A Friend Turns Food

Animal Welfare Activists are up in arms against a restaurant that allegedly serves dog meat.

The Animal Welfare Activists could hardly believe their ears.While they were discussing Animal Welfare, somebody was probably relishing roasted dog meat a few miles away.If what they had heard was true that a restaurant in the city was selling dog meat , they had an assignment on hand.In that event , the dogs allegedly kept there for slaughter had ot be rescued before they were fried and served on plates.

"First of all we had to verify whether the restaurant in question really served canine meat" syas Gauhar Azeez, an activist of the Bharathiya Prani Mitra Sangh .Gauhar along with Vani Doraisamy, a freelance journalist who first smelt the story , decided to visit the restaurant , posing as representatives of a travel agency.

On February 28, the two women went to the restaurant and met the boss, a korean , and placed an order for dog meat.He was told that a delegation from Singapore was visiting the city.

"There are about hundred of them coming.They have a preference for dog meat and deer meat .So if you can serve us dog meat, we will be happy."

They were told the dogs were procured from the villages."He said he did not like the dogs from Chennai since they had skin diseases," says Gauhar.Many gruesome details were gathered.The women got to know how the dogs were killed and how the meat was prepared.The entire conversation was taped.

The women told the man that they would come back on March 2, to see the dog and satisfy themselves before they placed the order. "You taste (the meat) and then you order," he replied.

On March 2, they returned, but this time with a video camera.The camcorder was concealed inside the handbag of Sumathi (name changed), a copywrite in an advertising firm.And the camera started whirring right from the moment they entered the restaurant.

Sumathi says she hasn't done anything like this before ."I did it since I love dogs so muchI could not bear to see them harmed.Initially I was pretty nervous but I kept my cool.I had told a friend of mine to call me on the mobile just in case something went wrong," she says.

"It is unbelievable that anybody could kill the dogs for meat.The dog is such a friendly animal.It is a cruel act,"rues Vasanthi Rajiv, an animal activist."The restaurant does not have a Police Licence.They have also violated Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals," adds Chinni Krishna, Vice-Chairman, Blue Cross of India.

The animal welfare activists have registered a comlpaint with police against the hotel.Police investigations are on.

• From a garbage dump to an exotic park
  
• Tidal Tragedy
  
• Animal Sacrifice
  
• Are we civilized
  
• A Friend Turns Food
  
• People Against Leather