Coalition intensifies campaign to outlaw animal cruelty

Coalition for Cruelty-Free Africa (CFCFA) says it is intensifying its awareness campaign and lobbying to end and outlaw the dog and cat meat trade, animal sacrifices, and other forms of animal cruelty.

In a statement shared with the Ghana News Agency, the Coalition said its campaign efforts included placing billboards across Africa and Southeast Asia, with the latest ones in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana.

The Coalition noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned that the trade, slaughter, and eating of dogs and cats posed a deadly risk to human health from diseases such as trichinellosis, cholera, and rabies, which were killing both animals and humans.

In collaboration with major international animal protection organisations, the Coalition strongly condemned and called for an end to the barbaric dog and cat meat trade and animal sacrifices that were taking place daily in countries across Africa, especially in Ghana and Uganda.

Other African countries identified by the Coalition for actively engaging in animal cruelty included Togo, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Zambia, Tanzania, and the Congo.

The Coalition noted that this brutal dog and cat meat trade was not only an African problem but also exists in China, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, and other parts of Southeast Asia.

According to the Coalition, this horrific animal abuse continues despite increasing global opposition and awareness.

“Particularly during the summer months, in Yulin in China, regions in Ghana, Evala in Togo, Ogun in Nigeria, and Boknal in Korea, a tragic surge in the mass slaughter of dogs, cats, and other animals for consumption and barbaric animal sacrifices is witnessed,” the statement read.

The Coalition stated that these suffering animals were captured by criminal animal traffickers and dog and cat meat traders who stole animals from communities, including family pets, strays, and wildlife.

The Coalition said these animals were used to scam the public, with traffickers committing horrific acts of torture, including tearing animals apart while they are still alive for human consumption.

The Coalition noted that China was another country involved in these barbaric practices, having the world's largest dog and cat meat trade, with millions of dogs and cats slaughtered each year, leading to the increasing spread of fatal diseases and the death of both animals and people.

It said investigations had exposed an epidemic of dog and cat thefts from devastated pet owners and families.

The Coalition also highlighted that although there is a ban on the dog and cat meat trade in Korea, the sickening Boknal festival still goes ahead, resulting in countless dogs being slaughtered.

According to the Coalition, Nigeria is the third-largest consumer of dog meat globally.

“Mass slaughter at Ogun, where innocent animals are sacrificed in brutal, outdated practices, is still happening despite growing and heavy opposition and protests by compassionate Nigerians and Africans who are demanding an end to these barbaric practices,” the statement read.

The Coalition added that Togo continues to exploit tourists under the guise of Evala, where countless animals are slaughtered in the name of so-called culture.

GNA