I had to post a message because I feel so enraged and also so upset.
My friend was telling me about her father who is living out in Malaysia at the moment and the horrors he sees. I am going to cut and paste his email to her:

"Some things here still shock like yesterday I walked through a Chinese open
market with crates of chicken waiting to be killed and sold. Amongst them
was a crate of fattened-up puppies also waiting to be killed and sold as
meat. And worst of all standing out in the hot sun. Next time I pass I will
take a photo and you can send it to the Sun newspaper. That would give their
tourist trade a jolt if it was published".

Is there anything, ANYTHING that I can do?? I feel so helpless...

Unfortunatley this is part of their culture and although far from ideal their is little we can do to change it. (and I actually question if we should try)

We have the luxury of keeping dogs as pets but they are animals after all and a food source in some places in the world. I know this sounds awful but there are people appalled by our eating 'sacred' animals such as cows, or even animals at all.

Education is the only way to help these people - in farming/culling etc but if you have the time to help out maybe something closer to home - where puppy farming is purley for profit - would be easier and more appropriate?

Sorry to be so negative :(

there is an organisation and unfortunately I cant remember its name but its aim is to show Asian countries that dogs can be pets, they take them to old peoples homes for company as they are usually the generation most against animals as pets.
THe older people surprisingly love the company.

I watched it on TV

I'm sure donations to them would be gratefully received. I will try and remember the name

They also try and rescue as many dogs as they can from the type of markets you described. The pictures I saw on TV were horrendous though, there was dogs crammed into cages, the ones at the bottom were dead, suffocated by the ones on top.

it is a great shame i agree, but a culture that runs through their veins from generations ago, i think it will peter out eventually as they are already reporting a downturn in the canine meatmarket. The most recent 'fashion' is the puppy pelt fur trade, it has really kicked off in China, Animal Aid reckon over 2 million domestic animals are tracked and slaughtered each year for their fur (this includes cats) :( :(
Animal Aid are actively pursuing this, and may be able to update you with current legislation plans......
http://www.animalaid.co.uk

Thanks for the prompt responses regarding the puppy meat trade in Malaysia and other Asian countries. I have to disagree with the post who feels that because it is part of a culture it is therefore acceptable. Any farming of animals for meat or byproduct should be done with compassion and respect with utmost importance placed on the animals welfare. Surely that’s the point here as well as the disgust that I am sure most will feel about treating an intelligent and loyal animal in this way. The puppies that prompted this message were kept in a wire cage out in the midday sun, as if that is not torture enough, take a minute to consider what the means of slaughter may be. I would definitely say that we should question this barbaric trade, culture and tradition aside.

Thank you for the post regarding the charity that is focusing on this barbaric ‘culture’ if you could remember the name could you pass on please?

I certainly never said it was acceptable......... just pointing out that 'cultures' are very bizarre things......and come with many factets, a bit like religion....

Hi Sooz,
I wasn't aiming that at you at all, so please don't take offense!
Lucy

Have seen the same in mexico,horrible,horrible thing to see,sandra.

none taken :)

http://gopetition.com/region/168/2989.html

This might also interest you. (sorry I can't do the fancy link thing yet ;))

I hope I'm not starting a huge row here - I do agree that it's awful when any animal has to suffer at the hands of man.

I'm sorry that you took offence at my posting - it wasn't intended to be quite so sharp! I just meant who are we to say what use (if any) an animal should be put to? And how can we say what we farm in the uk is right and what they do is wrong? I'm sure if you saw the conditions of a battery hen you would be shocked too :( It's only in recent times that the UK has had any amount of consideration for our animals and 3rd world countries will always be behind us.

Sometimes you have to look into a countries history and culture to understand why they accept the things they do. Education is the only way forward and to re educate a whole culture is a mammoth task. Of course it could/should be better for these animals, but when they are a cheap and easy food source the people will see them as no different to chickens :( And we will continue to eat cows even though they are reguarded as holy animals in other countries.

http://mnawf.org.my/aboutMNA.html

This site might be a good place to start.

hi

i saw a documentary on this ...... the dogs are packed in overcrowed cages and buyers choose their dog and its taken and beaten to death in front of the other dogs as they beleive inducing fear puts something into the meat which makes you stronger,there were crates and crates of dogs ,there are puppy farms which breed specially for slaughter the puppies they showed at a farm were fat and gorgeous and very playful little did they know what was in store for them,the people making the documentary were there to buy one dog from the market to bring back to rehome in the uk it was heart breaking they looked at a few dogs and got them out of the cages not one was aggressive the man choosing was in tears they brought back a dog who is now living happily in the UK if i had the money i'd do the same thing but i'd have to have enough to bring the whole lot back because i could never choose , slaughter of dogs or any animal in this way should be outlawed,i felt ill for days after watching it!!!

With the day I have had today nothing surprises me anymore.

