IFAW Reports China Dog Cull Looms, Owners Urged to Kill Pets

BEIJING, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Media reports from China indicate another
citywide dog cull will begin Thursday in a district of Qinhuangdao, Hebei
Province near Beijing. Dogs that are not registered and vaccinated will
reportedly be killed, along with stray animals.

Residents with dogs over one foot in height or with those which are considered
to be "dangerous breeds" are being asked to kill their own dogs by September
10(th). If these animals are not killed, police will then form dog-beating
squads, combing the district and killing all such dogs. Owners will then be
fined for the killing.

While authorities are attributing the plan to recent dog-biting incidents in
the area, the International Fund for Animal Welfare's (IFAW - www.ifaw.org)
Asia Regional Director, Grace Ge Gabriel rebuts, "To pick this time to enforce
the dog regulation, it is obvious that Qinhuangdao hopes to 'clean' the
streets and put on a good show for China's National Day on October 1(st). But,
by inflicting cruelty on animals, the city is doing the exact opposite. Mass
killing of dogs is going to generate outrage from people all over the world,
damaging China's image of a harmonious society."

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," says 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."

Due to the lack of rabies prevention programs, consistent dog population
controls or responsible pet ownership education, city governments often resort
to mass killing of dogs as a means to control dog populations and prevent
rabies outbreaks. This May, the cull in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province was
responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 dogs. "This brutal killing of dogs
further highlights the need for legislation that will ensure the humane
treatment of all animals," continues Gabriel.

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

"Qinhuangdao must stop the mass slaughter of dogs and attend to the root
causes of overpopulation and rabies transmission. 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 we fear it will be too late for the tens
of thousands of dogs in Qinhuangdao," 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, IFAW Headquarters, +1-508-648-3586; ccullen@ifaw.org, or Jeff
He, IFAW China, jhe@ifaw.org