Dogs -- Needing a Different Kind Of Rescue

Next time you shop for a jacket or coat, please take a moment to check the "fur" that may adorn the garment. If it is synthetic, you will see stitching and cloth material under the fur. When clothing is decorated with fur, it may be dog fur not labeled as such, (now often found in U.S. stores that receive goods from China) – fur that is brutally cut from the backs of dogs in China, where cages upon cages are stacked, crammed with these unfortunate dogs who are fearfully awaiting their fate. When inspecting a fur-trimmed clothing item, look at where the fur enters the fabric. Part the fur with your fingers ... if you see and feel skin beneath the fur, you will be able to tell that it is not synthetic material.

Another sad issue is that dogs in parts of Asia are killed via very inhumane means and sold in dog meat markets. I’m thinking now of Korea, where a segment of the male population erroneously believes that the meat of dogs who die violently will provide the human diner with hormones that will be an aphrodisiac. Two Korean sisters who work diligently to educate and legislate to close the dog meat markets in their country report that many Koreans are horrified by this practice and that it is not a traditional part of their culture. These two women established International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA), an organization that also rescues dogs from the markets and finds them adoptive, loving homes. Their website is at www.koreananimals.org.