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GENERAL INFORMATION
WELFARE 
Dog & Cat Fur Trade
At the beginning
of it becoming known that dog and cat fur was being imported
into Australia from some Asian countries Animal Welfare
League NSW attended an Asian Animal Welfare Symposium in Hong
Kong to learn first hand of this appalling enterprise.
Where on earth
does one start in trying to influence change when for centuries,
in some Asian countries, the flesh parts of these animals
are consumed as part of the dietary intake.
In addition, the
utilisation and exploitation of wild, domestic and endangered
species - such as Traditional Medicine, which every year sees
at least 10 billion spent on literally tonnes of live and
dead animals sold to customers acroaa Asia, who are eagerly
consuming many of these species to extinction.
The so-called
entertainment industry, which sees the growth of disgusting
displays in this region such as live animal feeding –
where juvenile tigers are literally ripping live pigs and
calves to shreds in front of a paying audience, or live animal
shooting ranges where people pay for the right to shoot an
animal off the face of the earth and animal performances where
the unwilling victims are mutilated and forced to degrade
themselves with humiliating tricks for a public whose priority
generally is not the welfare of the animals themselves.
In taking up the
challenge the League lobbied Senator Chris Ellison, Minister
for Justice and Customs, to make it illegal to have dog and
cat fur imported into Australia. His and the Government’s
response to the issue so far is:
“I can assure
you that this is a matter of concern to me. As I stated in
my previous correspondence, I have initiated consultations
with those of my ministerial colleagues who can help resolve
this problem. As a result of those discussions, an options
paper has been developed and is currently being considered
as part of a whole-of-government approach.
There are a number
of aspects that need to be thought through carefully before
the Government finally decides the most effective means of
dealing with the problem. These include the extent to which
cat and dog fur products are already available in Australia
and the likelihood of future imports, and how would law enforcement
officers readily identify the type of fur involved without
the aid of sophisticated laboratory testing.
Recent media speculation indicating that the Government has
already decided on a particular course of action is incorrect.
In response to the paper currently before it, the Government
is considering a variety of possible options.
You may be aware
that this issue is not unique in Australia. The Government
in the United Kingdom recently announced an investigation
to identify the extent of the problem in the UK and it expects
that review will take six months to complete.
Please be assured that the process is being pursued as quickly
as possible. However, as shown by the approach adopted by
the UK Government this is an issue that requires careful consideration
and cannot be resolved overnight.
Thank you for your ongoing interest in this matter.”
(unquote)
While we continue
influencing the policy makers our members can assist in registering
their disgust by writing to the head of Government:
The Hon John Howard MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
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