Stop The Brutal Killing of Dogs For Meat

Sign The Petition

Over 2 million dogs are brutally killed in South Korea every year.

That's over 5,000 dogs a day who get strangled, burned, electrocuted or beaten to death for their meat.

Please Follow This Link For More Info: http://www.uniteddogs.com/stopkillingdogs/

The South Korean government has accepted Animal Protection Laws which make animal torture illegal, but those laws have never been properly enforced in the country. The dog meat industry continues to thrive and the officials are reluctant and indifferent to ban it.


Although forbidden to advertise themselves on main streets or in English, over 6,000 restaurants today serve dog meat in South Korea. And they don't get closed down



You can help us change the life of millions of dogs.
International support against dog torture and dog meat consumption is the only way to put pressure on the South Korean government to protect animal rights for real and ban the dog meat industry in all forms. This petition will be presented to the Korean officials in Seoul by the Korea Animal Rights Advocates when at least or more than 1 million signatures have been collected.

This petition is different from any other petition made in support for Korean dogs because of its great scope. People across the world are able to see the "Stop Killing Dogs" page in English, French and in many other languages, and understand that it is not a harmless ancient tradition or anything inevitable.

Sign The Petition

Tibetan Volunteers for Animals

An email I received today

 

Sent Date: Sunday July 5, 2009

TVA Organized its first Animal Birth Control Program at Bylakuppe

Bylakuppe, South India 14 April 2009: TVA organized its first Animal Birth Control Program at Sera Monastery (South India) in partnership with Australian based International organization Vets beyond Borders, Brigitte Bardot Foundation (France) and Sermey Social Service.
The 14 day program (named 'Sera Monastery Dog Health Program') was a pilot project aimed at creating what may potentially become a much more wide-spread project with significant benefits on many social levels as well as those of a public health and animal welfare nature.
Sera Monastery is set in the southern sub-tropical region of India where, over the past 50 years, many thousands of Tibetan refugees have reconstituted their precious culture under extremely difficult and alien conditions. The region is now home to the largest community of Tibetans outside their country.
Increase in the stray dog population results in spreading of diseases, noise, road accidents and ill treatment of these innocent animals.
The program involved:
1) Sterilization of both male and female dogs (pregnant mothers were not operated)
2) Anti-rabies vaccination
3) Providing medical care to the sick and injured animals
4) Educatiing the monks on human health and animal welfare through presentations, distribution of leaflets and posters.
5) Arranging high level meetings with the administrators of Sera Monastery to seek their support and getting them involved.
The program was very well received and was a huge success.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the following people and organization
1) Fondation Brigitte Bardot (France) for funding the entire project
2) Vets Beyond Borders for making this project a reality by bringing Vet Volunteers and making other veterinary arrangements
3) Sera Mey Social Service for their providing the facilities at their hospital, accomodation & food for the whole team and above all for their unconditional support towards the project. Gen Samten la, Gen Ngawang Jungnay la, Gen Monlam la, Karma la, Lobsang (Driver) and the cooks, you all were amazing.
4) Dr. Daniel Rikleen and Dr. Kris Lobo for their unconditional support right from the beginning of the project.
5) Department of Health and Department of Religion, CTA for supporting the project.
6) Vet Volunteers: Dr. Luana, Dr. Shevaun, Dr. Helen, Dr. Colin, Vet nurse Chelsea and Vet Nurse Harrie - you guys were awesome.
7) CUPA Bangalore for sending the two dog catchers for 3 days.
8) Mandy Lamkin and Luana Ferrara for provding invaluable assistance in the preparation of the project proposal.
9) Sera Monastery Administrators: Venerable Geshe Lobsang Palden (Abbot Sera Jhe), Sera Mey is Venerable Geshe Rabka (Abbot Sera Mey), the Gyekoes and the administrators.
10) Mr Tashi Wangdu la (Chairman, Lugsum Bylakuppe Settlement) for his hospitality and continued support towards TVA's programs.
11) TVA team and Volunteers: Tenzin Choyang, Rinchen Lhaze, Sopa Rinpoche, Yangchen Dolkar, Tenzin Tsering and Mr. Tashi Phuntsok (TCV School Teacher and guide for Veg Club Bylkuppe)

There has been a delay in sending the newsletter due to a problem with our mailing list server. We apologize for the same.

Tibetan Volunteers for Animals (TVA) is a registered non-government and a non-profit organization run by a group of young Tibetan activists determined to make a difference. Please visit our website for more information. www.semchen.org

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Hare Today... Gone Tomorrow?

