News
Shaanxi province: Phone calls and emails prevail
June 07, 2009, 3:58AM MT
By Sharon St. Joan
Spay/neuter program starts in Beijing
Spay/neuter program starts in Beijing
By Irene Zhang, Manager of Animal Rescue Beijing
Following a disturbing June 2, 2009, Associated Press report from Beijing stating that 20,000 dogs had been killed in Shaanxi province as a response to a rabies outbreak, on June 4, 2009, Best Friends received the following update from Irene Zhang, of Animal Rescue Beijing--(Shaanxi province lies around 1,000 miles southwest of Beijing):
"I learned about the story days ago. It was published on the internet by local people asking for help. Some local volunteers reported from their field investigation that the policy of killing all dogs had been carried out in several counties that had had a serious rabies outbreak.
"Ms. Wu, the founder of Animal Rescue Beijing, called the Secretary General of Yang County, the center of the rabies infection, intending to persuade him to carry out vaccinations, instead of killing all the dogs (as had been announced in the letter to the public by the local government). He agreed to follow that advice. Many animal acitivists called and sent emails or faxes to the local government to protest against the killing.
"Due to public pressure, I think, the government of Yang County issued a notice on June 1 about rabies control, stating that only stray and infected dogs would be killed, and that all the other dogs must be registered, restrained, and have compulsory rabies vaccinations.
"Similar cases happen in China every year and are growing with each year. The government, from the central to the local government, has little knowledge of the relationship between rabies outbreaks, stray animal vaccinations, and spay/neuter.
"That is the reason that ARB launched the project of village dog sterilization, to raise awareness of dog overpopulation."
In April ARB conducted a program in Mengzu Village (a district of Beijing). ARB volunteers brought 18 dogs to the clinic to be spayed, with ARB covering all the costs.
Local Beijing authorities fund a spay/neuter program
"Through cooperation with Beijing Pet Dog Management Office, a department of the Beijing Police Bureau, 100 dogs will be sterilized this coming autumn with the vets organized to operate in the village and the funding provided by the Beijing government. It will serve as an example and be expanded to other areas later on.
"Also we are drafting a proposal on rabies control from the point of animal management to the Health Department.
"In 2007, ARB carried out a successful project of anti-rabies education in primary schools (which was suspended due to the preparation for the Olympics). It will be carried on this year in autumn."
Thanks to Irene Zhang for this report. Despite the very sad news of the loss of life of the dogs following the rabies outbreak, positive strides are being made in China, thanks to the perseverance and dedication of the animal groups there.
Posted by Sharon St Joan, Best Friends Network
What you can do
To visit the website of Animal Rescue Beijing (English), please go to
http://www.arbchina.org/html/English/index.html
Top Photo: Kobnokaka / Dreamstime.com / a Shih-Tzu puppy
Second photo: Animal Rescue Beijing: People gather to take their dogs to be spayed/neutered in Mengzu Village