End The Dog Meat Trade - Every Purchase Makes A Difference
Every year thousands of dogs and cats are slaughtered in the Yulin festival in China. Cats and dogs have become common household pets so it is unsurprising that such a festival has received widespread disapproval amongst millions across the world. There have been countless petitions trying to end the festival which have not achieved success, and often horrific, heartbreaking videos are leaked on to the internet showing what the poor animals are subjected to.
The practice is also performed in other countries such as Korea, Vietnam, Switzerland, the Philippines, parts of Europe and America, and the African continent. Some cultures consider the consumption of dog meat a part of traditional culture, but most of Western culture considers the practice taboo. Although it has been estimated that approximately 25 million dogs are eaten annually, only a small percentage of people eat them. Laws in countries like South Korea are often ambiguous and thus it is difficult to create change when most dog and cat meat opposition comes from the Western world.
The dogs and cats are not only slaughtered for meat, but often endure a lifetime of cruelty and abuse and are deliberately slaughtered in a brutal, unimaginable manner. Dogs are skinned alive, and their barbaric deaths are often performed in front of children on the streets. Dogs and cats are often beaten and burnt alive, sometimes thrown into boiling water, and even blowtorched, bludgeoned, hanged or electrocuted. The animals endure miserable living conditions, and live in rusty, stacked cages on top of one another, witnessing the death of other dogs and cats in silence and fearing what will happen to them next.
In recent years, passionate petitioners have upped their game and are determined to put this practice to an end once and for all. One such charity is Soi Dog Foundation Founded by Margot Homburg Park and John and Gill Dalley.
"Soi Dog Foundation is a not-for-profit, legally registered charitable organization in Thailand, the United States, Australia, the UK, France, Canada and Holland. Soi Dog helps the homeless, neglected and abused dogs and cats of Asia, works to end the dog meat trade throughout the region, and responds to animal welfare disasters and emergencies. We aim to set an example for the Asian region on how to humanely reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats through spaying and neutering, and to better the lives and living conditions of the stray dogs and feral cats of Asia."
http://www.soidog.org/en/about-soi-dog/
We at Help for Paws are passionate about such causes and it breaks our heart knowing that every day that goes by, more and more dogs and cats are brutally murdered. It is this reason why we have chosen to donate a portion of every bracelet sale made to Soi Dog until we reach a £500 target. From then on, we will continue donating to charities and campaigns that support animals in need.
It is extremely difficult to write of, and see images and videos online of the dog and cat meat trade, but it is a harsh reality that we must confront and strive to destroy. We encourage every animal lover and everybody with a heart to do what they can to support the eradication of the cat and dog meat trade, whether it be through petitions, charity donations, campaigns, and products such as ours. Make a difference by supporting Help for Paws.