 Hare Today... Gone Tomorrow?

Hello, I saw this article on Care2 and thought you'd like it as well. Care2 is the largest and most trusted information and action site for people who care to make a difference in their lives and the world.

Care2.com

"Hare coursing consists of terrorizing hares (better known as Jack Rabbits in North America) by setting trained and 'blooded*' greyhounds in pursuit of them in a large, wired-off enclosure… The so-called 'sport' revolves around forcing captive hares to run for their lives in the enclosures, each hare being pursued by two greyhounds."
* Coursing clubs scour the countryside in search of hares for their baiting sessions, using large nets to capture the animals. Many hares are injured while being netted, which makes them unsuitable for coursing. These injured hares are commonly used in a training method called 'blooding', a viciously cruel practice in which hares and rabbits, and occasionally cats, are fed live to greyhounds to give them a taste for blood.
The above quote is an excerpt from 'Ban Hare Coursing', a website produced by John Fitzgerald, a free-lance journalist and writer from Ireland who authored the book, 'Bad Hare Days'. Fitzgerald has been involved in Ireland's anti-hare coursing movement for almost thirty years.
A review of Fitzgerald's book contains the following excerpt: 
"In Ireland the 'humble hare' has been the subject of great controversy. After years of an abusive sport, which resulted in its child-like death screams being heard regularly throughout Ireland, a result was achieved… But the hare's troubles were – and are – far from over. Though it can no longer be torn apart by greyhounds, now muzzled, it can still be mauled, injured, and tossed about like a rag doll on the coursing field... The gentle hare… has now become an endangered species in Ireland, and this book reinforces its right to be protected."
Hare coursing is not restricted to Ireland though. According to Wikipedia,
"Since 2005, hare coursing has been banned in [England] but continues elsewhere in the world as a regulated and judged, competitive sport, especially in Ireland and Spain, as well as in Russia and the Western United States… Until the 1970s, there was a dearth of scientific evidence on the welfare impact of coursing. The first thorough study was carried out in 1977–79 by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW), albeit that it said that it was 'not easy to draw conclusions from these reports'"
Not easy to draw conclusions from these reports? What reports does one need to come to the conclusion that this barbaric practice serves no necessary purpose and should be outlawed due to its cruelty alone?
"Though the dogs at official coursing events are muzzled, they still routinely kill or injure the hares. It is a regular sight to see hares being tossed into the air by the competing dogs. Because it is a brittle boned creature, the hare cannot recover from the wounds and bone breakages inflicted. At pre-coursing 'trials' (dress rehearsals for the official events) at which no rules apply and the public is kept away, un-muzzled greyhounds are unleashed against hares, resulting in live tug-of-war spectacles in which the animals are literally torn asunder."
According to Fitzgerald, there are seventy-eight coursing clubs in Ireland, and approximately 10,000 hares are coursed each year. Seventy-five percent of the Irish people oppose hare coursing and want it banned, as has already occurred in Britain. However, not only does it continue, but clubs actually promote hare coursing as a 'tourist attraction'.
As stated on the Ban Hare Coursing website, "Gamblers, greyhound owners, hunters, and other coursing fans laugh and applaud as the hares are forced to perform for their amusement."
As horrific as this is, it is only one of many signs that indicate how horribly confused we are about what animals really are. One reader recently sent me a comment blatantly stating her belief that 'animals are here to be used'. This is a very common attitude toward non-human animals, but as far as I'm concerned, it is the exact opposite of the truth.
I was contemplating this prejudice this morning while I was out on the deck, watching our little rescued rabbit, Poof, hopping around, doing his thing. I'm sure that wild hares are quite different to this fluffy little guy, but I imagine they're probably pretty similar inside. Poof runs around us in circles and does twirls in the air when he's excited. He loves his daily treats – a handful of oats puts him in absolute bliss, and a tiny spoonful of papaya-banana smoothie takes him to nirvana. Poof's previous owners, neighbors of ours, couldn't possibly know these things about him. If they did, perhaps they would have thought twice about taking him to the pound when they finally moved. 
Our previous rabbit friend, Dapper, was rescued from a tiny cage that was hanging on a forty-five degree angle, in the middle of a junkyard. When we let him inside the house to play, Dapper used to run straight into the kitchen. Sometimes he was so excited to get to the fridge that he skated across the shiny tile floor like Bambi's Thumper on the frozen pond.
There is no doubt in my mind that animals want and deserve not just to live, but to enjoy their lives, free from the persecution of their most vicious enemy – humans. This is not just true for Poof or Dapper, but for every rabbit and hare, as well as every other sentient being. 
If animals are meant to be used by humans for any reason at all, it would only be for the purpose of our learning how to love, by learning how to see them clearly. Many people have no problem understanding this in relation to their dogs or cats, or other animals who our society considers 'pets'. But these same people are unwilling to acknowledge that the same is true with other animals, including the ones we currently use for 'sport' or food.
When we insist on using animals for food, entertainment, clothing, or any other purpose, we have no choice but to keep these animals at an emotional distance. A change in diet, along with other simple lifestyle changes, makes such cold-heartedness unnecessary, and we are able to allow all animals into our circle of compassion. This makes it possible for us to see their loveable qualities, which can enrich our lives in ways that are deeply healing.
If we are simply willing to break through our prejudice and see animals as they really are, we have an opportunity to learn how to love life itself, because it is through the magnificence and mystery of our fellow animals that we can connect with the wonders of the natural world and the mysterious forces of creation that have blessed us with such wonderful friends and teachers.
I strongly believe the day will come when humankind will break through the delusion we are currently under, in relation to animals. It will happen one step at a time, with one person at a time recognizing that just like little Poof, and just like dogs and cats, all animals are endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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China's Dog Cull came to an end .. at last

