Saturday, November 29, 2014

Dogs are being skinned, butchered & boiled alive. We have to stop this NOW!

Help shut Down the Illegal Dog Meat Trade in Thailand Now!
Dogs captured and caged waiting for slaughter.
 
Earlier this week, exactly two days before Thanksgiving, I discovered something horrific that occurs in a great many countries in this world. In Switzerland, 3% of the population eat cats and make dogs into sausages.  In Nepal, thousands of animals are gathered every five years and slaughtered in accordance with their religion. In Vietnam, dog’s meat is a delicacy. After their fur is skinned off of them while alive, dog’s throats are cut and the blood is drained to make them into a meal. The worse atrocity of all I have never heard of before is what is occurring in Thailand. Just when I thought I heard the most horrible and inhumane acts of animal cruelty such as dog fighting and factory farming in the United States, along with the previous I heard about this barbaric practice:
More captured dogs awaiting slaughter.

    In most Asian countries, dog meat is a delicacy where dogs are kidnapped from loving homes or picked up along the roads where they were abandoned. In Thailand, these dogs are collected and smuggled from Thailand by criminals to neighboring countries such as Vietnam where the dogs undergo the worst torment I’ve ever heard of and it must be stopped now! Once picked up and thrown into cages, instead, of being given love, food and shelter, these dogs are stacked into cages on top of one another where none of them can move. Some of them are crushed to death or suffer internal injuries from the weight of the other dogs on top of them. Then when the human monsters decide it is time, some in Thailand, others sent to Vietnam and neighboring countries, these helpless, abandoned dogs are beaten, boiled and skinned alive because these people believe that fear tenderizes the meat. I had nightmares about this ever since I saw the story on Facebook. I went immediately to the SOI Dog Foundation to sign the petition to put a halt against this barbaric practice. I also donated funds to put up billboards in Thailand to advertise the need to stop this. At $25.00 a billboard, I put the money to good use. I then went to the web site and made a donation to the actual charity that rescues, treats and homes these animals.
Dog injured and rescued. Many dogs suffocate slowly or die from hideous injuries on their way to primitive slaughter facilities. They are the lucky ones.

    Imagine what these poor dogs are thinking when they see a human and instead of being rescued, the dogs are thrown, not put, slammed into a cage. If it’s the first dog, others are thrown into the cage on top of this one and all the others squashed in with him/her. None of them can move. None of them can protect themselves. The only way out of this cage is being skinned, beaten and boiled alive for human consumption.

    This entire practice makes me sick. It makes me dislike humans more every day. It is up to you and me to stop this. Words are useless at this point and no matter what I say here, I think the people at SOI Dog Foundation, an animal rescue facility is Thailand says it best:
More dogs stuffed into cages & awaiting a barbaric fate.
 
From SOI Dog:
    “The trade’s terrified victims, many of them family pets, are crushed into cages and suffer horribly on the prolonged journey to slaughter.
They are transported to primitive abattoirs that should be called torture chambers.
There, these poor animals are not just killed. Instead, they are often systematically and brutally beaten, skinned alive or boiled alive.
These horrors are inflicted because of the barbaric belief that when they are in pain, their bodies release adrenaline that softens their meat.
Terror, torture, then a painful death. This is quite possibly the worst form of cruelty humans could inflict on innocent animals.
This is a dog spared from death with the help of Thai people. But we need to harness much wider people power to shut down the dog meat industry.
 
You can put a stop to this. Add your name to the petition now:  

https://savedogs.soidog.org/petition?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_a&utm_content=post19molly&utm_campaign=IDKpetition

In Thailand, this hideous industry is illegal. Most Thai people don’t even know it is going on in their country – because dog meat traders are increasingly secretive. Thai criminals kidnap dogs from their homes and along the roads in order to smuggle them over the borders illegally. It is generally not Thai’s who eat dogs and the majority are not slaughtered in Thailand. This mainly happens in the countries north of Thailand such as Vietnam. A lot of dogs from Thailand are victims of this trade however as criminals from Thailand collect street dogs and peoples pets and smuggle them over the borders illegally. There has been some evidence of slaughter in Thailand, but certainly not to the scale of the other countries.
Soi Dog is a charity that works with authorities on the ground in Thailand and other countries to flush out traders and care for rescued dogs.
The more social and political pressure we can put on dog meat traders, the more dogs will be spared. That’s why we want the support of the highest levels of leadership, and why your name on the petition will really help.
Soi Dog and our partners have already managed to intercept trucks carrying the dogs to slaughter. The condition of the animals was heartbreaking.
Dogs being rescued by authorities from a barbaric death preceded by torture.
By working with Thai police and government, Soi Dog has saved 1000’s of dogs from death and brought dog meat traders to justice.
 
