Dogs saved from restaurant (Philippines)/Australian State considers banning dog meat

[Guest guest]

Hi,

This web URL has the stories below plus some links to other

stories about dog meat consumption etc.

Also, please note that the story about the POSSIBILITY of banning

the eating of dogs in Victoria, Australia applies only to that State.

It may be difficult to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat

in States of Australia where Australian Aboriginals may include dingoes and

wild

introduced cats in their diets. Also, the comment " People in Australia go

and get a

pie not a dog, " (see below) is specieist because most pies in Australia are

meat

pies and some have been found to have all types of ground up dead animals in

them

(including goats.pigs etc) and secondly, cattle and sheep and pigs

are capable of friendship to humans

as well as dogs. The calf I rescued from the Saleyards (destined for

slaughter) is now an adult and has

developed quite a personality.

Marguerite

 

http://www.dogsinthenews.com/issues/0210/articles/021011a.htm

 

 

Fed Up with Dog Meat Kitchens: Dog-Lovers Raid Restaurant, Rescue 52 Dogs

from Slaughter

Also: Guess where they're about to outlaw dog meat...

 

 

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (Philippines) — Most dogs would love to get on top of

the dinner table, but what a cruel irony it is when they end up being the

main course. Such was almost the fate of 52 terrified pooches who were

minutes away from being slaughtered at an illegal dog meat restaurant in

Baguio.

 

But on the morning of Oct. 5, volunteers of the London-based Political

Animal Lobby and Philippine authorities raided Comiles Restaurant just in

time to save most of the intended victims. Fourteen dogs had already been

slaughtered when the rescuers arrived at dawn. Volunteers " witnessed three

men about to kill a muzzled dog with a piece of wood, " The Philippine Star

reports.1

 

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) took three butchers

into custody but later released them.

 

Banarchy

 

According to the Star, Saturday's raid was the first action taken against

illegal dog slaughterhouses this year.

 

For years, Philippine authorities have been ineffective at maintaining the

dog meat ban which was first set in place by President Ferdinand Marcos in

the 80s. The initiative was undermined by regional authorities such as

Governor Ben Palispis who lobbied for the lifting of the ban.

 

In 1996, pro-animal politicians in La Trinidad tried again with a bold

resolution ordering all restaurants in the province to serve vegetable

dishes only. However, " nothing happened to it, because of the [people's]

love for dog meat, " said Mike Esteban, an aide of former Benguet Gov. Raul

Molintas. " It's dog meat that they want. " 2

 

Finally in 1998, Congress passed Republic Act 8485 - The Animal Welfare Act,

which prohibits " the killing of any animal rather than cattle, pigs, goats,

sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer and crocodiles. " 3 It was

signed into law by then Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos on Feb. 11,

1998.

 

The law drew immediate protest from dog meat establishments—particularly

Comiles Restaurant, the site of last week's raid. Owner Carmen Comiles

Beray was quoted saying in Feb. 1998: " We serve no other meat except dog...

I do not know what we will do now. " 2

 

Philippine animal welfare groups have been steadily intensifying their

campaigns against animal cruelty and other violations of the Animal Welfare

Act.

********************************

Guess Where They're About to Outlaw Dog Meat...

 

MELBOURNE, Victoria (Australia) — If you think all the people in your

corner of the globe are too civilized to eat dogs, you might get a shock out

of this one.

 

Victoria, home of the world-famous Melbourne City Opera (see " Opera-Singing

Dog " ) and some of the finest wines in the South Pacific (see " Booze Hounds -

New Zealand " ), is scrambling this month to come up with legislation that

will ban the human consumption of dogs.

 

" We, like most Victorians, view the practice as abhorrent, " says Agriculture

Minister Keith Hamilton, adding that the Victorian government wants to stop

people from engaging in the practice of eating dogs and cats.

 

The issue surfaced last week after the nearly-tragic story of " Occy " was

published in the Moonee Valley Community News. Occy, a 10-week-old

Staffordshire mix, was seen being held in a plastic bag by a man at a

Niddrie shopping strip. The unidentified man, said to be of foreign

appearance, pointed to the puppy and suggestively brought his hand to his

mouth several times.

 

Bystander Rebecca Silva came to the rescue and snatched Occy away. Several

other shoppers also confronted the man who allegedly demanded money for the

dog.

 

Occy was returned to the home of Erin Marquis and Shannon Richter (pictured

above). It is not known whether the pup had escaped his backyard or whether

somebody had stolen him.

 

Ms. Marquis told reporters she could not believe someone was planning to eat

her dog. " People in Australia go and get a pie, not a dog, " she said.

 

At the moment, it is not illegal for people to eat dogs, cats or horses in

Australia. However, there are existing laws that prevent the slaughter and

sale or inhumane treatment of companion animals (dogs, cats and horses).

 

RSPCA president Hugh Wirth says it's about time the government took the

subject seriously. Although the RSPCA has struggled for years to get a

total ban imposed, Dr. Wirth says he has been repeatedly told by ministers

and government advisers that they could not act for fear of offending

minority groups, who might enjoy the occasional dog or cat.4

 

But Mr. Wirth insists: " The dog was the first animal domesticated by humans

and has a very special relationship with us because of that, a place

unequalled by any other animal. "