Vets and clinics trained to treat animals with respect, popularise animal welfare concepts and launch awareness raising campaigns to reduce dog meat threat.

With animal welfare not well understood by many of China’s veterinary professionals, Animals Asia has trained vets in Guangxi province, home to Yulin city, in the concept to improve the treatment of cats and dogs.

The three-day training programme was carried out by Dr Heather Bacon and Jess Davies from the University of Edinburgh’s Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education as well as Dr Emily Drayton, Animals Asia’s Senior Resident Veterinarian.

The training took place in May 2019 with nearly 90 vets from 35 clinics and charities taking part. Topics covered in the intensive course included the principles of animal welfare, in-patient care, animal behaviour, pain physiology and the role of vaccinations.

Animals Asia Cat and Dog Welfare Director Irene Feng said:

“Trusted and qualified vets can be a significant influence in popularising animal welfare among the general public. They can be key influencers in promoting responsible companion animal ownership and their clinics are pivotal components in the launch of public education drives.

“It’s these messages that we need to promote to as wide an audience as possible if we’re to reduce the amount of dogs falling prey to the dog meat industry and the number of individuals willing to cause extreme animal cruelty for the sake of a meal.”

While increased dog meat eating during the summer solstice in Yulin city has been grabbing attention globally for years, the practice of eating dogs is a year round problem all over China.

READ MORE: The Truth about the Yulin Dog Meat Festial - and how to stop it

Media reports suggest up to 10 million dogs are inhumanely slaughtered for their meat annually in the country, while Animals Asia investigations have revealed that the majority of dogs are stolen rather than farmed.

Most dogs who fall prey to the dog meat industry are violently snatched by being lasooed, tasered or poisoned, then starved and dehydrated during arduous journey in trucks packed full with hundreds of animals. Those that survive the journey will then watch their companions bludgeoned to death in front of their eyes before they too suffer the same fate.

Animals Asia Founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE said:

“It’s vital that information about the extreme cruelty behind the dog meat industry, which occurs on a daily basis all over China, reaches the largest possible audience. Veterinary professionals can be vital link in this process, provided that they themselves have the knowledge and the training. This programme has ensured nearly 100 more vets all across Guangxi province have this knowledge which they can pass on everyday of their careers. The audience they can reach is astounding.”

READ MORE: Five reasons the dog meat trade must end

Animals Asia is at the heart of a national movement against dog meat cruelty in China having provided support to over 150 animal welfare charities, around 60% of the country’s total.

The charity has also engaged government officials in every single province in the country advising them on co-operation with local groups, and humane stray population management.

You can help end the dog meat trade in China. Stand shoulder to shoulder with the brave Chinese activists on the frontline, fighting the dog and cat meat trade, every single day.

Together we can end this cruelty. Sign the pledge.

Animals Asia’s Cat and Dog Welfare work in Guangxi province is carried out by Ya Dong Consulting, a consultancy enterprise wholly owned and advised by Animals Asia.

BACK