International plea to stop rodeo
By Dong Zhen |
August 3, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
INTERNATIONAL animal welfare groups yesterday sent a joint letter to the US Embassy in Beijing, urging it to drop its support for an American rodeo performance to be held in the capital city.
The letter, representing the shared concern of 11 organizations, was sent to Dr Robert Wang, the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Beijing, one of the groups told Shanghai Daily.
The rodeo has already stirred up objection from Chinese animal activists who publicly urged it to be canceled in media interviews last month.
The event is due to be held in October during the National Day holidays. But animal activists say rodeos cause serious pain and torture to animals. The international groups co-signing the letter include Animal Guardians and Animal People.
"Rodeo is an inherently cruel form of entertainment, disrespectful to the welfare of animals and contributing to the desensitization of viewers to animal violence," said David Neale, director with Animals Asia Foundation, in the letter that he drafted on behalf of all 11 groups.
"The common use of electric prods and bucking straps to artificially induce wild, frenzied behavior has the potential to cause severe pain and suffering," he wrote. "The roping of calves which are moving at speeds of up to 35 kilometers per hour can lead to severe neck and back injuries, broken bones, internal hemorrhages and possible death."
Chinese counterparts also chimed in. Capital Animal Welfare Association and Shenzhen Stray God Shelter said they had "concrete evidence that the American organizers have hidden from the Chinese parties the most brutal pain they inflict on animals in rodeos."
"We don't want the trash culture to come to China," an animal activist said.
They urged the American organizers, Las Vegas-based ZZYX Entertainment and Less Is Forever More Inc, to cancel the performance.
The American organizers denied that rodeos hurt animals.
Li Liguo, secretary of the China International Friendship Cities Association, one of the Chinese hosts, said, "We welcome animal-rights groups to supervise the event. But I wish they could look at it with more rationality."
The association said it had not found evidence of abuse of animals in rodeos.
In one staple event at rodeos - tie-down roping - a cowboy chases a calf on horseback, catches it, forces it down and ties any three legs as fast as possible.
"It's a pure commercial activity to make profits under the guise of promoting Sino-US culture exchange," Qin Xiaona, chairman of Capital Animal Welfare Association, told China Business News.
The letter, representing the shared concern of 11 organizations, was sent to Dr Robert Wang, the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Beijing, one of the groups told Shanghai Daily.
The rodeo has already stirred up objection from Chinese animal activists who publicly urged it to be canceled in media interviews last month.
The event is due to be held in October during the National Day holidays. But animal activists say rodeos cause serious pain and torture to animals. The international groups co-signing the letter include Animal Guardians and Animal People.
"Rodeo is an inherently cruel form of entertainment, disrespectful to the welfare of animals and contributing to the desensitization of viewers to animal violence," said David Neale, director with Animals Asia Foundation, in the letter that he drafted on behalf of all 11 groups.
"The common use of electric prods and bucking straps to artificially induce wild, frenzied behavior has the potential to cause severe pain and suffering," he wrote. "The roping of calves which are moving at speeds of up to 35 kilometers per hour can lead to severe neck and back injuries, broken bones, internal hemorrhages and possible death."
Chinese counterparts also chimed in. Capital Animal Welfare Association and Shenzhen Stray God Shelter said they had "concrete evidence that the American organizers have hidden from the Chinese parties the most brutal pain they inflict on animals in rodeos."
"We don't want the trash culture to come to China," an animal activist said.
They urged the American organizers, Las Vegas-based ZZYX Entertainment and Less Is Forever More Inc, to cancel the performance.
The American organizers denied that rodeos hurt animals.
Li Liguo, secretary of the China International Friendship Cities Association, one of the Chinese hosts, said, "We welcome animal-rights groups to supervise the event. But I wish they could look at it with more rationality."
The association said it had not found evidence of abuse of animals in rodeos.
In one staple event at rodeos - tie-down roping - a cowboy chases a calf on horseback, catches it, forces it down and ties any three legs as fast as possible.
"It's a pure commercial activity to make profits under the guise of promoting Sino-US culture exchange," Qin Xiaona, chairman of Capital Animal Welfare Association, told China Business News.
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