protest the culling of dogs in China

I'm so sorry for you janetmichel.....I would not want to live there,,whether it is your choice because of what you do or not. I could not handle seeing anything that goes on there. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for the dogs and their owners.
Sometimes this world is the cruel...for sure thats the cruelest!   I'm so sorry!
Today at work we were talking about what they do there. My vet said she watched those videos and cried her eyes out while her husband was telling her to not watch them. She said she just HAD to watch them to see what horribleness goes on.   She said its too bad that people don't have to watch those videos before purchasing a fur coat.  Maybe that would stop some of it.   Its probably all about money....

thanks dyan.
i just wanted to say this, now that i am more calm, than last night:
i live here since 10 years, in fact i lived here almost half of my life. i feel you guys might get the wrong idea about this place. it really is a good place to live and my life here is way better than it would be, if i lived back in germany, which is the reason, i even stayed here for college.
the problem though is, that keeping dogs as pets is a very very very new thing here. i remember when i came here 10 years ago it was a novelty to see someone walk their dog on a leash on the streets. nowadays though it is becoming a trend. this causes many many problems, because most people just have no clue to the needs of the dog or the responsibilities that come with dog ownership. don't get me wrong. all dog owners i know love their dogs very very much. i talk to them a lot (or used to, before i had to shift to walking mine at night) and they have a great passion for their pets. but many of them don't even understand the basics of dog training. as a result, many dogs are either bundles of fear, or very aggressive. i've been bitten by a dog here before and i was only walking by it. this is a big problem. another one is, that they don't know (some do, but most don't) about the dogs physical needs. it is very common for owners to feed their dogs leftovers from their own food exclusively. these problems mainly exist just because people don't know any better and i already see steady improvement in the situation. with time people are becoming more aware.
the one dog law and all these new inforcements and so on however, are a thing the government came up with recently (well, actually some laws already existed, but were rarely inforced.). and the common folks here can't do a thing about it. i know SOME people are in favor of these new laws, but that's because they don't know a thing about dogs, or are afraid of them. in some cases i suppose they are just way way way annoyed by their neighbours, who do nothing about their dogs barking 24/7. most people however, love dogs. when i go outside to walk my dogs, i almost always have people come up to me and ask me loads of questions about my dogs. at the very least i hear them talking about my dogs, while they pass by, saying they wish they had one. serving cat meat in restaurants has been outlawed in beijing a few years ago, and people who eat dog meat are very very rare. most people i see here in the city, don't like the idea of eating dog, cat, monkey, etc. just because they don't speak up (they never learned to) doesn't mean they support it.
i also want to say, that the police are not taking away ALL dogs. dogs of over 35 cm in height have been outlawed in beijing since a long time. and i do in general support that, to be honest. i know, big dogs are generally less agressive than small dogs (and i wish i could have a big dog myself). but when people don't know how to deal with aggression problems and in fact often CAUSE them (even if it is unknowingly) i'd much rather be bitten by a chiwawa than by a german sheppard. it's just plain dangerous. the 2 dog rule however is new, as far as i know. and THAT is causing a big problem, because i didnt know about that, when i got my second dog, and now i'm in trouble. the police are also taking away small single dogs without a licence. problem is that profile actually fits to most dogs. a licence costs 1000 RMB (125 $US) for the first year and for normal folks that can be quite a chump of money to pay at once.
anyways, i still hate this situation and in fact i didnt know what happened to the dogs that were taken away (i was wondering about that the whole time). i still find it hard to believe though, and i wonder if this is all dogs, or if these are rare instances that are blown out of proportion by the media (i sure hope so).
 
ok, anyways, i figured i'd explain the situation a little. sorry if i went on babbling. i realize i sound like i'm supporting this thing. believe me, i'm not. it's causing me more trouble right now, than i can handle. i'm even afraid to take my dogs to the vet right now, in fear of getting caught on the way. hope this thing blows over...

