For Action on Animals - ref: James' post MORE LINKS, CHINA

**Catty1** · 11-25-2007, 03:51 PM

Hi, Folks:

The point here wasn't necessarily to sign the petition, though that is a great thing, but to encourage these two groups to focus on China's treatment of animals and pets in particular.

With the Beijing Olympics less than a year away, I emailed AVAAZ (below) to please campaign against the animal cruelty - the Olympics could be good leverage.

Care2 has a good petition - please see - and I will email them as well. Pass these links on ASAP and nudge a campaign!

http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=457

http://www.care2.com

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takea...9?z00m=9457674

www.avaaz.org

ASIAN ANIMAL PROTECTION NETWORK: Scroll down here and you will see all sorts of links for China and cities within it. The links will take you to largely Chinese language sites (I didn't check them all), but there are groups there that can be supported.

China is HUGE and with so many people...the IFAW might know who the best are to support. http://www.aapn.org/links.html

CHINA: http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/def...spx?oid=133164
http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/News/Top/t634987.htm

But animal rights groups say the attitudes of average Chinese are quickly changing.

Driving the shift, animal rights groups say, are economic, social, and cultural factors that suggest how quickly China is adapting to global sensibilities. ''As people's lifestyles have improved, they've become more and more sensitive toward animals," said Wang Shi, secretary general of the Chinese Culture Promotion Society, a government-linked civic group.

New social structures also have heightened respect for the birds and the beasts. As growing numbers of people move from the countryside into urban apartments, the average family size is declining and the number of people living alone is rising.

This has spurred pet ownership as animals take on the role of companions. Beijing officials got a taste of the new attitude when they sought to discourage pet ownership through high license fees in 1995, a policy that was largely reversed under pressure from outspoken residents.

Activists and sociologists point out that harsh treatment of animals is not a Chinese tradition, at least not an old one. Rural culture has for centuries respected animals, which are seen as an important part of local life, the economy, and people's hopes for success.

During the years following China's 1949 Communist revolution, however, when famines swept the country, and later, as the Cultural Revolution spread social upheaval, there was little worrying about much beyond human survival.