Tues 21st June: Gershwin and Yulin

Gershwin's mouth and throat are swollen and very painful

Bringing Gershwin home was my main task for today,  although he is really not well at all and has developed a high temperature in addition to the large swelling on his neck where he was gored by the wild boar.  He has been refusing all food since being hospitalised and I wanted to have him back with me to see if that would encourage him to eat, which it has although only very small amounts as it seems to be too painful for him to open his mouth and swallow.  I'm giving him very soft puppy food bit by bit, but I need to make sure that he includes his medication in the tiny portions he will take.  At least he seems to be happy to be in familiar surroundings and that will go a long way towards making him feel better.

Most people know the terrible and horrific Yulin dog eating festival is now underway and there has been a huge amount of publicity this year, as there is every year.  There is one individual who has done a great job of getting his name out internationally and I have to give him credit for that, but what he is doing is causing great concern in China among the many organisations who have been working so hard and for so many years to stop the dog eating altogether.  This message from Animals Asia, representing all of the groups, sums up the problem

https://www.animalsasia.org/hk-en/media/news/news-archive/chinese-animal-charities-urge-animal-lovers-to-stop-buying-dogs-in-yulin.html#.V2nZbpAIPWo.facebook

The sad fact is that although buying the dogs that are being sold for slaughter saves the animals' lives in that instant, it is also supporting the butchers who are charging high prices knowing they will get it. They don't care who buys the dogs, they are very happy with the huge profits they are making and you can be sure they will be back with even more dogs in the future.

We are all appalled by the savagery of Yulin, but it has to be remembered that this is only two weeks out of a whole year of dog eating, and not only in Yulin but all of China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Korea and the rest of Southeast Asia.  In fact the sad truth is that Yulin has become a tourist attraction, bringing in money for everyone who lives there and sees the opportunity to make a fast buck.  They know that the worse the torture the higher the price someone will pay to rescue the dog, so it become a vicious (literally) cycle of horrific abuse and "rescue".

Buying the dogs to rescue them and "end" the Yulin Festival is like buying all the pet shop puppies thinking that it will end the pet trade.  Instead it encourages more breeding and selling, and at higher prices and bigger profits.  I have to admit that I couldn't face watching any dog being tortured and I'm sure I would pay anything to stop it, which is why the fight against the dog meat trade must be left to those groups who are working within China to stop it. "Rescue Tourists" are doing more harm than good, and they leave behind all of the dogs who then have nowhere to go.  HKDR and other Hong Kong animal NGOs are receiving messages begging us to take in dogs from Yulin, without even acknowledging the fact that there is a long quarantines period required for animals coming into Hong Kong from China, and that there is a waiting list for kennel space anyway.

Ollie is back on Lamma while his foster parents are on holiday

Back to our own situation in Hong Kong, things are not exactly easy either.  Summer is a time when many people give up their dogs so they can go on holiday without the inconvenience or cost of boarding, while expats who are finding themselves suddenly jobless are also facing the problem of taking their pets to countries that require a lot of preparation.  We already have a waiting list of dogs needing homes, and I'm not talking about the six hundred already with us, and many foster dogs are coming back as the temporary carers also go away for their annual holidays. Ollie is back on Lamma with me right now, and not at all happy about it, while six month-old Treacle, who has been in her foster home since she was a newborn, will have her life turned upside down when she comes back to us this week.

Treacle is a very sweet medium-sized girl but still waiting for a home