GRAPHIC CONTENT: Mass dog killings exposed
More than one dozen dogs were inhumanely killed in a Mauritian kennel by workers of the Mauritius Society for Animal Welfare.
THE International Animal Rescue (IAR), together with PETA UK, has released shocking video footage in which government-funded Mauritius Society for Animal Welfare workers hunt down, catch, and kill a large number of dogs.
The video, which was filmed in September, reveals the inhumane treatment of the Mauritian dog population.
At the shelter in Port Louis, as many as 20 dogs are killed in full view of each other. One worker throws the dogs to the ground and stands on them to hold them in place, another administers a lethal injection through the chest in an attempt to puncture the heart. One of the dogs is seen staggering around the enclosure before it collapses. Another dog tries desperately to escape by climbing the gates and walls of the kennel.
“Anyone with a trace of humanity will find this footage unbearable to watch,” said IAR CEO, Alan Knight OBE. “It is chilling to observe the callous indifference of the dog killers towards their victims. Mauritius promotes itself as a paradise island for international holidaymakers, but it is a veritable hell on Earth for dogs.”
“This exposé shows that nothing has changed since IAR first revealed the extent of the problem in 2012. This revelation will have serious consequences for the country’s tourist industry, and the blame lies firmly at the door of the government.”
PETA UK’s director, Elisa Allen, added, “The only civilised and effective way to curb the population of stray dogs is to prevent more puppies from being born in the first place by implementing a comprehensive spay and neuter programme – which is precisely what we’re calling on the Mauritian government to do.”
Upon seeing the footage, renowned veterinarian and CEO of Worldwide Veterinary Service, Luke Gamble, said, “The worker appears to be using intra-cardiac lethal injections which involves stabbing the needle through the dog’s chest, through the rib cage, and into a contracting muscle. It is universally regarded as an extremely painful procedure.”
IAR and PETA UK have started a petition calling for the introduction of a national humane-dog management programme, an investigation into MSAW’s activities as well as its supervision by the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security, and a complete overhaul of MSAW leadership and staff.
