Dogs are frequently killed in China for their meet or to prevent the spread of rabies. photo from http://www.todayonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/photo_gallery_image_lightbox/public/20077783.JPG?itok=6nCENUVr
In early September, approximately 5,000 dogs were killed by authorities in China’s southwest Yunnan province.
The reason for the elaborate mutt massacre is due to the death of five citizens who had been bitten by dogs with rabies and died. The Xinhua news agency reported that one man was bitten and died in July, while four men also died through infected dog bites in August.
The five who died lived in neighboring towns and villages in Shidian County.
To prevent a more severe rabies outbreak, Baoshan City’s municipal government executed a campaign and ordered the culling of over 4,900 stray dogs and the vaccination of 100,000.
However, this is no new practice. According to CNN.com, stray dogs are often culled to prevent the spreading of rabies.
After a number of dog attacks in east China in 2006, at least 16 people died of rabies, but rabies has not resurfaced as a significant problem in China until now.
In China, rabies is a class 2 notifiable disease. It spreads when humans come in contact with the bite or scratch of an infected animal.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rabies attacks the central nervous system. Victims initially experience headaches, weakness, and fever. As the disease progresses, those infected develop symptoms such as insomnia, slight to partial paralysis, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation, and hydrophobia. Most die within a few days of developing these symptoms.
Junior Jacob Shoemaker voiced his opinion on the killing, stating that it was “a logical move.”
Of course, many feel differently. Many are enraged and are speaking out against this holocaust, especially animal rights activists who feel the dogs should have simply been vaccinated in the first place.
After the initial murder of almost 5,000, Baoshan’s municipal government declared a notice to authorities to cull any remaining stray dogs. It is becoming difficult for authorities to enhance this notice, since many wealthier class citizens in China own dogs as pets.