From: Human Society of US

Reports from various sources inside China confirm that a dog cull of nightmarish proportions in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, China has finally come to an end. This massive, government-initiated, indiscriminate slaughter began May 20th in response to several cases of rabies associated with dog bites. More than 33,000 dogs died a cruel death in the killing spree. The brutality was condemned by animal lovers around the world.

Response to an Outcry

Despite the fact that the local government had vowed earlier this month to continue destroying the animals, it failed to do so—apparently due to strong protest by the Chinese people and mounting pressure from the international community, including Humane Society International (HSI).

According to a reliable source close to the Shaanxi government’s representative office in Beijing, the governor of Shaanxi sent three directives to the Hanzhong government expressing concern over the controversial dog cull carried out in that city.
HSI, in collaboration with Animals Asia Foundation, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Act Asia for Animals, had earlier sent a letter [PDF] to the governor urging him to intervene and stop the dog cull in his province. Now, it seems that he has heard our message.

Meanwhile, HSI’s animal advocates around the world have been adding their signatures to a petition addressed to Chinese president Hu Jintao, urging him to stop the cull immediately and prevent any more such tragedies; and donating to a special fund set up to help sterilize and vaccinate dogs in China.
It is thrilling to see that the growing Chinese animal welfare movement has such tremendous support. This turn of events is evidence of their power, and that of caring people around the world, to make a real difference.

A Better Way

As HSI pointed out in letters sent to the governor and other relevant officials, the indiscriminant massacre of thousands of dogs (which here reportedly included both homeless animals and pets) is not a solution to preventing rabies. The slaughter in Hanzhong was supposedly initiated in response to dog bite incidents and a few cases of rabies-caused deaths. However, local citizens believe the government was looking for an excuse to deal with the city’s dog overpopulation problem.

Experience has shown that proper management of street animals through techniques such as sterilization and vaccination is the most effective way to handle such situations. HSI works worldwide to set up such programs with the cooperation of governments and community partners. Our efforts in India, Bhutan and Ethiopia, for example, may serve as useful models.

To help end the use of dog culling as an attempt to avoid rabies, HSI co-sponsored with Act Asia for Animals and Beijing’s Capital Animal Protection Group a forum on Scientific, Effective and Humane Rabies Control. This one-day session, held on June 28th in Beijing, pulled together Chinese officials and experts from the National Disease Control Center, the General Veterinary Bureau of Agriculture Ministry, and the China Medical Foundation.

The forum reached a consensus on the need for China to speed up policy change in favor of adopting a long-term, scientifically-proven and humane rabies prevention program. Members of China’s mainstream media were present at the forum, representing the growing interest in this issue from around the country.

A formal set of recommendations shall be submitted to the appropriate Chinese government offices. Hopefully, the officials of other cities in China will look to more humane methods in the future, and the horror of the Hangzhong/Yangxian dog cull will never be repeated. For now, China’s dog lovers can rest easier—and feel proud, knowing that they helped silence the howls of pain and terror through their own cries for mercy and justice.