THE ASSOCIATE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
An all party group for members of both houses at Westminster formed to promote and further the cause
of animal welfare by all means available to the Parliaments at Westminster and in Europe
Chair: Eric Martlew MP; Vice Chair: Joint Vice Chair: Dr Nick Palmer MP, Rt Hon Elliot Morley MP
Joint honorary secretaries: Mike Hancock MP, Baroness Gale, Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior Treasurer: David Amess MP
Ivan Lewis MP
Minister of State
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London SWA 2AH
20th December 2009
Dear Ivan,
At a recent Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare meeting we were disturbed to hear about
the illegal dog meat trade in the Philippines which continues despite legislation, owing to a lack of
enforcement and recognition of the problem by the Government.
This issue was brought to our attention by Network for Animals (NfA), a UK based animal welfare NGO
that has been campaigning on this issue for many years in the Philippines. According to reports from NFA,
the illegal trade is conducted in a manner that causes great suffering to the dogs. Traders typically steal
companion dogs and round up stray dogs. Traders often force a can over the dogs' muzzles and tie their
front legs behind their backs, and leave dogs in this condition for days in the blazing sun, without food or
water, while they accumulate enough animals to fill their trucks. They cram the dogs into cages so tightly
that they can barely breathe, and often half the dogs die en route to slaughterhouses, where the traders
club the surviving dogs or cut their throats while they are conscious. This is a barbaric practice which, if
more people were aware of it, would certainly have the ability to negatively affect tourism in the country.
We appreciate that the Filipino government has taken steps to curb the dog meat trade and congratulate
them for enacting the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, and more recently, the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, which
went into effect on July 27, 2008. By substantially increasing the penalties on the illegal trade in dog meat,
the law should protect the Philippine public from rabies transmission, and dogs from the cruelty of a
black-market trade. We believe that, if the Anti-Rabies Act is vigorously enforced, the increased fines will
render this cruel and unhygienic trade uneconomical and eradicate it in the Philippines. However, the
need for better enforcement of their laws must be recognised and the Government must not let their laws
be flouted. There are examples of markets selling dog meat only feet away from police stations which
demonstrates just how little it is enforced.
Both APGAW and NfA would be most grateful if you could apply pressure to the Filipino Government to
enforce their law and stop this horrific trade in sentient creatures. By realising that the international
community is aware that they are not enforcing their laws it may be exactly what is needed to result in
action.
I look forward to receiving your thoughts on this matter and whether you are able to assist.
Best wishes,
Eric Martlew MP
Administrative secretary: Marisa Heath, c/o Office of Eric Martlew MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Tel: 07736 899547 Email: admin@apgaw.org
www.apgaw.org
THE ASSOCIATE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
An all party group for members of both houses at Westminster formed to promote and further the cause
of animal welfare by all means available to the Parliaments at Westminster and in Europe
Chair: Eric Martlew MP; Vice Chair: Joint Vice Chair: Dr Nick Palmer MP, Rt Hon Elliot Morley MP
Joint honorary secretaries: Mike Hancock MP, Baroness Gale, Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior Treasurer: David Amess MP
Administrative secretary: Marisa Heath, c/o Office of Eric Martlew MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Tel: 07736 899547 Email: admin@apgaw.org
www.apgaw.org