Dog Meat in the Philippines: A Tough Trade to Swallow
September 19, 2007
HSI
Dogs await rescue during a dog meat seizure in the Philippines.
By Carly Ikuma
In the sweltering heat of a typical summer evening in the Philippines, 100 terrified dogs are packed tightly into a wooden crate in the closed cabin of a large truck. They struggle to breathe through mouths tied tightly with plastic string. With no room to move, piled on top of one another, their desperate whimpers are met with silence. Eight have already died and three others are close behind.
That scene greeted Humane Society International investigators in July, when they were involved with a seizure of more than 100 dogs.
Representatives from HSI and Network for Animals had traveled to the Philippines to learn the extent of the ongoing illegal commercial trade in dog meat. Aiming to put an end the trade, they met with officials and local animal welfare organizations. While they were there, they also documented the cruel reality for the animals whose lives are at stake.
On the Heels of a Brutal Trade
While the Philippine dog meat industry centers in a single northern region, it involves a country-wide underground network of traders, drivers and scouts to get the dogs from source to slaughter. Approximately 500,000 dogs fall victim to the trade every year.
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