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Following is an important perspective on the work being done by Thai animal welfare groups towards stopping the illegal dog meat trade…

Further to comments received from foreigners, we would like to clarify some matters so that people have more understanding about the illegal dog meat trade in Thailand, the opinion of Thai people in relation to the trade and the circumstances surrounding trade.

The dog meat trade is controlled by small but highly organized and dangerous criminal elements. The vast majority of Thai people are against the trade and are abhorred at the thought of eating dog meat. The majority of the trade occurs between the criminal gangs and buyers in Vietnam.

The majority of people working to stop the trade are Thai nationals. They have been trying very hard to stop the trade and help the poor dogs being transported to other neighboring countries where dog meat is popular. Dog meat consumption in Thailand itself is very uncommon though it does occur in some remoter areas under the mistaken belief that there are health benefits from dog meat (in fact the opposite is true). Educational programs are required to increase awareness that consuming dog meat does not help to improve health in any regards. People working for the smugglers also need support in finding alternative employment.

Many Thai people are helping to end the illegal dog meat trade by lobbying for the strengthening of existing legislation and for more active enforcement of existing laws. We do need cooperation from the government in order to bring an end to the trade. As you know, dealing with the government needs a lot of connections, time and efforts. While progress is being made in these regards it is of course a gradual process. For the time being, what we can do best is to save the poor dog�s lives as well as bringing smugglers to justice with the kind support of local government and law enforcement officials.

We would like to request that you not condemn the people of Thailand nor the Kingdom of Thailand due to the action of criminals. In fact this is counterproductive and only harms efforts to bring the dog meat trade to an end. It is far better to help us bring this issue to our government and urge them to strengthen animal right laws and facilitate the enforcement of these laws. Thank you very much.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=218570514952796&set=a.124412581035257.24485.124189107724271&type=1

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Soi Dog Foundation

Established in 2003 in Phuket, Thailand, Soi Dog is Southeast Asia's largest organisation helping stray animals. The Gill Dalley sanctuary in Phuket is home to over 1,600 animals. Soi Dog also has a treatment facility in Bangkok and responds to crisis situations throughout Thailand. The organisation is dedicated to implementing effective, sustainable solutions that reduce the suffering of dogs and cats in Asia, runs entirely on donations and works efficiently so all donations are used to help animals as effectively as possible.

The foundation is a registered not-for-profit organisation in Thailand, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, France and Holland. It has a maximum 4-star rating with Charity Navigator, the largest and most-utilised independent non-profit evaluator in the United States, a platinum seal of transparency from Candid, the world’s largest source of non-profit information, a Top Rated award from Greatnonprofits and the Travelers’ Choice award from Tripadvisor.

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