It’s another tale about dog meat that has a pleasant conclusion.
Dog meat slaughterhouse in the Kampong Thom Province of Cambodia was closed down on August 5 by FOUR PAWS, a worldwide animal welfare group dedicated to the protection of animals. The slaughterhouse was vital to the country’s dog meat trade. Along with halting the slaughterhouse, FOUR PAWS rescuers were able to save the lives of the 15 canines that were discovered alive on the premises.
Following a province-wide ban on the sale and eating of dog meat in Cambodia’s Siem Reap, this animal rights triumph comes as a welcome relief to animal rights activists. The province of Siem Reap is the first in Cambodia to pursue this initiative.
According to a press release from FOUR PAWS, an estimated 3 million dogs are slain for human consumption each year throughout the nation, with the majority being used as food. The group believes that the city of Siem Reap’s prohibition, as well as the organization’s ongoing efforts to halt the dog meat trade, would result in a nationwide ban on the sale and eating of dog meat in Cambodia.
The slaughterhouse, which was recently closed by FOUR PAWSs, was allegedly responsible for the deaths of up to 3,000 dogs every year and acted as the region’s main supplier of dog meat. This closure will most certainly result in a reduction in the supply of dog meat to adjacent provinces as well.
The old slaughterhouse proprietors did not lose their jobs as a result of FOUR PAWS’ success. The organization is assisting the former owners, who “expressed remorse over killing dogs and desperation to get out of the trade,” in the construction and supply of a small grocery store to ensure the owners have a humane and long-term means of supporting themselves and their family members. In order to assist with the transition, FOUR PAWS also removed all of the cages and equipment from the previous slaughterhouse.
The 15 dogs discovered in the rusted and filthy cages that had been removed from the butcher were retrieved from the factory and sent to Animal Rescue Cambodia, a local partner organization of FOUR PAWS. The dogs will stay at the rescue until they are ready to be adopted into loving homes, during which time they will get medical attention and love.
“There is tremendous momentum in Cambodia to put a stop to the dog meat trade, and we are relieved to see this business permanently shut down. Not only have we improved the lives of the dogs who have been saved, but we have also improved the lives of the tens of thousands of dogs that will no longer be subjected to a gruesome end for their flesh.
Our team has also successfully collaborated with the facility’s owner, who had decided to retire from the profession after many years in the industry. However, the job does not cease with the completion of the project.
Following the rescue of the dogs, the coming weeks and months will be critical in providing them with ongoing medical treatment, as well as the love and care they will require to help them recover from their traumatic experience “FOUR PAWS Stray Animal Care in Southeast Asia is headed by veterinarian Dr. Katherine Polak, who made the announcement in a statement.
