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ROGER WILLIAMS MP SHOWS HIS SUPPORT TO END THE FILIPINO DOG MEAT TRADE
November 25, 2011 6:03 PM
Contact/Cyswllt: John Williams 020 7219 8145
Embargo: Immediate
Date: 25th November 2011
ROGER WILLIAMS MP SHOWS HIS SUPPORT TO END THE FILIPINO DOG MEAT TRADE
Roger Williams, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, met with Network for Animals (NFA) and the Kennel Club on the 24th November 2011 to collect a petition which calls for the reinforcement of the ban on the Filipino dog meat trade. Shiva the dog also came along to deliver the petition and show solidarity with her fellow canine friends in the Philippines.
The Kennel Club has teamed up with Network for Animals to help campaign for ending the dog meat trade in the Philippines which has long been linked with a number of animal welfare concerns and violations. Although the trade is banned in the Philippines, there are up to 500,000 dogs that are slaughtered and consumed commercially every year.
Lending his support to the campaign, Roger Williams MP commented: 'The UK is the international leader on animal welfare and is at the forefront of efforts to protect animals internationally.'
'Dogs are being captured and stolen for their meat whilst being kept in unbearable conditions. They often die en route to their destinations and face even worse circumstances at slaughterhouses, where no guidelines exist for the humane killing of dogs. This is unacceptable and needs to stop.'
Christina Dixon, Campaigner at Network for Animals, said: 'We wanted to give MPs the chance to have their support for our campaign recognised. Their help in ending the brutal dog meat trade in the Philippines is vital as it shows that the British public have elected representatives who put animal welfare on the political agenda.'
Caroline Kisko, the Kennel Club's Communication Director, commented: 'Dogs are companion animals and are not meant to serve as a meal. Whilst recognising cultural differences in eating habits, this does not excuse the animal welfare issues associated with this trade."
"The Philippines has outlawed the sale and consumption of dog meat, yet the trade is still prevalent. We are calling on the Filipino government to better enforce their dog meat ban."
"We are grateful to Roger Williams MP for coming today and helping highlight this important and emotive issue."
The petition has collected over 10,000 signatures. To find out more information or to get involved, visit: http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dogmeat or http://www.networkforanimals.org/campaigns/the-philippines-dog-meat-trade
ENDS
For further press information or interview requests please contact:
Christina Dixon
0777 582 01451
Christina@networkforanimals.org
The Kennel Club Press Office
0207 518 1008
Press.office@thekennelclub.org.uk
www.thekennelclub.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- In 2010 250 MPs signed an EDM calling for action on the dog meat trade in the Philippines
- Up to 500,000 dogs are slaughtered and consumed commercially every year in the Philippines
- In 1998 via Republic Act No. 8485, known as the Animal Welfare Act, the dog meat trade was outlawed, with exemptions for dogs killed and eaten as part of indigenous rituals.
- The ban was bolstered by the Rabies Act (RA 9482), which upgraded penalties for convicted dog meat traders to include jail time and substantially increased fines as a means of limiting the spread of rabies
- About 10,000 dogs and 350 humans die of rabies in the Philippines each year
- Network for Animals has been working in the Philippines to end the dog meat trade since 1998
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