies case

From ANIMAL PEOPLE

Vietnam drops dog meat regs after rabies case

HANOI--Two recent human rabies deaths appear to have
influenced the Vietnamese government to withdraw a proposal to draft
standards for preparing dog meat for human consumption, and to
reiterate a decade-old but lightly enforced ban on eating cats.
The first rabies victim "had prepared and eaten a dog who had
been killed in a road accident; rabid dogs were known to inhabit the
neighborhood, " reported Heiman Wertheim, M.D., of the National
Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and the National
Institute of Hygiene and Epidem-iology in Hanoi. "The second
patient," Wertheim said, "had butchered and eaten a cat who had
been sick for days."
"In early February," e-mailed Animals Asia Foundation
founder Jill Robinson, "our Vietnam director, Tuan Bendixsen,
received an official letter from the Central Department of Animal
Health, Ministry of Agriculture. Apparently they had received
official requests from various provincial governments asking for
guidelines on slaughtering dogs for human consumption. "
Bendixsen responded by pointing out health risks to those
involved in preparing and consuming dog-meat, "highlighting
parasites, rabies, and leptospirosis, " Robinson said.
Bendixsen in early March was notified, Robinson added, that
the Vietnamese government had decided not to enact a regulation on
processing of dog meat for human consumption.
"Although a local government can enact such a regulation for
their own area," Robinson said, "usually they will not go against
the Central Government's directive. I'm now looking at getting the
Central Government to officially ban it instead of just not enacting
it," Robinson concluded.
"I don't have actual figures on dog eating in Vietnam," said
Bendixsen, "but I feel dog eating is only popular in the north.
There is hardly any sign of dog meat restaurants in Saigon or
elsewhere in the south, and most of the people who eat dogs in the
south are from the north."

--
Merritt Clifton
Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE
P.O. Box 960
Clinton, WA 98236

Telephone: 360-579-2505
Fax: 360-579-2575
E-mail: anmlpepl@whidbey. com
Web: www.animalpeoplenew s.org

"It's Their Destiny"Rabies linked to dog butchering!

"It's Their Destiny"

News items on Asian animal abuse




Dear Friends
The extract below was taken from a press release by the Wellcome Trust on 17th March 2009. The full report to which it refers can be seen at: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi.1371/journal.pmed.1000044&ct=1
This report is of tremendous importance, not only to anyone concerned over the issue of dog and cat eating, but also to healthcare professionals attempting to combat the spread of rabies. We thoroughly recommend its study.
For anyone who wasn't able to view the recent video of Sirius' rescue of dogs from Filipino butchers, this is now available on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu_gvtNzKWk).
Rabies infections highlight dangers of processing dog meat
Eating dog meat is common in many Asian countries, but research conducted as part of the South East Asian Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Network has discovered a potentially lethal risk associated with preparing dog meat: rabies.
In research published today in the open access journal PLoS Medicine, Dr Heiman Wertheim and colleagues from the National Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi, Viet Nam, report on two patients admitted to hospital showing signs of rabies infection. Neither patient was thought to have been bitten by a rabid animal in the preceding months.
Rabies is a very serious – and in nearly all cases fatal – disease. It is estimated to kill over 30,000 people each year in Asia, and the number of cases in China and Viet Nam is increasing. Symptoms include agitation, severe spasms, fever, fear of water and inability to drink liquids, and eventually death. Humans are usually infected after being bitten by an infected animal such as a dog or bat.
When the researchers investigated whether the patients had come into contact with infected animals in the preceding months, they found that both had been involved in preparing and eating animals which may have been infected. In the first patient's case, he had prepared and eaten a dog that had been killed in a road traffic accident; rabid dogs were known to inhabit the neighbourhood. The second patient had butchered and eaten a cat that had been sick for a number of days.
In both cases seen by Dr Wertheim and colleagues, it is thought that infection occurred during the slaughtering, and not by eating the meat as the meal was shared by others who did not become infected. In Asia, it is believed that eating dog meat enhances health and longevity. It is eaten throughout the year in the second half of the lunar month, particularly in the winter months, when it is believed to increase body heat.
In Viet Nam, dogs with rabies have been detected in dog slaughterhouses and workers at dog slaughterhouses are vaccinated against rabies as part of the national programme for rabies control and prevention. However, the private slaughter of dogs is relatively common in the country.
"We need to alert both the general public and clinicians about the risks around butchering and handling meat," says Dr Wertheim. "People should not handle animals that may be infected with rabies. Rabies can be prevented with a vaccine and people exposed to rabies can be helped with post-exposure prophylaxis, but this needs to be administered as quickly as possible following the exposure. Once a person shows symptoms, the disease is almost invariably fatal.
"Vietnamese doctors already consider dog slaughtering to be a risk factor for rabies transmission, but it is important that other health care workers and policy makers, both in- and outside Vietnam, are aware of this risk factor."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/wt-rih031609.php
Our continued thanks for your support and for caring enough to want to make a difference.

