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This Domain is For Sale,
Serious Inquiries please contact Marie Tabsch
By Judith Fish, M.S.W.
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Over 55 million Americans share their homes with a canine companion and 65 million live with a feline companion. In most of these homes, the animals are treated like integral family members. Dogs often share our beds and cats roam the house at will. We play with our animals, talk to them, take them on long walks and spend billions of dollars on them. We shower them with treats and toys, take them to day care centers and provide them with state-of-the-art veterinary care. In return, the animals provide us with unconditional love. Animals are nonjudgmental, loyal and patient and provide solace and support. Some dogs assist the police, lead the blind, comfort the sick and serve as search-and-rescue animals. They are truly the best friends a human could ever have. So it's unimaginable that these same animals who share our lives and who experience the same emotions that we do are tortured and killed by the millions in most Asian countries. Yes, millions of cats and dogs are subjected to cruel and barbaric conditions that are incomprehensible to most Americans. In those countries, dogs and cats are simply used for their fur or are served on a platter for dinner. In Korea, for example, 6,000 restaurants currently serve dog and cat meat, even though the eating of companion animals is prohibited by law. The worst part is that many Asians believe that the more the animal suffer, the better they will taste and the more potent they will be as an aphrodisiac. Thus, these animals are subjected to immense pain and suffer from a cruel and barbaric death. They are often hung, beaten, electrocuted, and boiled alive. Prior to their horrific death, they are crammed into crates, starved, and subjected to extremes in temperature. Many of these animals have never been for a walk, have never received medical attention, and have never known a moment of love. They are sold in outdoor markets. Clients often select their dog or cat while ordering food and the animal is then taken, tortured, and then served on a platter. Sometimes a blowtorch is used to burn the hair off and brown the skin, while the dog is still alive. The fur is then sold. Following a three-year investigation of the international trade in dog and cat fur, The Humane Society of the United States discovered that some of these products were making their way into stores across America. DNA tests confirmed that items such as gloves, fur linings, trinkets, and insoles for shoes and boots had, in fact, been made with dog and cat fur and were being sold in the United States. This story was aired on Dateline NBC in December 1999. Americans were understandably outraged, and following these revelations, Congress passed HR 4868, which banned the sale of dog and cat fur anywhere in the United States. The potential penalties for violations include fines of up to $10,000. Most of us are appalled when we hear about one instance of animal cruelty in our own neighborhoods. Just multiply that case times millions and you get a fairly good picture of what life is like for the dogs and cats in Asia. Thankfully, there are some agencies that are working very diligently to help these poor innocent animals. If you would like to learn more about this unspeakable situation, you can contact Kyenan Kum with The International Aid for Korean Animals at www.koreananimals.org or Jill Robinson with Animals Asia Foundation, at www.animalsasia.org. These animals really need your help. If you suspect a product may be made from dog or cat fur, you can report it to the U.S. Customs Service at 1-800-Be-Alert. -Judith Fish is a free-lance writer and animal advocate. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She is currently employed as a School Social Worker with the Broward County Schools. |
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