I'm glad you took the time to explain things that are really happening JM.
I understand a little more now,,especially when you say having dogs as pets are so new and people don't understand or even know how to handle them..but things are slowly getting better.What you describe about people owning dogs,,and neighbors of dogs etc,, and all, is the same thing here in the US in way. Dogs being left alone barking annoy neighbors and the police are called often.Dogs being tied up to a tree or garage often bite people.  People that don't have or like dogs are often mad at those that do...saying their dog is mean, barks too much, goes on their grass and the owners don't pick up after them.  Often people here don't know how to handle their dogs..especially aggressive or troubled dogs, and others that don't have dogs are quick to say "put them down!"  Right now in the US we are havine many cities banning Pit Bulls and bull types...some pushing a little harder for banning large dogs.  We have to be very careful here to not let this happen, while we do have some power and say so in our government. What we do have going for us is that dogs for pets are a very old thing here,,many people have them...including our politicians. Thank goodness!
I wanted to tell you that when I said that I couldn't live there,,it was only because of the dog situation...and not your country in general. I hope things change,, I have signed countless petitions to help that change,,,I hope that helps a bit. Maybe there are things you and your dog friends can do to help things change more quickly there. It will probably take people like you to help others see what enjoyment and love dogs and pets in general, bring to our lives.
I often wondered what happend to the young boy that posted on Idog at least 2 years ago...asking for help to save his dogs...his family had Dobies I believe,,,2 of them. He posted pictures of them along with other dogs where he took them to be with other dogs. He was afraid they would come and take his beloved dogs away,,,he was pleading for help from us in the US.  All of a sudden he was gone,,never posted again. I do fear that he lost his dogs.  I wish we could help.

janetmichael, I understand how you must feel.  There is no way that all of the people are like that.  It is always a select few that have the ability to carry out such horrible behaviors. 

What I hate is the hopeless feeling it must incur in the people.  And I also understand the problem with the naive ignorance in caretaking for these creatures.  Why educating the public is ssoo important.

I noticed that the WHO is involved in trying to get through and apply some healthy pressure as well as another good group, can t think of the name...But the World Health Organization is pretty good.  And although they do not have near enough representation in a lot of littler countries, they certainly try, and succeed.

The problems with the diseases such as bird flu are obviously problems of daily living and habits.  The farming so close to the kitchen and the ease of tracking the material by trodding right into homes etc.

The fear is about not understanding and knowing enough about diseases and transmission.  The methods used to kill these animals and the disposal is so unsanitary.  They could approach educating people fromt that standpoint, rather than on the otherwise inhumane problem as we may see it (blatantly to us!).

The reproducing of this kind of information is vital to implore people to stop buying those products.  It is just wrong in so many ways.
 
editing in:  CDC is the other dept trying to help, Center of Disease Control

ok first of all, china is not "my" country. i am originally german. and in a way i am hoping the fact that i am a foreigner here will keep people from telling on me. anyways i have lived here long enough to know that eventhough the law may not change the harsh enforcements will losen up with time. i remember earlier this year there was a law passed that all night clubs and bars had to close at 1 am. har har har. not once (and i go out a lot) did i have to leave a place at 1am. and now noone even remembers that law. i'm guessing this dog thing will eventually blow over the same way.
in the mean time i prefere to keep a low profile. (i doubt that signing petitions is any good, but i appreciate the efford). i walk my dogs after dark and never for long (the freezing temeratures right now make that decision even easier) and play with them in the apartment instead. i often wait up to 20 minutes on my floor for ALL elevators to stop moving, so i catch an empty cabin. and if someone happens to be in the cabin with me, when i am going back up with them, i will usually go one floor higher or lower and take the stairs, so that if people tell on me, they will give the police the wrong info[] about where the crazy girl with the two dog lives. i constantly have an eye open for the police (they came in my apartment complex once, while i was walking them. scared the hell out of me! i didnt even leash them, just took one on each arm and RAN!) and besides that i try to be even more sensitive to people around me. unless people seem to want to pet them, i give them space and tell them off for even sniffing strangers. (which i was doing anyways).
one thing that puts me at ease a LITTLE is the fact that there are two really annoying chiwawas right next door to me. they bark all the time. so if a neighbor is gonna call the police, i'm sure, they will be the first ones to go. i wouldnt like to see them go, but better them than mine... it's a harsh world...
 
i have heard about that whole pit bull frenzy and i remember similar discussions in germany. in general not enough people are educated about dogs. but at least you have animal rights movements and in general democracy there, meaning at least you can DO something about it.
people here were protesting (peacefully as i heard) against these new laws at the beijing zoo and some people even got arrested.
seems that everytime i start to get comfortable and hopeful about the politic situation changing here, they find a way to prove me wrong.
 
anyhow. i am most probably leaving china next year anyways. so i feel this is temporary for me. IF i can afford to take them with me, wherever i'm going (dunno yet), then i might have trouble, because of the regristration. and if a have to leave them here (god forbid) i doubt that i could find anyone who would take them both in.
so my plan with these dogs goes in three steps. first find out where i'm going, then find out what it would take to take them with me. then try everything humanly possible to do exactly that. wish me luck...

dogslife: though i am glad that there are organizations out there trying to apply pressure, i am not very hopeful that they will succeed. this government is a very stubborn one. sure wish they'd prove me wrong though..

