Update: PETA Teams Up With China to Improve Dogs' Lives

Following complaints about conditions in China's Nanjing animal shelter, PETA met with officials, toured the shelter, and suggested improvements—such as providing individual food bowls to prevent fights over food; building a raised platform for animals to escape the cold, wet ground; and housing fewer animals.

Next, PETA sent a detailed improvement proposal and offered to provide training for the animal shelter's staff. PETA has high hopes for the shelter, as a new state-of-the-art facility will open soon.

China Takes PETA's Advice, Ends Rabies-Related Dog Slaughter

In a hideous response to an outbreak of rabies in July 2006, authorities in Mouding County in southwest China ordered the slaughter of more than 50,000 dogs—including 4,000 dogs who were immunized against the disease.

In response, PETA Asia-Pacific launched a campaign to convince the Chinese government to call off the mass slaughter. PETA received more than 15,000 letters from around the world and delivered them to Chinese authorities.

PETA's humane rabies-control campaign followed—including the auction of a heart-shaped greeting card created by Jackie Chan that featured the Chinese characters for "love" and "respect."

Later, PETA representatives met with officials in Nanjing and Jining County, Shandong Province, where similar dog slaughters were alleged to be happening. They were informed that the cities had no rabies-control problem and no need to kill any more dogs. However, those cities have no adequate animal control plans, and Jining officials have not accepted PETA's offers to assist with implementing such plans.

In our ongoing rabies-prevention campaign, we printed 10,000 posters and distributed them at a rabies and animal welfare conference that PETA helped sponsor in Beijing. These posters are also being sent to schools, health bureaus, public security bureaus, and municipal governments throughout China.

During our last meeting with officials in Nanjing, our representatives were able to offer expert advice on animal handling and control methods during rabies outbreaks. We suggested ways to improve the city's animal control policies, including legislation that would require all companion animals to be vaccinated, sterilised and registered. Early meetings with officials in Beijing have also been promising.

What You Can Do

• Thank Chinese officials for their work to improve the lives of dogs, and encourage them to make more improvements in the future.
  
  Please send polite comments to:
  
  Jiang Hongkun, Mayor of Nanjing
  General Office of Nanjing Municipal People's Government
  41 East Beijing Rd.
  Nanjing
  China 21000
  mayor@nj.gov.cn
  
  Sun Wende, Chief of Public Security Bureau
  Public Security Bureau
  1 Honggong Si
  Baixia Qu, Nanjing
  China 210005
  njga@nj.gov.cn
  
  Deng Xiangyang, Section Chief
  Social Security Administration Department
  Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau
  No. 29, XinDe St.
  DeShengMenWai, Xicheng Dis.
  China 100088
  jianyi@beijing.gov.cn
• Help PETA help dogs in China. Make an urgently needed donation to help PETA stop the abuse and suffering of animals worldwide.
• If you would like to get more active helping animals, join PETA's Activist Network to receive periodic alerts and network with other activists in your area.