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Earlier this month, we briefly mentioned one local man's bizarre plan to host regular "dog matchmaking events" in Shanghai, aimed at pet owners who wanted to find the perfect breeding partner for their pet. The Shanghai Daily wrote the story in a playful, carefree manner -- and the people at the city's Second Chance Animal Aid non-profit organization were not amused. They have written a response letter to the newspaper, but it hasn't been published. So Shanghaiist, proud owner of a (neutered) pup adopted with the SCAA's help, is happy to publish the letter here:
To Whom It May Concern:We read with shock and disappointment the article in the Thursday, July 6 Shanghai Daily entitled "Dog Date Helps Owners Find Perfect Pet Partner" written by Fu Yingqing. We represent Second Chance Animal Aid (SCAA), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping abandoned and neglected animal companions in Shanghai.
One of our goals is to educate people about spaying and neutering dogs and cats. The animal population in Shanghai, and in many other cities, is out of control. We have been working diligently to help abused and abandoned animals, spending roughly RMB 200,000+/year to make these animals healthy and to find loving homes for them. It is shocking to us, as well as to our over 500 members, that this irresponsible exercise in excessive breeding would be organized and promoted.
Every day we receive many calls from people who have found a dog, cat, puppy or kitten and want our help in getting it healthy and finding a home for it. Often, these people get upset with us because we cannot help them - we do not have a shelter and depend on dedicated volunteers to take needy animals into their home. We are overburdened.
Organizing and promoting a dog matchmaking day will undoubtedly result in more unwanted dogs. Some may argue that breeding purebreds is different - it is not. Purebred animals are as demanding as any other pet and many will certainly be abandoned at the first sign of behavioral problems. The health benefits of spaying and neutering animals apply to all cats and dogs, regardless of breed.
Some of the benefits of spaying and neutering your pet include:
- increasing your pet's life span;
- eliminating or reducing the risk of certain cancers or other expensive and difficult to treat diseases;
- reducing aggression;
- reducing the likelihood of a pet biting anyone;
- reducing the risk of your pet running away from a safe home;
- reducing the number of unwanted / neglected animals wandering the streets or caged in overcrowded shelters
We urge all responsible pet owners to put the health and well-being of their pet, and of the pet community at large, ahead of a desire to recklessly breed their animal. We also encourage all responsible pet owners and animal lovers to boycott this irresponsible event.
While we are very grateful to Shanghai Daily for your sponsorship in the Monday issue of your paper, this kind of event is working against what we are promoting.
For more information on responsible pet ownership, please refer to the SCAA website (scaashanghai.org) and our links to other animal welfare organizations.
Sincerely,
Carol Wolfson, SCAA Founder and Executive Director
Cat Brandell, SCAA Director
Lee-Anne Armstrong, SCAA Foster Care Director
If you would like to adopt a pet or get involved with the SCAA, contact them. The SCAA usually makes a showing (with adoptable pets) at the monthly flea markets at Garden Books. This month's flea market is the afternoon of July 29.
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Recently I spent 10 days harvesting wheat in the village of Hong Chen (pop. 600) near Meng Cheng City (pop. 62,400), Anhui.
In this small village each household has at least one dog and most have two or three. The dogs are feed mostly table scraps for food and are rather skinny. None ever seem to be aggressive when you go by them, perhaps they are too weak to do so. They just lay around during most of the day. Come night fall though they do bark a lot when anyone passes their owner's property. That's why they have them.
So I had to ask, with so many dogs in such a tiny village what do they do with them? Some are sent to the city to be sold on the black market. The rest or, as I understand it, most of them are disposed of as if they were rats right after they are born.
No one eats them in this village.
Pretty sad situation if you ask me.
CJ
Truly sad. These type of people need to get the head out of their *****!!. Please save a life adopt a pet from scaa or the humane society. there are too many homeless pets because of idiots like this out there.
Mary & Becker
The Shanghai Daily showed a lack of judgement and a great deal of avarice in promoting this 'matchmaking' company and the idea of dog breeding as a 'fun' thing to do. To promote/profit from more indiscriminate dog breeding in a city which does not even have an animal shelter is careless and irresponsible. When the paper inevitably writes about the problems caused by the number of stray dogs of Shanghai, will they remember their part in this?