From all the team at ITD

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HELP PUT A STOP TO THE TORTURE AND MURDER OF GREYHOUNDS IN ASIA!TAKE ACTION NOW!

From: Marie Dutto
Sent: 23 February 2009 23:34
Subject: HELP PUT A STOP TO THE TORTURE AND MURDER OF GREYHOUNDS IN ASIA (
Send sample letter)
Importance: High

HELP PUT A STOP TO THE TORTURE AND MURDER OF GREYHOUNDS IN ASIA
Mainland Chinese and Macau
tourist organisations
Remember greyhound racing in China relies greatly on the tourist trade to
keep going. Contact the tourist offices let them know that you think about
the cruel so called sport of greyhound racing in China.
Sample letter
I am writing to you regarding greyhound racing in China/Macau. I am aware
that greyhounds that are surplus to requirements are being slaughtered.
Abusing animals in the name of entertainment and then killing them for human
consumption is NOT a tourist attraction and it will inevitably have a
negative effect on your tourist trade.
The greyhound racing industry has been in decline for many years especially
in the USA where the industry has had massive financial losses. This is for
several reasons, the first being that it has been recognised as a cruel
sport and banned in many states in the USA and even more recently it has
been abolished in South Africa.
The second reason is that by far more profitable ventures such as lotteries
and casinos have increased in popularity and attracted the public and the
tourist trade.

The third reason is that greyhound racing attracts and is associated with
the criminal underworld and the use of illegal drugs as recently exposed in
a documentary by the BBC.
Even in the UK and Ireland (the birthplace of greyhound racing) attendances
are falling and stadiums are closing. Greyhound racing has become widely
condemned in the UK as a result of the constant exposure in the media of the
cruelty and deaths suffered by greyhounds in the racing industry.
I urge you to reconsider and keep greyhound racing out of China/Macau. I
will not be visiting China/Macau while greyhound racing continues and will
actively encourage others to boycott the country too.
Yours sincerely
General emails of protest can be sent to the China National Tourism
Administration:

webmaster@cnta. gov.cn
and to the Macau tourist authorities:
Macau Government Tourist Office
Director : João Manuel Costa Antunes
Deputy Director : Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes
Deputy Director : Manuel Gonçalves Pires Júnior
Alameda Dr. Carlos D'Assumpção, nºs 335-341, 12º andar, MACAU

Telephone: 2831 5566, 2851 3355
Fax: 2851 0104

E-mail: mgto@macautourism. gov.mo
Homepage: www.macautourism. gov.mo
Macau Government Tourist Office representatives abroad

Asia/Pacific

Australia
Level 17, Town Hall House, 456 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Tel: (61) 2-92641488
Fax: (61) 2-92677717
E-mail: macau@worldtradetra vel.com
New Zealand

Level 5, Ballantyne House, 101 Customs Street East, P.O. Box 3779, Auckland,
New Zealand

Tel: (64) 9-3085206
Fax: (64) 9-3085207
E-mail: macau@aviationandto urism.co. nz

Mainland China - Representative Office of Government of Macau SAR in
Beijing, Tourism Section

26th Floor, China Resources Building, No.8, Jianguomenbei Avenue, Beijing,
China P.C.: 100005
Tel: (86) 10-85192901
Fax: (86) 10-85192911
E-mail: amy@macautourism. gov.mo christine@macautour ism.gov.mo

Hong Kong, China

11th Floor, Yue Thai Commercial Building, 128 Connaught Road Central, Sheung
Wan, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2838 8680
Fax: (852) 2838 8032 / (852) 3118 2993
E-mail: mgto@macautourism. com.hk info@macautourism. com.hk
Taiwan, China

10th Floor, No.167, Tun Hwa North Road, Taipei, Taiwan

Tel: (886) 2-25466086
Fax: (886) 2-25466087
E-mail: mgtottwn@ms27. hinet.net

Japan

Sanden Building, 3rd Floor, 5-5, Kojimachi 3-Chome, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102,
Japan

Tel: (81) 3-52752537
Fax: (81) 3-52752535
E-mail: macau@milepost. co.jp
Website: http://www.tabicom. com/macau/
South Korea

Suite 908, Paiknam Building (President Hotel), 188-3, Eulchiro 1-Ka,
Chung-Ku, Seoul, South Korea

Tel: (82) 2-7784402
Fax: (82) 2-7784404
E-mail: mgto@korea.com
Website: http://www.macau. or.kr
Singapore

371 Beach Road, #12-06 KeyPoint, Singapore 199597, Singapore

Tel: (65) 62925383
Fax: (65) 62925882
E-mail: plm@pacleisure. com
Malaysia
:
2.5 & 2.6, Angkasa Raya Building, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3-21442500
Fax: (60) 3-21481357
E-mail: mgto@pacificworld. travel
Website:http://www.macautou rism.com. my

