An Urgent Appeal... For Our Friends

This is an urgent appeal to stop a mass culling of dogs in China. You can help.

The city of Qinhuangdao (秦皇岛), Hebei (河北) Province, is killing unregistered and stray dogs as well as registered family dogs that are over 14 inches (35cm) tall. Even dog owners are being told to kill their own dogs or else their dogs will be beaten to death by the police and the owners will be fined for not killing their pets.


Can you imagine how it is like to kill your own dog only to save it from a more brutal slaughter? How more helpless can it be?

The killing is going on even as I am penning this.


The dog killing squads have been stalking the streets, mercilessly beating dogs to death with sticks and rocks. I can never understand such acts of cruelty. No explanation can ever satisfy me.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has pleaded with the Chinese government officials to stop the killing. They are appealing for more to help them stop the massive cruel slaughters once and for all.


Picture this...

"Several small and fluffy white dogs, which are probably used to snuggling on the laps of their loving owners, are trapped in a makeshift cage. One by one, these dogs are pulled out with a pair of long metal tongs, and brutally beaten with a stick. And then, even though it appears that some of the dogs may still be alive, they are tossed into a pit to be burned."

Is this acceptable to you? I will be cruel to you if I make this post more graphic than it already is.


I am sure the Chinese authorities have their reasons for doing what they are doing. They have cited the fight against rabies to be the main reason. Instead of rabies prevention programs, dog ownership education and consistent dog population control, they have chosen to take the easy way out to fight the problem. In the absence of any law to prevent cruelty to animals, this quick fix is just too tempting to be missed.

Why now?

This is not the first time the Chinese authorities implement massive dog killing. It will not be the last either unless something is done to stop them. Since 2006, dogs in China have been subject to senseless mass slaughter campaigns. In May last year, a similar one took place and 40,000 dogs were killed.


There is no 'better time' to embark on another round of killing now, rabies or not. The officials of Qinhuangdao is probably hoping to 'clean the streets and put on a good show' for the upcoming National Day on the 1st of October.

Mass killing ahead of such a meaningful day which seeks to remind everyone of harmonious living. Ah! How satirical!

IFAW is urging that you send your message of protest to the Chinese Ambassador in your country.

IFAW is also working with the Chinese central government to pass animal welfare legislation that will ensure the humane treatment of all animals. They are also creating an emergency rabies vaccination fund so that they can offer rural communities in China an alternative to mass slaughters. You can make a donation to the fund.


Just last week, I was taken aback when I read in the news that a Chinese millionaire has spent four million yuen (S$835,000) to purchase a Tibetan mastiff named Yangtze No.2. As if that was not shocking enough, she had a fleet of 30 black Mercedes-Benzes, led by two sports utility vehicles to go to the airport to pick them up.


On one extreme, I ponder at the unusual fate of the 18-month-old Yangtze No. 2. On the other, I am deeply saddened by the untimely death of thousands of dogs, many of them are pets well loved by their owners.

I am not a dog owner and for that matter, I am naturally afraid of going near an unfamiliar dog. Even then, it takes me no effort to imagine the slow and painful death suffered by the dogs.

Dogs should not be given less respect just because they are not our kind. Help to put more senses to this matter.

“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.”

Further Update:

City brings in licenses for dogs before culling (21 Sep 09)

The dog cull in Qinhuangdao has been averted (22 Sep 09)