IDA Joins International Protest of Chinese Cat and Dog Fur

Global Day of Action Includes Demonstrations in 23 Cities Around the Globe
As China rang in the "Year of the Dog," IDA joined animal rights organizations around the world in a global day of action against China's brutal cat and dog fur trade. While IDA held demonstrations in Los Angeles and San Francisco, other animal rights groups hosted simultaneous protests in Washington, D.C. and New York City here in the U.S., and overseas in England, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Venezuela, Brazil, Israel, Thailand, Croatia, Australia, Serbia, and South Africa.

IDA's Bill Dyer organized Sunday's demonstration in L.A. in which more than 120 people participated. They started at the Gateway to Chinatown and marched through the crowded streets, distributing flyers about the horrors of the Chinese cat and dog fur trade to tourists and merchants along the way. Most people were shocked and surprised to find out that China is skinning cats and dogs alive for their fur. Merchants were given flyers in Chinese explaining it is illegal to sell cat and dog fur in the U.S. and that anyone selling anything made from cats or dogs can be fined $10,000 per item.

IDA's demonstration at the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco took place on Monday, February 13th, the same day as the other protests around the world. The event drew about 60 protesters, as well as reporters from the media. Two television stations (including a Mandarin- and Cantonese-language news show) and three radio stations covered the story. Protesters chanted slogans and held signs for passing drivers to read, and passed out flyers to pedestrians. One activist wore a body screen TV displaying undercover footage of animals being brutally tortured and killed on a Chinese fur farm.

More than half of the world's fur products are imported from China, a country where there are no animal welfare regulations. Along with foxes, raccoon dogs and coyotes, millions of cats and dogs are killed every year for their fur in China. Footage aired recently on CNN's Larry King Live shows dogs and cats being strangled and electrocuted, and investigators have documented animals being skinned alive and remaining alive for up to 10 minutes afterwards. IDA joins Sir Paul McCartney and other animal advocates around the globe in urging a boycott of the Beijing 2008 Olympics and all products labeled "Made in China" until China agrees to meaningful humane reforms.