Tuesday 17 October 2017

Eaten in China

This article deliberately contains no horrific pictures.

China and dogs. Put both of these into the same conversation and the result: universal outrage because our four-legged friends are on the menu. The Western world has been struggling to put an end to the suffering and torturing of dogs for decades. However it seems to be a battle that cannot be won. Or is it possible we are just examining this subject from the wrong angle? 



The Shame

A crowded marketplace piled up with dirty, rusty cages. Unearthly noises echo all around, cages full of dogs, howling, with terrified eyes wide in desperation, as they cannot avoid their horrific, senseless destiny. Skinned and boiled alive under inhuman circumstances by the hand of humans. Thousands of dogs.
This is not the brief description of an adult-rated Hollywood trailer for the latest horror movie, but the actual reality of any video footage or picture gallery portraying the Chinese dog meat festivals. In fact this image is the one most of us now typically associate with the attitude of all Chinese people towards dogs.

During the last decades, there has been no period when the international animal welfare organisations around the world were not trying to raise awareness of the treatment of dogs in China. Sometimes with A-list celebrities, sometimes with fierce counter-campaigns and boycotts against the country itself. Anything just to end this brutal custom of torturing dogs in such an unacceptable way, and to ensure dogs are raised to a completely different position within Chinese society.

You still can sign numerous online petitions, mostly against the Yulin dog meat festival. Yulin became the symbol of all the horror, and perfectly reflects and describes what we think and feel about what is going on in China. The name of Yulin has become synonymous with ‘hell for dogs’. Though these issues are not exclusive to Yulin. Far from it.
The Western media got hit by the breaking news. The Humane Society International announced on 17 May 2017 that there was going to be a temporary ban by the Yulin government on restaurants, street vendors and market traders selling dog meat at the annual market. That would have not been a final solution, but a huge step. Sadly, almost immediately it turned out that the intelligence was false.

The situation and the cruel fate of dogs in China has been an issue for what seems to be an eternity, and you cannot blame international animal welfare organisations and animal-loving volunteers for apparently doing nothing. Yet this topic seems to be an eternal one.
You might ask in all honesty whether there even is a solution? Or is there any hope left at all?

Sneaking Over the Border

In order to find the correct answer behind the behaviour of human beings, and figure out a solution for the sake of dogs, you cannot neglect taking a closer look at the country, and at Chinese society as a whole. China has a long history with ancient traditions and it also has one of the strangest social structures at this point in history. It is one of the most influential entities in world economy, meanwhile its political structure is purely Communist.
The latter attribute is more important in the case of animal welfare than you might at first think. The censorship of the media is easily maintained, and common knowledge and ideas spreading through the country can be monitored or even banned just as easily. No matter how important an issue is, if it is actually against or even just suggestive of criticism of the system, it will be shot down immediately. Certainly, there are non-governmental civil organisations for challenging different issues, but their existence, and the message they can take and spread, is highly dependent on the political will.

Let’s hypothesise that we are seeking the ultimate remedy to put an end to the suffering of all those dogs in the country, and bring about a change regarding the status of dogs in the society, turning them into pets rather than meals on plates.
Every solution is based on having an understating of the whole picture, why people behave as they do, why they make certain decisions, and what could possibly trigger change. But in the case of China, a more or less segregated society where it is important to keep up appearance and with a commonly held conviction of living up to the communist ideal, how can change ever be remotely possible?

During my research about this topic, I could find one thorough report on the situation but I honestly need to say, this one is a really good one.
Animals Asia released its report on June 2015 titled ‘Lies, Illegality and Stolen Lives: a True Crime Story’.
The title itself may suggest it is a fictional short story, but be prepared for the opposite. Years of domestic investigation—even under covert operation—has led to a very important, on-the-spot report exposing China’s dog meat industry between 2011 and 2014. Skipping the usual tabloid hype, the report concentrates on collected, logically-ordered facts and experiences, and the relevancies between them.
The biggest value of all is presenting not only a snapshot of the situation, but how it was changing even as the activists of Animals Asia observed the situation of dogs in the country. These trends are particularly significant as you will see when you read on.
I highly recommend this 34-page work, as it is a vital key to gaining the complete picture.
Let’s take a look at what they found.

A long way to the dinner table

Dogs are being tortured and the Chinese are eating them. All of them.
It is not exactly this way, but that is how Western society views Chinese culture and habits. However, the country itself is huge and it still has one of the biggest populations on the globe, competing with India.
Even though dogs are on the menu in the country, it is not a mainstream ingredient. The geographical attribute of the habit of eating dogs is only widespread in certain parts of north-east, southern and central China. The tradition comes from the ancient belief that eating dogs gives energy and strength throughout the harsh wintertime.

We rarely consider dogs from an agricultural aspect. Dogs as products of the food industry are rarely the topic of our regular conversation during tea or at the pub.
What does it take to breed dogs as farm animals for consumption? It's more complicated than you think. Compared to other farm animals like pigs, cows and chickens, dog meat takes longer to get to the age and condition where they are ‘good’ to be butchered. This long timeframe means more feeding and higher costs, even excluding all the vaccinations needed to produce a healthy dog. Instead of breeding a dog for the kitchen, it is less complicated and less effort to breed and keep other animals. Suffice to say, it’s not a profitable business at all.

