Letter addressed to:
Mr. Du Jiahao
Party Secretary of Hunan Provincial
Communist Party Committee,
Hunan Provincial Committee of Communist Party Committee,
1 North Shaoshan Road, Furong District,
Changsha, Hunan Province,
The People’s Republic of China
湖南省委书记杜家毫先生
中国共产党湖南省委
中国湖南省长沙市芙蓉区韶山北路1号
3rd February 2018
2018年2月3日
Dear Mr. Du Jiahao, Party Secretary of Hunan Provincial Communist Party Committee,
尊敬的杜家毫书记，
首先，提前给您拜年。祝您在新的一年，领导湖南省取得更大的成就。
We are writing on behalf of the Asia for Animals Coalition, representing international animal welfare and conservation organisations. We express our deep concerns with regards to the recent actions of Changsha police officer who on 31st December 2017 was filmed and photographed repeatedly beating and bludgeoning to death a golden retriever dog who was chained up outside a building. We collectively express our strongest condemnation of this display of abhorrent cruelty by a law enforcement officer, and call for urgent action to be taken to ensure that China’s authorities nationwide are fully and properly trained in global best practice humane dog handling techniques and protocols so that appalling cruelty such as this will never happen again.
我们代表亚洲动物联盟及支持联盟的国际动物福利和动物保护组织向您致函，对2017年12月31日某位长沙市警官被拍摄到不断用棍棒殴打一只被拴在某大厦外面的金毛犬并致其死亡的事件表示深切的关注。一位执法人员在公开场合对一个已无危险的犬只做出如此过激的举动，实在是令人痛心，我们对此表示最强烈的关注，并呼吁中国各地执法人员得到全面和正确的人道对待犬只技术和规范的操作培训，以避免类似事件的再次发生。
The Asia for Animals coalition shares the position of millions of people in China and around the world in condemning such brutal and inappropriate police treatment of this dog, not least because the animal was chained up and therefore posed no immediate danger to the public, and because the violent episode took place in a public space.
亚洲动物联盟与中国和世界各地成千上万的人都认为该警官对待这只狗的施暴过度。首先，这只狗是被拴着的，不可能对公众构成直接威胁。再者，在公共场所对其暴杀，也是不适宜的、会对旁观者尤其是儿童造成心理伤害。
Urban animal management is a highly professional and skilled discipline, and we encourage Changsha, and other cities throughout China, to look at the progress of those such as Dalian, Nanjing, Zhuzhou and others where public dog culls have become history, and where so-called “problem” dogs are handled professionally, humanely and in accordance with established protocols. We understand there are some as yet unsubstantiated claims that the dog in Changsha may have bitten some people. However, that in no way justifies the brutal and sustained attack that this poor animal endured.
城市动物管理是一门具有高度专业和技巧要求的学科，我们鼓励长沙以及中国的其他城市向大连、南京、株洲等城市学习，让当街捕杀犬只成为历史，用专业、人道和符合规范的方式来处理所谓的“问题”狗。我们知道未经证实的说法称长沙的这只狗咬了人，但这不是它受到暴杀的正当理由。
As a coalition, we have always supported China’s actions to improve and modernize animal management practices, but on this occasion, the police officer’s action was completely unacceptable. This action has hurt not just the reputation of the local law enforcement agency, but also that of China nationally.
亚洲动物联盟一贯支持中国在动物管理方面取得的进步和采取的现代举措。 但是这一次，这位警官的做法难于服人。他的行为不仅损害了当地执法机构的名声，更损害了中国的国家形象。
As a country with a rapidly growing pet-owning population, and growing awareness of – and concern for – animal welfare, we encourage humane and holistic approaches to companion animal management.
中国的养宠人群在迅速壮大，人们对动物福利的意识和关注度也越来越强，我们希望中国能够在伴侣动物管理方面采取更加人道和顾全大局的做法。
Collectively, our animal protection group members have extensive experience and expertise in urban animal management, and we are committed to offering assistance to the Changsha Police Department in its efforts to improve and develop animal management protocols in line with society’s needs.
我们这个联盟内的动物保护组织在城市动物管理方面都有丰富的经验和专业知识。我们愿意向长沙市公安部门提供帮助，以助其改进和采纳符合现代社会需要的动物管理模式。
We look forward to hearing your response regarding this urgent matter.
事出紧急，我们期待能尽快收到您的回复。此致
敬礼！
Sent on behalf of the following organisations:
此函由以下组织联名发出：
- Animal Guardians 动物守护神 （美国）
- Animal People 动物人（美国）
- ACRES 新加坡关心动物研究与教育协会
- Blue Cross of India 印度蓝十字协会
- Born Free Foundation 生而自由基金会 (英国)
- Change for Animals Foundation 为动物改变基金会 （新加坡）
- Elephant Aid International 国家大象救助组织
- Humane Society International 国际人道对待动物协会 （美国）
- International Animal Rescue 国际动物救援组织
- Jane Goodall Institute Nepal 珍·古道尔研究会尼泊尔中心
- Philippine Animal Welfare Society 菲律宾动物福利协会
- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Sarawak, Malaysia 马来西亚砂拉越州防止虐待动物学会
Featured image: Chained dog in China. Credit Tauno Tõhk / 陶诺, used under CC BY-SA 2.0