We all think that we live in a caring country that looks out for animals.

Well think again.

We have an old mare of 26 who is coming to the end of her days, she has had a good summer but will not go through another winter without suffering. So the time has now come to make that decision.

It used to be very simple, we would have had her humanely put down in her field and then sent her to the hunt kennels or buried her. No stress to her just a quick peaceful end.

My local hunt kennels cannot take her now as they have no incinerator to dispose of any remains! We are not allowed to bury her as that is now against the law.

We have choices:

1. Transport a very arthritic mare 50 miles to the nearest hunt kennels who do have an incinerator, that is if they will take her as we are not in their area, and so I have been told then pay them £50 to dispose of any remains.

2. Pay £150.00 after she has been destroyed, to be taken to a local incinerator.

3. Or believe it or not for an animal loving country, she can be sold to the local horsemeat trader, who will load her in a lorry full of other horses and transport her to Belgium. No way will this one ever happen!!!!!!

Any suggestions anyone.

By the way its not the money thats the problem its the principals.

Don't mean to cause offence but if that horse has given you 26 years of pleasure then £150 would be cheap and i would be humbled to pay.

Sarah

I did say that the money wasn't a problem just the principle.

Its not what I will do thats the problem, we have already decided what to do. Its what a lot of other people will decide to do in similar circumstances that bothers me.

How come it's against the law?
Are we not allowed to bury our dogs too?

I can see what you mean lady and hopefully most people would pick option 2.

Think although technically illegal, nobody would enforce it for dogs, cats etc.

It became illegal to bury animal carcasees on farm as of 1 May.

Jayne

OOh i didn't know that.
I know we buried our pony in the paddock years ago.

Oh god imagine how many people would chose to send it to be used as meat..
Does not bear thinking about.

Sarah

that depends on if its been shot or been put to sleep dosent it? i read on the bhs site that you can bury shot horses one ones that died naturaly but if put to sleep , with drugs they have to be taken away

It does not apply to cats and dogs they can still be buried in your garden.

Hi Lady D

I'm sorry to hear about your mare...I have a 26 year old arthritic mare too, who I was not convinced would see another winter, especially after I found her down in the field nearly dead...but, I have to say she has made a marvellous recovery and benefits from half a sachet of bute a day, cortaflex and extra food... even so, this will be her last winter and I know we will have the same dilemma. Its £250plus VAT to have her "cremated" at the local cemetary - even though there are 14 acres here she could be buried in when the time comes :( All just grazing and nothing but horses doing the grazing.

Chloe :)

Crazy isn't it Chloe!

We've been down the bute and cortaflex route and sadly she is going downhill all the time now,
so we have decided the time is right. :-(

Jayne

Makes me sick too :(

If they are killed in a humane way then fine ok thats their meat. All animals should be done in a humane way after all they are providing us with food, the least we can do is make their end as painless as possible.

:(

I agree with you absolutely, dollface.

What is fine about stunning an animal here in the UK? It is neither painless nor humane as it only stuns it does not kill outright, as pithing (horrible too) is no longer legal since the BSE outbreak (for health and safety reasons) but not for the welfare of the slaughterd animals but the slaughtermen. We would like to think that all animals are killed humanly but it is not so. Look at the web site for compassion in world farming or animal aid.

It is a very sad day when you have to say the last farewell to a loved animal. Had you not considered having her individually cremated? There are a few independent companies that offer this service for horses as well as other domestic pets. Seems a kinder option at least you will know what happens to her.

link

Thanks Dizzy - I'll get the hang of linking eventually ;)

Could I give everyone a gentle reminder that this is a multi cultural forum with members from all over the world. I am aware that emotions run high on this subject but can we keep it civil please. Thank you.

Will certainly try, however it is not always easy, emotions do run high when cruelty is involved as shown in this web site http://www.voice4dogs.org
I do not believe that anyone can condone this trade in puppies and dogs, it is heartbreaking, abhorant and deplorable.
I wish that people would not export puppies to any Asian country. Possibly some on this board have exported puppies to Asia and you will no doubt say 'I know they were going to a good home, the person shows dogs in their native country' Some purchasers from Asia will possibly breed from that puppy too and will wish to sell the surplus puppies. That is where the problem starts, because they cannot ensure where the progeny from that one original puppy (if later used for breeding) will be sold to people that could breed from it. Once sold you as a breeder will have absolutely no control of what happens. The progeny may not be for a show or pet home but for the dog food meat trade and all the horrors of cruelty involved.
There are no stastics kept for the numbers of puppies exported from the UK either by responsible breeders or puppy farmers, therefore no one knows how many puppies directly or indirectly end up in the Asian food trade that have been bred here. There is only one way to ensure that they do not and that is to not export puppies to countries that have a trade in dog meat. Simply, do not export. Surely that is the answer if you care more about the future of your puppies than the money that an agent/dealer in puppies will give you.