"... i am most probably leaving china next year anyways. so i feel this is temporary for me. IF i can afford to take them with me, wherever i'm going (dunno yet), then i might have trouble, because of the regristration. and if a have to leave them here (god forbid) i doubt that i could find anyone who would take them both in.
so my plan with these dogs goes in three steps. first find out where i'm going, then find out what it would take to take them with me. then try everything humanly possible to do exactly that. wish me luck... "
 
Best wishes.  I hope that you will find a safe way to get them home with you.  Pray on it, something good may happen.  I will say a prayer for you too.
 
Change is sometimes subtle and then becomes apparent, when nobody even noticed!  Education/evolution  is really the key I think.  Governments can change as the younger educated become the older and wiser...(I hope so).  Takes time, more so than other, in some places I guess.
 
 
 
 

thank you for the support.
and i agree with you on your opinion about education and slow change. in fact that is exactly how i see it [8|]

so my plan with these dogs goes in three steps. first find out where i'm going, then find out what it would take to take them with me. then try everything humanly possible to do exactly that. wish me luck... "

 
I certainly DO wish you the very best of luck,,,for you and your dogs.  What a fright,,,to wonder if I could take my dog with me,,,, I can't imagine even saying that. I live in a sheltered world......
 

thank you.
and yes, you are lucky indead.
i brought this upon myself when i agreed to take them though. i am in no way capable to take care of 2 dogs. time wise and financially. problem at the time was, even so, i was still the most suitable person to give them to, so....
what breaks my heart though is, knowing that both of them had already switched owners 5-7 times when i got them at the age of 4 and 7 months. getting used to a new home would be so hard on them again. and they are still young. what if the new owner will give them to someone else AGAIN?
oh boy. i think, to be honest, before i got these dogs, i was living in a sheltered world myself.

I don't know your situation, or where you might even look to go after next month...but can you look to go someplace where it is more "dog friendly?"  Would you be able to avoid having to move someplace where you would have to give them up?  Thinking (in my own sheltered world) that to leave them there with anyone, they might not be lucky to find the owner to help protect them as you do....   Of course,,,I have this feeling that there is NO ONE that can take care of my dog like I do. lol!  But until things change there,,if they do,,,I would worry about leaving them with anyone.

i know, i feel the same way. even when my sister babysits my dogs, i am always in her face about all the things she has to remember.
luckily, when i say i am leaving next year, i mean next year summer, so i still have some time. i am going for studies and this christmas (as soon as i get some time off from school) i will start looking into different universities. now, as much as i love my dogs, i cannot just chose a place to go, ONLY based on what is good for my dogs. (i wish though)
i am most likely to go to europe though. so even though it will probably be more dog friendly there, thing is it will also be WAY more expencive. as a student to take care of 2 dogs. it seems all but impossible.
anyways, maybe one of these days i will have my father (who pays my bills) come over just to meet the dogs. maybe after he meets them he is willing to spring THAT much more money. i might be daydreaming though...

for me the ideal person to give them to would be a trustworthy family, with much dog experience who are under diplomatic status and is looking for a dog to take back home after their time here is up. that way, they would be in a loving home, financially covered and safe from the police.
 

oh and i was also considering giving one to my sister, who MIGHT be moving out of my parents' place at around the same time i leave and taking one with me.
my parents won't take em for sure. my dad is never home and my mom is extremely allergic..

For sure, you must take care of yourself first...without that, you sure can't take care of your dogs.
 
 

anyways, maybe one of these days i will have my father (who pays my bills) come over just to meet the dogs. maybe after he meets them he is willing to spring THAT much more money. i might be daydreaming though...

 
hahahhahh,,,,,,ummmmmmmmmm,,,maybe presents?  Christmas present?   Birthday present?    anything present???   LOL!
I wish you the best...I hope you will be able to figure something out,,,I just bet you will. You love your dogs and will make sure to take care of them.