Many millions of dogs and cats are consumed as “health food” every year in Asian countries like South Korea, China, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. The lives and deaths of these dogs is unconceivably cruel.

From birth to slaughter, the dogs spend their lives crammed in tiny metal cages with no space to move, with no protection from extreme weather and no water, exercise, or medical care. Their eardrums are often burst to prevent them from barking, or their muzzles are tied. The dogs are bred at specific dog farms, but stray dogs are also captured or pet dogs are snatched or sold for the needs of the dog meat trade.

There is a widespread belief in many Asian countries that dog and cat meat is beneficial for the health. It is also believed that the more the dogs and cats suffer, the better the meat will taste and the greater the health benefits will be. The animals are therefore made to experience extreme fear and suffering prior to death. 

The dogs are often butchered in full view of the others, and the method of slaughter is extremely brutal – they are electrocuted, hanged, beaten to death or burnt or skinned alive. Some have a blow torch used on them while they are still alive to remove their fur. The cats are often boiled alive.

The dog and cat meat trade in these countries is either not banned, or the existing legislation is not being sufficiently enforced, like the Philippines where dog meat consumption was banned in 1998. Apart from causing the animals extreme suffering, the trade is also a risk to humans by making it possible for rabies and other diseases to be transmitted to humans.

Sources of information:

www.awionline.org
www.hsi.org
www.koreandogs.org
www.right-tourism.com
www.soidog.org

Each year, approximately 60,000 greyhounds (galgos) are abandoned or tortured to death in Spain, especially in the communities of Castile and Leon, Extremadura and Andalusia.

The galgos are used by hunters (galgueros) to hunt hares. The dogs live their lives in atrocious circumstances cramped together in dirty tiny sheds without daylight and possibility to move, ill and on the brink of starvation, deprived of human care and affection.

After the end of the hunting season, the hunters get rid of most of their dogs by abandoning them or by destroying them in the most horrendous ways. Massive and uncontrolled overbreeding makes it less costly to buy new galgos each year than to keep the old ones.

By tradition, the dogs are often killed by hanging them by their necks with their feet just touching the ground, swaying back and forth causing the dogs extreme pain and agony for several days until they die. Other traditional ways to murder the dogs are to throw them into abandoned wells covering them with burning wood, beat them with rocks or bury or burn them alive. The hunters believe that the more the dogs suffer, the more successful the following hunting season will be.

The abandoned dogs often die of starvation or injuries, and if they are caught they are mostly brought to municipal killing stations. A few are rescued by shelters where they are rehabilitated after which they have a chance to find a forever home. Unfortunately many Spaniards consider galgos to be unsuitable as companion animals, so most of the galgos are adopted abroad.

No EU legislation exists concerning the welfare of dogs, and the Spanish authorities are unwilling to address this matter in any way. Without a massive international movement the situation is not likely to change, and these noble, beautiful and gentle dogs are deemed to continue their terrible suffering.

Sources of information:

www.112 carlotagalgos.com
www.galgonews.com
www.galgorescue.org
www.galgosdelsol.org
www.galgosenfamilia.org
www.greyhoundrescue.org
www.greyhoundsafe.com
www.scoobymedina.org