 |
Image: Dr Shane Ryan and Dr Melinda Merck, co-chairs of the WSAVA’s Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee, courtesy of WSAVA.
|
In Australia we don’t generally think
of dogs and cats as sources of food, but in other parts of the world there is a
long history of consumption of these animals.
But first, I want to reassure readers
that this post will not go into any detail about the slaughter of these
animals.
Those critical of the practice are
often criticised for being discriminatory – after all, many critics eat equally
sentient animals (I’ve personally opted out of this). Why are dogs and cats any
different? This leads some to throw their hands in the air and ignore the
problem.
However, the World Small AnimalVeterinary Association released a statement last month strongly opposing the
dog and cat meat trade on welfare and other grounds.
The position statement was prepared by
members of the WSAVA Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee. Importantly, it
recognises cultural variation in attitudes to this issue, but raises very
strong concerns about the welfare of dogs and cats throughout all stages of
this trade.
The statement also highlights mounting
qualitative and quantitative evidence regarding human health risks associated
with this trade, including the transmission of rabies and other diseases.
Today I’d like to share the statement
in full.
WSAVA POSITION STATEMENT ON THE DOG AND
CAT MEAT TRADE
The farming and trade of dogs and cats for human consumption are arguably amongst the most significant and contentious of contemporary companion animal welfare issues, particularly in areas of Asia and Africa.
An estimated 25-30 million dogs and an
unknown number of cats enter this meat trade annually.[i],[ii] Dogs and cats may be stolen (or
purchased) from their owners, taken from the streets, or sourced from farms.
These animals are frequently transported long distances and then inhumanely
slaughtered. Investigations have documented the severe cruelty inherent
in all stages of the dog meat trade including sourcing, transport, sale, and
slaughter.1-[iii]
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) believes that
dogs and cats are sentient beings and have the capacity to suffer. Whenever
animals are under human care, their welfare must be ensured and their suffering
prevented in every possible manner. We should always strive to ensure that the
Five Freedoms [iv] are met:
1.
Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water
and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
2.
Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate
environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3.
Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis
and treatment.
4.
Freedom to express normal behaviour by providing sufficient space,
proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.
5.
Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and
treatment which avoid mental suffering.
The dog and cat meat trade encourages
the mass and unregulated movement of unvaccinated companion animals both
domestically and internationally. There is mounting qualitative and
quantitative evidence documenting the public health risk the trade poses, in
addition to compromising regional rabies control efforts.[v] The trade, slaughter and
consumption of dogs poses a risk to human health in the form of disease
transmission, notably from rabies, [vi] but also from cholera and
trichinellosis.[vii],[viii] Studies have revealed
substantial incidences of rabies-infected canine tissue in restaurants,
slaughterhouses, and markets in areas where dog meat is prepared and sold.[ix],[x]
Additionally, antimicrobial and other
pharmaceutical / chemical residues are significant issues in dog meat. [xi] Dog meat rarely falls
under food-hygiene or meat-sanitation laws and is not subject to controls at
source nor testing before human consumption. This is therefore a veterinary
public health concern, as well as a potential antimicrobial resistance
issue.
The WSAVA is sensitive to cultural
variances and recognises that, while in western societies the consumption of
dog or cat meat may be considered unacceptable, for other societies the
consumption of dog or cat meat has not only economic but cultural and
traditional significance.[xii] However, due to the many
animal welfare and public health concerns, the WSAVA strongly discourages the
consumption of and trade in dog and cat meat. Instead, it encourages rigorous
enforcement of existing laws and supports new controls and regulations where
current legislation does not exist aimed at banning what is typically an
inhumane and dangerous practice.
WSAVA represents over 200,000 veterinarians around the
globe. In 2018, WSAVA will introduce the first Global Welfare Guidelines for
Companion Animal Practitioners in Singapore.
WSAVA AWWC co-chair Dr Shane Ryan added that
while there are cultural sensitivities around the issue of eating dog and cat
meat, “it is important for us to make a very clear statement of our position on
the dog and cat meat trade. We have serious concerns, not only about the
welfare of the animals involved but also about the potential health risks to
the people who consume the meat. We are committed to working with our members,
with veterinary professionals and with all other stakeholders to achieve
positive change through education and consensus building.”
REFERENCES
[i] Czajkowski, C.. Dog meat
trade in South Korea: A report on the current state of the trade and
efforts to eliminate it. Animal Law, 2014 21:29–63
[ii] Humane Society
International. Dog Meat Trade. http://www.hsi.org/issues/dog_meat/ Accessed Sept 3 2017
[iii] The Guardian. Illegal
wildlife trade: Dog-meat mafia fuels Thailand's canine trade – video. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2013/may/20/dog-meat-mafia-thailand-video.
Accessed April 3 2016.
Accessed April 3 2016.
[iv] Farm Animal Welfare Council /
Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Committee. Five Freedoms. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121010012427/http://www.fawc.org.uk/freedoms.htm Accessed Sept 3 2017.
[v] Ekanem, E.E., Eyong, K.I.,
Philip-Ephraim, E.E., Eyong, M.E., Adams, E.B. and Asindi, A.A. Stray
dog trade fuelled by dog meat consumption as a risk factor for rabies infection
in Calabar, southern Nigeria. African Health Sci. 2013
Dec;13(4):1170-3. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v13i4.44.
[vi] Wertheim, H.F., Nguyen, T.Q.,
Nguyen, K.A.T., de Jong, M.D., Taylor, W.R., Le, T.V., Nguyen, H.H., Nguyen,
H.T., Farrar, J., Horby, P. and Nguyen, H.D.Furious rabies after
an atypical exposure. PLoS Med. 2009 Mar 17;6(3):e44. doi:
10.1371/journal.pmed.1000044
[vii] Anh, D.D., Lopez, A.L., Thiem,
V.D., Grahek, S.L., Duong, T.N., Park, J.K., Kwon, H.J., Favorov, M., Hien,
N.T. and Clemens, J.D. Use of oral cholera vaccines in an outbreak in
Vietnam: a case control study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011 Jan 25;5(1):e1006.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001006.
[viii] Cui, J. and Wang, Z.Q. Outbreaks
of human trichinellosis caused by consumption of dog meat in China.
Parasite. 2001 Jun;8(2 Suppl):S74-7.
[ix] Mshelbwala, P.P., Ogunkoya, A.B.
and Maikai, B.V. Detection of rabies antigen in the saliva and brains
of apparently healthy dogs slaughtered for human consumption and its public
health implications in Abia State, Nigeria. ISRN Vet Sci. 2013 Dec
12;2013:468043. doi: 10.1155/2013/468043. eCollection 2013
[x] Song, M., Tang, Q., Wang, D.M.,
Mo, Z.J., Guo, S.H., Li, H., Tao, X.Y., Rupprecht, C.E., Feng, Z.J. and Liang,
G.D. Epidemiological investigations of human rabies in China. BMC
Infect Dis. 2009 Dec 21;9:210. doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-9-210.
[xi] Lee, H.W. Dog Meat
Production in Asia. Global Seminar on Animal Welfare. Proceedings: 33rd
World Veterinary Congress. 2017:639-640
[xii] Cawthorn, D-M., Hoffman,
L.C.. Controversial cuisine: A global account of the demand, supply and
acceptance of “unconventional” and “exotic” meats Meat Sci. 2016
Oct;120:19-36. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.04.017. Epub 2016 Apr 21.
