China Dog+Cat Slaughter with regard to Olympic Games

2008@beijing-olympic.org.cn, mishubu@beijing-olympic.org.cn, zongti@beijing-olympic.org.cn, international@beijing-olympic.org.cn, sports@beijing-olympic.org.cn, xuanchuan@beijing-olympic.org.cn, guihua@beijing-olympic.org.cn, environment@beijing-olympic.org.cn, marketing@beijing-olympic.org.cn, technology@beijing-olympic.org.cn, legal@beijing-olympic.org.cn, gamesservices@beijing-olympic.org.cn, jiancha@beijing-olympic.org.cn, renshi@beijing-olympic.org.cn, caiwu@beijing-olympic.org.cn, wenhua@beijing-olympic.org.cn, security@beijing-olympic.org.cn, mediaoperations@beijing-olympic.org.cn, VEM@beijing-olympic.org.cn, paralympic@beijing-olympic.org.cn, transport@beijing-olympic.org.cn, OTR@beijing-olympic.org.cn, accreditation@beijing-olympic.org.cn, 2008@beijing-olympic.org.cn, mishubu@beijing-olympic.org.cn, zongti@beijing-olympic.org.cn, international@beijing-olympic.org.cn, sports@beijing-olympic.org.cn, xuanchuan@beijing-olympic.org.cn, guihua@beijing-olympic.org.cn, environment@beijing-olympic.org.cn, marketing@beijing-olympic.org.cn, xinxiguanli@beijing-olympic.org.cn, wenhua@beijing-olympic.org.cn, mediaoperations@beijing-olympic.org.cn

Dear Officials of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games,

Please follow the lead of other nations that have recognized the importance of denouncing cruelty to animals and immediately move to halt the slaughter of dogs. Modern rabies vaccinations are effective and will spare the suffering of dogs and the humans who are devastated at the prospect of their animals' being slaughtered in such a gruesome and preventable manner.

Please join the nations that have enacted and enforced strict cruelty-to-animals laws recognizing the fact that animals feel pain and must be spared from gratuitous cruelty. While China is admired in many other respects, your national policy does not seem to recognize as sentient those species that depend on human compassion for their protection. Please use your power of office to end the cruel killing of animals in China-for fur, for food, and in this ineffective and outdated form of rabies control.

In a hideously cruel response to an outbreak of rabies in late July, authorities in Mouding County in Southwest China ordered the killing of more than 50,000 dogs, including 4,000 who were immunized against the disease. Officials clubbed many animals to death in the street right before their guardians' eyes. Animals who were not beaten mercilessly died equally violent, gruesome deaths by poisoning or electrocution. The Chinese government issued orders to kill an additional 500,000 dogs and probably also 5 million cats in the near future!! None of these beloved companions will have the benefit of a humane death, because there isn’t a single law in China that prevents cruelty to animals.

China has a long history of cruelty and violence toward animals. In live-animal markets, animals—including dogs and cats—are skinned alive for their fur; merchants hack flesh from animals, piece by piece, until they finally bleed to death; and animals routinely suffer from broken limbs because they are thrown from the tops of transport trucks onto concrete floors. The Chinese government has to halt the planned slaughter of dogs and enact strict anti-cruelty laws immediately, that is the only human und correct possibility!

Sincerely,