Nagaland govt urged to ban consumption of dog meat

GUWAHATI:  Dog meat is considered a delicacy in Nagaland, but the practice has not gone down well with animal rights activists all over who have been  taking exception to cruelty meted out to dogs in this respect.

FIAPO (Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations) is India’s leading animal protection body which has been constantly campaigning against the practice of consumption  dog meat in Nagaland.

The FIAPO on Thursday   submitted a fresh appeal to the Government of Nagaland to take immediate actions to implement a ban on the sale, smuggling and consumption of dog meat in the State and ensure the enforcement of stringent animal welfare laws.

“Just as the controversial Yulin Dog Meat festival in China concluded on June 30, 2020 amidst widespread global condemnation, here at home we continue to exploit dogs for meat. We are once again hit by shock and horror at recent images that have emerged from ‘animal bazaar’ markets in Dimapur where dogs are seen in terrified conditions, tied up in sacks (gunny bags), waiting at a wet market, for their illegal slaughter, trade and consumption as meat,” the FIAPO said in a communiqué.

FIAPO has been working on this issue and engaging with the Nagaland Government since 2016 and  done a number of undercover investigations on dog meat trade in the region.

“ Our findings show that Dogs are still, regularly, smuggled across from Assam into Nagaland each day, often all the way from West Bengal. In Assam ‘dog catchers’  (working for the smugglers) get about Rs. 50 for a single dog that they catch – the same dog when sold at wholesale in Nagaland costs Rs. 1000. In the streets of Nagaland dog meat sells for Rs. 200 per kg.

“In 2016 the Government of Nagaland was in process of banning dog meat, however there has been no development on that promise and the position of consuming and smuggling of dog meat continues<” the FIAPO said.