Fwd: Fw: Swiss upset by Chinese eating of St Bernards

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BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese have taken a liking to a revered symbol of

Switzerland -- the St Bernard dog -- but the Swiss are not flattered.

Gentle giants famed for rescuing people in the Alpine snows of Europe, the

St Bernard's size and docile nature have become a major selling point in

China, where dog meat has long been a popular delicacy known as " fragrant

meat " .

Driven by increasing demand to boost meat yields, dog breeders have been

drawn to Saint Bernards because they are huge, resistant to disease and

prolific, with annual litters of around eight to twelve puppies, double that

of other dogs.

In a promotional video, a state-run Saint Bernard breeding farm in the

northeastern city of Shenyang praises the big dogs as perfect for breeding

because they are gentle and don't bite

The video boasts that investing in Saint Bernard farms is " more lucrative

than pig farming and livestock breeding " and says that 48 breeding stations

have been built in 10 Chinese provinces with a total of 5,000 Saint

Bernards.

The farm cross-breeds St Bernards imported from Switzerland with local dogs.

The dogs are then sold to brokers at a cost of about $1.00 for 500 grams (18

ounces), it said.

The idea of a national symbol becoming Chinese canine cuisine has sparked

strong protests from the Swiss public and from animal rights activists.

This year, a petition signed by 11,000 St Bernard breeders and owners

worldwide demanding a halt to the trade was submitted to the Swiss

government by SOS St Bernard International, a Geneva-based group.

The Swiss embassy in Beijing has declined to comment on the issue.

ANIMAL WELFARE GROUPS FUME

Animal welfare organisations, like the International Fund for Animal Welfare

(IFAW), are outraged that Saint Bernards are being bred for their meat and

have petitioned the Chinese government to introduce its first animal cruelty

laws.

" If a Chinese cannot understand why Swiss people get so upset that they are

eating St. Bernards, I would ask that same question: If Swiss people eat

China's panda, how would Chinese feel? " Grace Gee Gabriel, IFAW China

director, told Reuters Television.

But that sentiment has not kept diners away from the Sinn-Korean " Dog-Meat

King " restaurant, one of Beijing's largest dog restaurants.

>From braised dog paws to stir-fried dog chops to boiled tail, the

restaurant

in central Beijing serves more than 50 dog dishes prepared in a variety of

rich sauces and styles.

" Chinese people who own dogs would never eat their own dogs, they really

love them and treat them like their own children, " said customer Zhang Lei.

" But these dogs we're eating are bred specially for their meat -- they're

like chickens, sheep and cows, so people don't feel bad about eating them, "

the 25-year-old worker said.

In the kitchen, chefs fish out freshly slaughtered chunks of dog head,

tenderloin and leg out of a large pot in preparation for the evening rush,

but decline to disclose the breed of dog.

A spokeswoman for the Shenyang farm said pure St. Bernards are almost

exclusively for breeding stock and rarely make it to the table.

" They're too expensive, " she said.