Dog Farming For Table Meat Warning Unheeded

Rt Hon Winston Peters says it is outrageous that the Government failed to heed his warnings three years ago that dogs were being farmed for meat in New Zealand.

He was commenting on a Korean born man appearing in the Pukekohe District Court today on charges relating to alleged animal cruelty on a property at Waiuku.

Mr Peters said that his warning in May 2000 related to dogs being farmed and killed for human consumption overseas, but there had been such an explosion of Asian immigration that the demand now existed in New Zealand.

“It is feared in animal welfare quarters that the local market has reached the point where hundreds of dogs have been killed for consumption in the Auckland region.

“The method of killing is cruel and barbaric to make the animal suffer. Those unscrupulous individuals involved regard that as a way of enhancing the aphrodisiac quality of the meat.“

Mr Peters said it had become increasingly obvious that some immigrants were bringing their less appealing customs with them and they had to learn that New Zealand was not safe haven for barbaric activity.

“New Zealand is a nation of dog lovers. Dogs in the main are farmers’ workmates and peoples’ friends. They offer security and companionship to a lot of people and they should be protected from cruel exploitation,” he said.

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