Keep your dogs safe from
meat and pelt brokers

PICTURE the scene - New Zealand - a country where pet animals can expect a decent standard of life and when terminal illness or accident occurs they can expect to be humanely put down rather than left to suffer (arguably even humans don't get the same consideration). Apart from the occasional uneducated moron, the system works well and the country chugs along as a caring society without the need for laws to ban eating dogs, keeping dogs in cruel or restricting circumstances, or exporting dogs to countries of lower living standards ... and without such laws this country is ripe for plucking!

In the November/December 2000 (issue 2) we ran a story called Warning! Dogs at risk. It was the story of an Asian group working in NZ and written by one woman who had become suspicious and refused to sell any of her dogs to the man who did all the negotiating.

Since then the story has gone from bad to worse. The man now rents a property out of Auckland and among the list of suspicions against him are:

• In 2001 an Eastern restaurant part-owned by this man was inspected by SPCA officers and they found dogs in cages upstairs, behind the restaurant. When questioned the manager said they were being held until exported in a few days. The dogs were not there a few days later.
• This person has recently been visited on his property out of Auckland and had about 150 dogs on the property.
• These dogs never go for walks or receive pats or hugs - they pace their compound continually as animals without hope.
• The number of animals on this property changes often, and suddenly, without buyers being noticed, and there can be up to 250 dogs there at any single time.
• A couple who recently visited the property reports being refused when they offered to buy a dog, even though there were about 250 there at the time, and that the whole duration of the conversation the owner sat on a chair with a shotgun on his knee (that is lawful in this country???)
• There were cattle prods obvious and in handy positions.
• He owns/part owns a "pet" shop in Singapore, but neighbours report animal screams in the night and banging noises.
• Shipping containers have been seen on the property and gone again in night operations - pelts and dried meat are suspected.
• Suspicion is that dog meat is still being sold to Eastern restaurants in Auckland, and elsewhere.
• Breeds in the compound when last visited were Siberian huskies, Newfoundlands, golden retrievers, schnausers and other breeds. Because there are no laws to stop puppy farming in this country these animals are bred at every cycle until they are unable to breed any more. After that they become food on the table and pelts exported to be sold back (to Britain for sure, but I HOPE not here), as briefcases and leather goods.
• This man has bought a few dogs that are registered with the Kennel Club - the club can do nothing to stop this "commercial enterprise" as its licence with the commerce commission stipulates that it can in no way interfere with the sale of any dog to another person or group.
• It has been reported by a neighbour to the SPCA that when a dog escaped one day this man was so angry he 'beat up' the dog's mate.

All this makes one angry - how could operations such as this happen in this country? The answer is ... easily!

There are no laws that say you can not eat dogs!

There are no laws to say you can not serve dog in a restaurant or kill them to use as meat for your own table!

There are no laws that say you can not start a business selling dog meat and pelts, or run a dog farm as is the case here!

There are no laws that say you can not send meat and pelts to Asia in a container, and none that allow anyone to get a warrant to inspect such a container!

Basically this man is doing nothing illegal - he is simply exploiting the culture of a country that has not provided laws against such predators. New Zealand authorities have not realised that such low life existed here or that someone could operate here with such an arrogant dismissal of the culture of the country he lives in. But perhaps our Government turns a blind eye?

The worst crime that this man could be prosecuted for is cruelty - cruelty that the SPCA must gather proof of - and which under the current system would earn him a $200 fine!

This is not good enough.

Advertisements have been seen in a local Asian newspaper buying and selling dogs (many from just one phone number). If these were legitimate sales of pet or show dogs within NZ they would not be confined to Asian buyers advertised in an Asian-language newspaper! And another advertisement recently appeared in the NZ Herald under the description "Dog Farm and Export Co" wanting a person to work for this company who "must speak fluent Cantonese and Mandarin". If this was the same person he obviously admits to being a dog farm. If it is someone else, the situation is even worse than we first thought.

Please, please people do not sell any of your lovely dogs to this insect. This is a meat, pelt and stock breeding operation working out of New Zealand and we must show such vermin what we think of them. Make sure you have a name and address of any buyer and inspect their property. Check that name with us (K9 Perspective) if you are at all suspicious, or with the SPCA or Animals Voice magazine - don't let your beautiful puppies end up on an Asian dinner plate.