SCAA Statement on the Dog Cull in China

FEAR OF RABIES TRIGGERS UNSPEAKABLE SOLUTIONS

Following is SCAA’s statement regarding the culling of 50,000 dogs in Yunnan province in response to 3 cases of rabies in humans and other dog bites, plus plans for future culling in other cities in China. For more information, please see our FAQ # 3.

Rabies has been an endemic problem in China for many, many years. An ever increasing and uncontrolled dog population has led to more and more hostile encounters between feral and domesticated dogs and the human population.

The indiscriminate killing of large numbers of dogs to address the problem is unnecessary, only a temporary solution and above all, inhumane.

Appropriate long-term solutions include: public education about animal health and welfare; legislation to guide people regarding animal ownership and improved medical care for animals and humans alike. The US has an endemic rabies situation with a large number of wild animals as a reservoir for the disease. The situation in China is unclear, but probably a result of similar circumstances. Rabies is controlled through sensible licensing of animals, well trained professionals dealing with animals (be they veterinarians, technicians, groomers, kennel owners or breeders) and a strict legal protocol for dealing with potential rabies cases.

Control of the indiscriminate breeding and selling of dogs will help to eliminate the massive growth in unwanted animals that leads to packs of wild dogs. These wild dogs are the main cause of problems. People will and can replace killed dogs very easily and by this time next year it is highly unlikely that the cull will have achieved its desired effect. Rabies will still be present. People will continue to misunderstand and mistreat animals. Animals and people will continue to come into conflict with each other and the vicious cycle will continue.

Dealing with the rabies issue as part of the wider picture of animal health and welfare nationwide will produce a safe, enjoyable and sustainable relationship between the growing human and animal populations in China.

SCAA is a very small volunteer organization based in Shanghai. We are doing our best to educate Chinese people through informative brochures printed in Chinese and we also hope to translate our website soon. An ambitious goal is to provide these brochures to as many schools and Chinese veterinarians as possible and place this valuable information in public spaces accessible to all pet owners. Printing and distributing bilingual pet-care information costs a lot of money…money we do not have. We depend solely on donations from animal lovers to get the animals we find healthy and adoptable. The overwhelming number of daily calls to SCAA asking for help with an abandoned animal is hard to imagine. Sadly, we do not have the foster parents or the funds to help everyone…only a small handful.

Provinces such as Yunnan are many hours away by air and China is an extremely large country.We are growing, and we hope to continue to expand and educate across China. If you would like to be a part of creating change, even from afar, please CLICK HERE to make a PayPal donation.

More on the Dog Cull in China:

SCAA - English Translation of Local Media Reports

Guardian- China Rabies Outbreak Triggers Second Dog Cull

CNN- China Dog Cull Brings Heartbreak

Buzzle- Welfare Groups Protest Massive Dog Cull in China

ASPA/WSPA- Statement on China Province Dog Culling

Animals Asia- Shandong Reacts to Rabies Deaths with Massive Dog Cull