Thailand

8th Fl., Maneeya Center Building, 518/5 Ploenchit Road, Patumwan, Bangkok
10330, Thailand

Tel: (66) 2-2555989
Fax: (66) 2-6520509
E-mail: mgto@plt.co. th
Website: http://www.macau- thai.com
Philippines

Suite 11-D, 11th Floor, The Valero Tower, 122 Valero Street, Salcedo
Village, Makati City, 1227, Philippines

Tel: (63) 2-812-2595 / (63) 2-813-0947
Fax: (63) 2-892-5232
E-mail: mgtophil@info. com.ph
India - New Delhi

1110, Naurang House, 21, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi - 110001, India

Tel: (91) 11-41669277
Fax: (91) 11-41669577
E-mail: macau@mgtoindia. in
sanjeet@sanjeet. in
sudesh@mgtoindia. in
India - Mumbai

504, Marine Chambers, 43, New Marine Lines, Opp SNDT College, Mumbai -
400020, India

Tel: (91) 22-22000262
Fax: (91) 22-22070131
E-mail: mumbai@mgtoindia. in
sunayna@mgtoindia. in
America
United States - Califonia

1334 Parkview, Suite 300, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, USA

Tel: (1) 310-545-3464 / Toll Free 866 OK-MACAU
Fax: (1) 310-545-4221
E-mail: macau@myriadmarketi ng.com
United States - New York

501 5th Ave., Suite 1101, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (1) 646-227-0690
Fax:(1) 646-366-8170
E-mail: macau@myriadmarketi ng.com
joao@myriadmarketin g.com
Europe
Germany

Schenkendorfstrasse 1, 65187 Wiesbaden, Germany

Tel: (49) 611-2676730
Fax: (49) 611-2676760
E-mail: m.schwarz@discover- fra.com
Website: http://www.macau- info.de
Belgium - Macau Economic and Trade Office

Avenue Louise, 480, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium

Tel: (32) 2-6471265
Fax: (32) 2-6401552
E-mail: deleg.macao@ skynet.be
Portugal - Macau Tourism Promotion & Information Center in Portugal

Av. 5 de Outubro, No. 115, R/C, 1069-204 Lisboa, Portugal

Tel: (351) 21-7936542
Fax: (351) 21-7960956
E-mail: geral@turismodemaca u.com.pt
rodolfofaustino@ turismodemacau. com.pt
France

38, Rue Anatole France - 92594 Levallois - Perret Cedex, France

Tel: (33) (0) 1-4134-2103
Fax: (33) (0) 1-4134-2072
E-mail: info@macautourisme. com
presse@macautourism e.com
Website: http://www.macautou risme.com

For information on chinese embassies around the world check out
http://www.travelch inaguide. com/embassy/ embassy_list. .ht

HELP PUT A STOP TO THE TORTURE AND MURDER OF GREYHOUNDS IN ASIA

For information on chinese embassies around the world check out
http://www.travelch inaguide. com/embassy/ embassy_list. .htm

15 DOGS RESCUED FROM THE ILLEGAL MEAT TRADE IN PHILIPPINES

By Elly Maynard


On Tuesday 27th January I flew out to Manila along with Chris Taylor, a New Zealand Police Dog Handler, Ingrid Leary, an Award Winning Journalist and Peter Takapuna, her cameraman to film the undercover rescue of 15 dogs from the illegal meat trade.

The operation was a huge success though fraught with danger for the Animal Kingdom undercover operative who had made contact with an illegal dog meat trader. The link to the report which screened on New Zealand national television is http://www.3news. co.nz/News/ NZ-animal- welfare-campaign er-Dogs-not- for-human- consumption/ tabid/417/ articleID/ 89967/cat/ 61/Default. aspx.

This was the first time that such a rescue was attempted. Dogs are normally rescued on their way to the meat traders and stopped at road blocks by the Police.

Sirius funded the whole operation including the purchase of the 15 dogs. Nothing prepared me however for how traumatic the rescue would be and to see the fear and death in the dogs eyes was something I will never forget. Video taken during the rescue will very shortly be uploaded to our web site at http://sirius. 2kat.net along with some still images.

The dogs are now safe at the Animal Kingdom Foundation Centre at Capas, Tulac, Philippines.

On Friday the 6th February the biggest campaign in Philippines history was launched. The Philippines National Police in conjunction with the Animal Kingdom Foundation have launched a poster campaign with posters placed at every Air and Sea port stating that eating of dogs is illegal. The penalty for this is up to 4 years in jail and US$780 fine. This updated law was put in place last year and we are assured that it will be strictly enforced. We'll also upload a copy of the poster.

We congratulate the AKF on their outstanding achievements and look forward to working with them in the future.


Elly Maynard
President/Founder
Sirius GAO Charitable Trust
http://sirius. 2kat.net