Although the dog-meat trade is illegal in the Philippines, more than 300,000 dogs are slaughtered in secret, annually.
The dogs are treated in a cruel manner from capture to slaughter. Stray dogs as well as dog believed to be pets, are taken off the street and sent off to the Benguet province, in terrible conditions and without food or water. Their legs are tied up behind their backs and their snouts are forced into steel cans to prevent them from biting and barking.
Due to these stressful transportation methods, nearly half the dogs die before they reach their destination. The dead animals are processed along with the live ones. Dogs are clubbed, their throats are cut, their fur is scorched off, and their bodies are dismembered, just for the meat.
Eating dog meat carries high health risks. Consuming dog meat puts individuals at risk of infection from deadly parasites such as E. Coli 107 and Salmonella, as well as other serious and potentially deadly bacterial diseases such as anthrax, brucellosis, hepatitis, and leptospirosis. Dog meat is also linked to the spread of rabies, a disease which kills approximately 10,000 dogs and 300 people per year in the Philippines, according to ESDAW.
David Barritt of animal welfare organisation, Network for Animals (NFA) says, “the illegal dog meat industry in the Philippines causes indescribable physical and mental suffering of so many helpless dogs and puts human health at risk.”
“In order to stop this from happening it becomes crucial to educate and work with local communities to raise awareness of the risks the dog meat industry poses to both human health and animal welfare,” he said.
Network for Animals works around the world to stop this type of abuse from happening.
“We earnestly implore you to donate generously to NFA today, so we can extend our work in the terrible mistreatment of animals.”