So where do all those dogs we see in the propaganda come from?
In poverty-stricken areas, it is alleged that people breed dogs to sell or raise them for self-consumption, but this area is absolutely covert and not easy to detect, especially in case of trade, as it is completely illegal. We will probably never know whether or not it is just an urban legend. Moreover, if you take all details into account, such as home farming, it is not at all easy or profitable, as you have to invest money first in order to gain it back.

Business-based farms and slaughterhouses used to be more widespread in the past, but something happened that brought about a U-turn: animal health regulation and quarantine came to life. This is not to say that the legislation is all about the welfare of farm animals, but rather it’s for the protection of the health of those who consume the meat. This change led to greater requirements for hygiene and vaccination, together with tighter control by authorities. Many slaughterhouses got shut down as running these farms became too expensive with the extra requirements, and they were unable to operate with insufficient turnover.

How many of these businesses have really closed or just gone into the ‘twilight zone’, no one exactly knows. It seems that legally-operated dog farming is not beneficial any longer. In order to run the business at a profit, you need to go illegal, which means facing the possibility of consequences of the law. And the authorities do take their duties seriously in this matter.

Due to the change, illegal activities and criminality have become a concrete and significant accomplice of the dog meat industry in China. The price of the meat increased as the production costs started to grow. The most obvious effect was the immense rise in the number of dog thefts. The phenomena of such an act against the dog-loving part of Chinese society caused a real outrage both on the part of the citizens and in the media.

There is an inevitable and unquestionable change within the dog meat market. You can still find restaurants with dog on the menu, though the on-the-spot street killings have disappeared. Supermarkets with dogs packed on the shelves still can be found, but businesses have started to close down.
Something has really happened, triggering change for good, and it is vital for future progress to figure out the reason why, to be aware of what really had an effect on an ancient custom and the behaviour of a whole segment of society.
But is this change sufficient? And how can we build on that?

Society Evolves

Regarding the dog topic—to eat or not to eat—Chinese society is divided. There are those who claim the right to have the option of eating dog meat as it is part of their cuisine culture, and there are those people whose idea of dogs is absolutely different: not something to eat, but to care about and to pet. 
It is rarely remarked upon in foreign reports and propaganda that there are approximately 150 animal welfare organisations actively and efficiently operating throughout the country. Generally, the younger generation is the most enthusiastic on doing something positive to force some change.
There are many reports of demonstrations, failed transports due to blocked roads, and successful pressure on the government. And please do not forget that China has a communist ruling party and thus many things work differently regarding lobbying government and spreading propaganda.

Between the above-mentioned two opposing parties there is the government trying to achieve a balance and handle this domestic issue. Instead of legally banning the eating of dogs which would cause widespread outrage, they have been gradually making the whole activity more difficult and less lucrative. 
They made the circumstances of keeping dogs for butchering much more difficult and its effect is obvious in the dropping number of businesses. Based on the recent announcement of Animals Asia, this trend has been improving and authorities seem to take these matters seriously. The result: restaurants have been ordered to close or stop selling dog meat.

The geographical differences in the attitudes of the Chinese people is also noteworthy, and the law reflects this. As Animals Asia reports: “Some cities like Chengdu, Xi’an, Nanning, Guangzhou, Harbin and Nanjing set out ‘Dog Ownership Management Regulations’ which make the abuse or abandonment of dogs illegal. In Nanning and Harbin, dog fighting is also banned”. 

This perfectly indicates that Chinese society is divided not only by the idea, but also geographically. There are differences based on which part of this huge country we are talking about. 
The authorities also play their own part. Any regulation is pointless without effective law enforcement. As a result of the legislative change, many participants of the dog meat industry went bankrupt, or gave up simply because of less achievable profit or they just simply went off the radar, choosing instead to run completely illegal businesses.
Besides ensuring adherence to the requirements of health and quarantine regulations, police do their own work on criminals. Dog theft gangs are usually apprehended by the police and these reports are prevalent in the news.

The media—just like everywhere else—has an important part in forming the general attitudes of society. The fact that this topic is allowed in Chinese media is very important. We all know—based on the reports of human rights activists—that when the ruling party does not want a topic, point of view, or ideology spread through the media to infiltrate the thinking of the citizens, you can be sure it will never appear in any newspaper or TV evening news. 
The representation of the welfare of animals in the media gives hope. It is a topic that can not only be presented, but also presented in an effective way for the sake of the animals. Moreover, the audience is sensitive enough to react.
While the government may not be directly supporting the welfare of animals, they are certainly not creating any obstacles to the cause. Quite the opposite.

What is going on at the Yulin dog meat festival is also significant. Due to the mass opposition and protest of the general public and domestic animal welfare organisations, the local government has stepped back from the promotion of the event. The popularity of the festival has started to decrease. Some years ago, about 10,000 dogs were butchered there annually and this number dropped to 2,000 by 2014, based on the report of the activists of Animals Asia.

