Crowded in cramped cages, the injured and traumatized dogs and cats – including stolen pets – are transported for hours to slaughterhouses and markets in Southeast Asia in intense heat and without water. The stacked cages there, the weakened immune systems of the dogs and cats and the unnatural contact with wild animals, which are also slaughtered, create the perfect breeding ground for deadly zoonotic viruses such as the new corona virus.
“The rampant dog and cat meat trade and live animal markets across Southeast Asia are ticking time bombs. If governments don’t stop this brutal trade now and shut down the cruel markets and slaughterhouses, the next global pandemic could originate in Vietnam, Cambodia or Indonesia,» said Dr. Polak.
In the context of better animal protection, 90 percent of those surveyed see responsibility for themselves alongside retailers, farmers and politicians. When buying meat, the figure is 83 percent. At the same time, 80 percent see it as a task for politicians to advance the protection of livestock. 81 percent want stricter animal protection laws and the immediate implementation of existing regulations. 73 percent want Germany to play a pioneering role in animal welfare in Europe. The fact that more must finally be done at this level is also impressively demonstrated by the successful European citizens’ initiative «End the Cage Age», which calls for an end to cage farming and in which around half a million people in Germany alone took part.
has launched an international and national campaign to end the brutal trade in dog and cat meat in Southeast Asia. «Through educational work and cooperation with the responsible authorities and tourism associations, governments should be encouraged to introduce strict animal protection laws that prohibit the trapping, slaughtering and eating of dogs and cats,» explains dr Karanvir Kukreja, project manager of the campaign. In addition, supports local animal welfare organizations and communities with humane and sustainable dog and cat population management programs. is also part of the animal protection coalitions DMFI (Dog Meat Free Indonesia) and ACPA (Asia Canine Protection Alliance), which lobby against the trade in Southeast Asia.
has also started a petition against the dog and cat meat trade, which has already been signed by over 750,000 supporters worldwide. You get to the petition here.
For more information on the dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asia, see here.
Artwork you can download here.