There were terrified dogs crammed into each cage - packed on top of each other. Some had suffocated under the weight of the bodies above them. Others had horrible injuries – broken bones and ruptured internal organs. Some had open wounds or their paws ripped off. We know that trucks like these often travel for days, in sweltering heat, and that the dogs receive no water or food.
There’s so much more to this story and so much you can do to help.
Please start by signing this important petition and sending it to as many people as possible. 

https://savedogs.soidog.org/petition?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_a&utm_content=post19molly&utm_campaign=IDKpetition

  
Want to do even more than just sign a petition? I did. I bought 5 for $25.00 each.

Buy a billboard that tells Thai people about the dog meat trade and offers a reward to help shut it down.

Every Billboard = 1000's More People Against The Dog Meat Trade
Captured dogs rescued get their taste of freedom with food and water. 

The dog meat trade in Southeast Asia is the most disgusting form of cruelty that humans inflict on animals.
Yet most Thai people don’t even know it is going on in their beautiful country.
Will you please buy a billboard to tell them about it, and recruit them in the global campaign to shut down this horrific trade?
When anti-dog-trade charity Soi Dog put up trial billboards, local people passed on information that lead to arrests – and the lives of hundreds of dogs were saved.
Please help us take this campaign even further. Buy a billboard that will go up in a town or along a highway on the dog-smuggling route in Northern Thailand.
It’s a powerful and effective way you can personally stop the suffering and torture of dogs.
Buy a billboard and help take the dog meat campaign to the streets.
With just a few dollars, $25.00 to be exact, you can magnify your impact – and spare many more dogs from this horrific trade. 

https://savedogs.soidog.org/billboards 

The majority of Thai people would be shocked and appalled if they knew what was happing in their beautiful country.
But they don’t know because dog meat traders usually do their deadly business in secret. And they’re getting better and better at hiding it.
That’s why these billboards are so important. They not only alert local people to the horrible trade, they tell them what to look out for, and what to do if they see suspicious activity.
Billboard telling citizens to alert authorities about suspicious activity.
 
This is what the billboards say:
To report dog or cat snatcher trucks, areas where dogs are collected or slaughterhouses call the Hotline 088-302-7556 open 24 hours a day.
You can stop the illegal dog and cat meat trade!
Reward of 5,000 baht for information leading to an arrest.
When making a report please:
  1. If possible photograph the vehicle, including the registration plates.
  2. Provide vehicle registration number, type of vehicle (brand/model), location and estimated number of dogs or cats involved.
Eating or killing cats and dogs is ILLEGAL!
 
The billboards also advertise a 5,000 Thai Baht reward for information leading to arrests.
It’s a really practical, effective and low-cost way to squeeze dog meat traders out of business.
With your help, we can buy more billboards to go up on major trade routes through Thailand, and in the towns where dogs are often stolen from.
It doesn’t cost a lot by our standards to buy a billboard, but this strategy can make a big impact – in the short term by leading to arrests, and in the long term by educating tens of thousands of people.
Ultimately, the biggest impact is on the dogs that will be spared from disgusting and unnecessary cruelty.
Take your care for animals to the streets of Thailand.
Buy a billboard and help shut down the dog meat trade. 

     Ricky Gervais, Judi Dench and other prominent celebrities are lending their voices to this campaign against the horrific dog meat trade in Thailand. Now that you know about it, will you?

Special thanks to our friends Environment Films for donating their time, expertise and for producing this film.

http://vimeo.com/106652101 
 
     The History of the Soi Dog Foundation

Soi Dog was founded in 2003 by Margot Homburg Park and John and Gill Dalley. Phuket was growing rapidly at the time and the stray dog population was increasing at a fast pace. Witnessing the suffering endured by street animals John, Gill and Margot held Soi Dog’s first clinics utilizing volunteer vets from overseas. 2004 saw numerous clinics held around the island, the foundation began to grow. When no volunteer vets were available dogs would be taken to local vets, who provided low cost sterilization for the foundation.
Dog rescued.
 
 
 
Same dog after being rescued and cared for by Soi Dog Foundation.
 
A lovely boy, 2004 was an unlucky year for Soi Dog with Gill Dalley losing both legs from septicemia contracted while rescuing a dog from a flooded water buffalo field. Less than a week after Gill’s release from hospital the Tsunami struck. Leone Cosens a major volunteer was killed while going to the aid of tsunami victims.
Want to do even more?
Make a one-time donation or a monthly one. Sponsor and animal. Go to their website and learn more:

Go to   http://www.soidog.org/en/about-soi-dog/soi-dog-foundations-history/
 

Thanks for stopping by. Don’t feel bad about not knowing about this horrible practice. Many haven’t including the celebrities involved in making the above video. I'm one for the animals. Are you? Remember, all it takes is just one to make a difference.

