China Animal Welfare Law Under Review While 36,000 Dogs Culled

BEIJING, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the Chinese state media
announced that the dog cull in Hanzhong city, Shaanxi Province has reached a
death toll of 36,000. Claiming rabies outbreak, the city has sent out
dog-beating squads to kill any animal spotted on the street, stray or owned.

According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare's (IFAW - www.ifaw.org)
Asia Regional Director, Grace Ge Gabriel, "Mass killing of dogs is ineffective
in controlling rabies in the long-term. By choosing not to implement a
sensible rabies vaccination program, Hanzhong government has failed to protect
the health of its citizens. Furthermore, the brutal killing of dogs continues
to highlight the need for legislation that will ensure the humane treatment of
all animals."

Currently, China does not have any type of animal welfare law in place, which
means that there is no legal recourse against the cruel treatment and killing
of animals.

"The killing of dogs that have rightful owners is a violation of the basic
rights of a Chinese citizen," continues Gabriel. "Although China has no law to
prevent cruelty to animals, its Constitution calls for the protection of
personal property, which includes rightfully owned companion animals."

The cull in Hanzhong began in May after several rabies deaths were reported.
IFAW has since pleaded with government officials to stop the slaughter and has
offered its expertise in the humane prevention of rabies.

Meanwhile, the central government is working with IFAW and other groups to
draft national animal welfare legislation which Gabriel says is the only way
to ensure the humane treatment of animals for the long-term.

"Hanzhong county and the national government must stop the mass slaughter of
dogs and address the real issues here. The root causes of overpopulation and
rabies transmission need to be recognized and addressed," said Gabriel. "Above
all else, this includes the need for vaccination and sterilization."

"We are of course pleased that the draft of China's first animal welfare
legislation is near completion but it is unfortunately too late for the tens
of thousands of dogs in Hanzhong," concluded Gabriel.

About the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
As one of the world's leading animal welfare organizations, IFAW has
representation in 16 countries and carries out its animal welfare work in more
than 40. IFAW works from its global headquarters in the United States and
focuses its campaigns on improving the welfare of wild and domestic animals by
reducing the commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats,
and assisting animals in distress. IFAW works both on the ground and in the
halls of government to safeguard wild and domestic animals and seeks to
motivate the public to prevent cruelty to animals and to promote animal
welfare and conservation policies that advance the well-being of both animals
and people.

SOURCE International Fund for Animal Welfare

Colleen Cullen of IFAW Headquarters, +1-508-648-3586, ccullen@ifaw.org