In China, dogs barking, and debate continues

Ezzat Shahrour - Beijing
It is the right dog in China to assess the weddings and nights and barking even divulge Hanagerha, has been rescued over 1100 dogs in the city of Chongqing in southwest China. Was on its way to be rich dishes on the table Chinese restaurants in the midst of festivities celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year, which coincides with the "Year of the Dragon."
Dogs were on board the truck taking her to a slaughterhouse in the city, where they were stopped and the liberalization of dogs which, collecting in one pig farms abandoned, which rushed some of the organizations and activists in the protection of animals for hire on a temporary basis, so that the health authorities to ensure authenticity and integrity before transfer to private shelters to take care of them.
The Chinese cities have passed laws prohibiting the sale of local meat to dogs and cats in restaurants. But this procedure has not yet reached the degree of adoption of the central government of the country.
As was the local authorities in the city in the province of Genjua Ji Jiang East China has issued a decision several months before the abolition of the "Holiday slaughter dogs."
According to local media reported that nearly ten thousand dogs were slaughtered annually in this festival city Genjua. And that most of these dogs are usually stolen or stray dogs.
The decisions and actions have raised new pleases the dog lovers and animal welfare groups who had presented a petition to the organizing committee for the gala and local authorities in the city to cancel the holiday as an uncivilized act. Following the dissemination and exchange of images on the Internet and social networking sites clearly show the violent methods that are slaughtered by the dogs and deal with it during the holiday.
But this satisfaction is still fraught with suspicion and caution. Jang Ji - one of the members of that association - said the island, "The decision to cancel the festival does not mean the right to stop the ongoing massacres dogs," and that it needs to be strict laws and punish the perpetrators. The activist added, "We usually do collect money from the activists to buy these dogs and collected in the shelters, and distributed later to the vows of her upbringing and care for them."
But the decision to cancel the holiday and the decision to ban restaurants to provide meals for the dog meat controversy and provoked widespread controversy on the pages of the Web. Was considered by some as an abandonment of part of the Chinese traditions and customs continued over time. While others wondered why the humane organizations insist on the abolition of dog meat as pets. Eat and ignore the meat of other animals such as sheep, cows and rabbits, the most familiar of dogs according to their opinion. And confirms the benefits of dog meat eaters, they believe it warms in the winter and lead to increased sweating in the summer.
It is noteworthy that the slaughter of dogs rejoicing is a local tradition has nothing to do with the story of the massacres and slaughter of dogs ordered by the Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim, as he tells it. Nothing to do with as well as the slaughter of dogs in the story of Autumn of the Patriarch of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
The story goes back more than 600 years during the reign of the Ming Dynasty military commander when he tried to storm the city under cover of darkness Genjua Vvdha many barking dogs in the city, which led to the awakening of the people and defeat the aggressors. Commander of the attacker forced to reorganize the remnants of his forces launched the battle started massacre included dogs that enter the city before opening.Vkavoh emperor feast where the delicious meat of dogs, and since then it has become a tradition Genjua greet people every year.
The acquisition fever pets like dogs and cats in China has become fashionable and turned into big business. The percentage of acquisition during the last ten years to 5%, and is about 8% of households in Chinese cities acquire dogs and cats. Or approximately one hundred million people. And became a thriving industry where restaurants and parks spread and galleries pet dogs. The value of the Chinese spend on their dogs and their pets each year by about $ 62 billion.
And try some humane organizations Parliament urged China to adopt and pass laws to protect animals. But has not yet been able to succeed at the level of China only in passing the law, "one dog" adopted by the municipality of Beijing in 2006 and allows each family to the acquisition of one dog only.

Source: Al Jazeera