Considering all these facts, based on actual investigation of attitudes and actions in China, you can definitely say that the situation of dogs is changing one step at a time. Our gratitude goes to all the citizens of China who started their civil activities based on the idea that the lives of animals matter.

Change of Mind

Regardless what nationality you are, I am sure there is a custom or tradition which is totally normal for you, although you seem to be a weirdo in the eyes of strangers from a completely different cultural background.
Furthermore, many countries or nations have controversial everyday routines, even in the field of animal welfare. I do not want to set up a list of the animal issues the Western World (and lobbyists) are struggling with, but a shameful list could easily be set up. The guilty are not only those who live in the East.

In many occasions, when the outer world tries to intervene with these domestic habits, there is resistance: no one wants (or lets) their own cultural thinking be invaded by the ideas of foreigners, and it does not matter how outrageous it seems for those making the judgement. No nation is going to change itself willingly just because others are telling it to, and most of the time, opposition is the ultimate reaction.
But common thinking, and how one nation thinks about general topics is constantly changing. Just think about the rights of children, the right of non-white cultures, the situation of women within society, the perception of LGBT society. All of these are social issues every country constantly has to face, reconsider and change its own idea about. Questions of animal rights and welfare are no different. 

How is it even possible to change the common thinking of a society? Only in a domestic way. Influence from another culture can come—and usually does—but the locals within need to summon the new approach and spread it among their fellow citizens.
It is important to notice the presence and the activity of some foreign animal welfare organisations in China. They do not interfere aggressively with the domestic issues, but they help, support, train, and assist the local animal welfare activists, just like Animals Asia support the Nanchang Small Animal Protection Association, just to pick up one example. Diplomacy and tactics are worth much more than the usual Western-style, emotionally-driven outbursts.

The core solution of the Chinese dog meat situation is to turn a meal into a pet. The habit of dog meat on the menu is based on cultural roots, and unless the thinking of society changes, there will be no change at all. Chinese people will not change their behaviour just because the West pushes them to do so, but because they themselves want to change. 
There are people who consider dogs as precious companions in the life of humanity. This process demands a mentality change which only can be achieved from within.
There is possibly only one element in this fight where the opinion of the West matters, and has already forced a result. In many areas of China, the public slaughtering of dogs has disappeared as the increasing tourism cannot cope with it, so authorities have banned it. What foreigners think only matters regarding tourism and that is all.

There is always a wish (or a fierce demand) for the complete banning of dogs as meat.
Politics has made its own decision: they do not want to deal with this problem, but they allow activists and civil organisations to operate accordingly.
Additionally, there is a very tricky thing about legislating people’s habits. As is obvious at the moment, banning will not make every bad thing disappear overnight, even if we continually and urgently insist that a change in regulation will really work and solve everything all at once. Tightening the rules on the dog meat market has already pushed many activities into illegality, beyond the reach of the authorities. A complete banning would make it legally unacceptable, but the phenomena would not simply die out. Dog food consumption will disappear only when there is no demand in the cuisine or culture of the users. Only then will the supply dry up.

The way people think about this subject, and the way dogs are treated in China has definitely and very clearly changed. All these achievements were produced by the indigenous Chinese population. The Chinese dog lovers—reinforced by international help and assistance—were the ones who road-blocked transports to the meat festivals, pushed local authorities, and persisted in presenting this matter in the media.
Besides the notorious Yulin festival which we usually consider as the animal welfare issue, there are other festivals. Or used to be others.
Even the New York Times happily reported in September 2011 about the shutdown of the Jinhua Hutou Dog Meat Festival. The mission was achieved successfully thanks to the online campaign. The action was supported by local journalists, dog-lovers, bloggers and celebrities.

Meanwhile the worldwide animal welfare propaganda and our general thinking tends to simply claim that all Chinese people are eating dogs, and that therefore the whole nation ought to be condemned. 
This extremist point of view attacks and labels the whole society with the stigma, and is pure discrimination, creating a stereotype that gets the campaign nowhere.
You can have violent reactions, shouting, ‘Stop it! Stop it!’ without intermission, sign yet another of the countless online petitions to raise more and more awareness, (But come on, everyone has known about this for years, we are all aware) but none of these actions on their own is going to solve any of the problems dogs in China are facing. You will need the help of—and thus you need to support—all those Chinese activists who are fighting for the welfare of animals on a daily basis.

We tend to only see the negative hype or stories which, encroaching on our comfort zone, cause us extreme emotion, even if this leads nowhere and the only benefit is that we can somehow release our outrage caused by this injustice. This is human nature.
China is a whole society with its own habits, traditions, and citizens who are all different in one way or another. Animal welfare issues do exist, and there is still a long struggle ahead for the Chinese animal lovers to overcome all the obstacles they are facing. Yet they have already come a long way. Let’s support those who are trying their best, instead of including them amongst those we despise when we make a judgement about their nation. 



I honestly thank and am really grateful for Animals Asia for their report. Due to their tireless work and all their invaluable, irreplaceable help I got to complete this article. Next time when you think about doing something for the dogs of China, instead of signing another online petition, please donate to the cause of Animals Asia. And last but definitely not least: thanks to all those dog lovers in China who having been bringing about change one step at a time.

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