    Until next time….hug your animals. Tell them you love them. If you don’t have a pet, adopt one. Make adoption your first option when seeking a pet. Adopt. Don’t shop. Can’t adopt. Please consider fostering one. Donate or volunteer at your local shelter. Whatever you do, however you do it, please be a voice for the animals large and small. All it takes is one to make a difference, good or bad. I’m one for the animals. Are you? Thanks for visiting. Stay safe. Be strong. Be happy. Smile. Show compassion. Be nice to one another. Pass it forward.

    Regards,

    S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family."  Coming in 2015 from Black Opal Books.


Copyright 2014 S.J. Francis.
Copyright ©2010-2014 Soi Dog Foundation. All Rights Reserved.Telephone +66 (0)81 788 4222 | E-mail: info@soidog.org

 

 
 


 

 
 
 
Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Don't Treat Your Cat Like a Dog; so the experts say. I don't agree.

          Don’t Treat Your Cat Like a Dog; so the experts say. I don’t agree.  

I recently read an article that stated, if you’re a cat owner you shouldn’t treat your cat like a dog. “Treat cats like cats,” it said. “Cats aren’t dogs.” Well, of course they’re not. Anyone can see that. They’re cats. Call a cat a dog and they’ll throw a tantrum. At least mine would.  But in my home, the dogs say the cats are honorary dogs and vice versa. I think that’s how they get along.
Seriously though, according to the article, the writer claimed that pet owners shouldn’t treat cats like dogs, because by doing so we’re stressing them out. While dogs are sociable creatures by habit, pack animals that follow one another around and hate to be alone, cats are the opposite. True, to an extent. Cats are the opposite, the article noted. They don’t like feline company and hate sharing space. Not so, I say.  Apparently, British researchers used infrared cameras installed in homes to observe cats’ nighttime activities and found cats hissing at each other and fighting over a spot on the bed. Two common ailments found in cats, dermatitis and cystitis have a “strong psychological component” often induced by stress. “Unlike dogs,” John Bradshaw, director of anthrozoology at the University of Bristol in England said, “the cat is still halfway between a domestic and a wild animal, and it’s not enjoying 21st-century living.”
   Au contraire, I say to all of this. Nonsense, I add. For some cats it might be true, but to say it’s true of all cats doesn’t cut it for me. In my experience as a cat owner I have found all of this to be false. I may not be an anthrozoologist, but I am a long time animal lover and pet owner. I live with my pets twenty four hours a day every day a week. Through constant observation, I have a constant study in progress. At one time, I owned four large dogs: German shepherd, Siberian Husky, Rottweiler and Black Labrador Retriever. I also owned four domestic shorthair cats. Despite the evidence presented by the British study, the eight animals, these dogs and cats lived harmoniously together. Not always. The boy cats liked to chase and harass the youngest girl cat, Princess, but that was all. The girl cats cuddled together and sought each other to sleep together.  The boy cats liked to seek out and sleep with the oldest girl cat. Even when I placed a video camera in the house to spy on them at night from time to time, as the experts did, their habits continued as in the daytime.
Princess now 20.
I currently now am the proud parent to two large mixed breed dogs: a Rottweiler/Beagle male, and a German Shepherd/Siberian Husky female along with the same twenty year old domestic shorthair cat, Princess that outlived all her prior siblings. As the last survivor of the cat family, Princess goes throughout the house yowling, which she never did before until after the death of her younger feline ‘brother’ Charlie. Charlie died a couple of years ago from lung cancer. Charlie was one of the two boy cats that harassed her and chased her about the house. He literally drove her crazy and she detested him. Yet, now that he is gone she goes about the house looking for him. She yowls in hopes of finding him and my heart aches for her because she doesn’t understand and I can’t explain it to her why he doesn't answer.
     Princess and Damon.
    Treat a cat like a cat: Don’t treat your cat like a dog? It depends on the cat. Scientific studies are useful, but are limited and thus, never ever tell the entire story. I say, do for your cat what your cat wants you to do. No one: No expert knows your cat as well as you do, not even your trusted veterinarian, but that is for another post. Listen to your cat. Observe him/her. Believe it or not, if you’re paying attention; if you’re watching and listening closely, you’ll soon learn what your cat wants from you. I know I have. It took me a while, but now I must say that my cat Princess has trained me well. I still make a mistake now and then at misjudging her current need, but all in all she’s happy with me. Treat your cat the way your cat wants to be treated and both of you will live quite happily. I am. All of us. What do you think? What is your opinion on all of this?
    Until next time….hug your animals. Tell them you love them. If you don’t have a pet, adopt one. Make adoption your first option when seeking a pet. Adopt. Don’t shop. Can’t adopt. Please consider fostering one. Donate or volunteer at your local shelter. Whatever you do, however you do it, please be a voice for the animals large and small. All it takes is one to make a difference, good or bad. I’m one for the animals. Are you? Thanks for visiting. Stay safe. Be strong. Be happy. Smile. Show compassion. Be nice to one another. Pass it forward.
    Regards,
    S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family."  Coming in 2015 from Black Opal Books.
 
Posted by at 2 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)