I like anthropomorphic animals as much as anyone. In fact, it was this image, and this image alone, that turned me on to this article:
So has medicine in China really gone to the dogs? Read on and find out.
It turns out an organization is bringing dogs into hospitals in an effort to improve the image of canines and promote them as friendly companions, not tasty meals. Seriously.
Meet China’s “Dr. Dogs.” These three – a golden retriever, a shih-tzu, and a Chinese toy mix – are just some of the more than 300 “canine consultants” from Asia Animals Foundation (AAF), an animal-welfare charity based in Hong Kong. They’re practicing “animal therapy” – the theory that pet companionship can improve a patient’s mental well-being, which, in turn, promotes healing.In a country where dogs are more likely to end up on a dinner plate than in a living room – much less a hospital – AAF is helping raise awareness of the plight of pooches everywhere, and bringing comfort and healing in the process.
“I just love life,” says Yu Shu Jun, a patient here. “Whenever I see dogs, or any living creature, it makes me so happy.”
While animal therapy is common in the United States and Europe, it’s a relatively new phenomenon here. Dr. Dogs, which rescues dozens of stray dogs from animal markets and helps pet owners train their pups to participate, is one of the first of its kind in China and the largest animal- therapy program here.
The dogs move from room to room, pausing at the bedsides of those who want to see them for 10 or 15 minutes, sometimes sitting on a patient’s chest to visit. Dr. Dollar, the golden retriever, shakes hands on command. The animals are required to pass a strict test before entering the medical corps. Primarily, they can’t have any tendency toward biting.
AAF plans to expand the program across China and has made inroads in an orphanage in Chengdu. But this remains a tough task in a country where dogs have been part of the cuisine for 2,000 years. The foundation estimates that 18 million dogs are eaten every year in China. Most large restaurants offer a dog dish or two, and nationwide, dog meat is as easy to find in any big restaurant as a hamburger is in the United States.
Ironically, as wealth grows, China’s appetite for dog meat is gaining at the same time as pet ownership increases, says Jill Robinson, the Briton who started AAF. The foundation began dog therapy as part of its campaign to educate Chinese people about the benefits of dogs and cats as companions, calling the endeavor “Friends, not Food.”
While overall ownership numbers are hard to come by, state-run media report the number is rising steadily as cities relax high licensing fees and ownership rules. In the capital, Beijing, pet owners have more than 1 million dogs and there are probably at least that many in Shanghai, according to government statistics.
Maybe it’s a mainland thing, or maybe I’m just lucky that I couldn’t read the menu, but I didn’t see any dogs on the menu when I was in Hong Kong and Macau. Come to think of it, I didn’t see many dogs, either. I hope that ox tail soup I was so impressed with didn’t have anything to do with dogs. If it does, I can see why they’re so popular.
I don’t have any big point to make here, I just liked the picture of the dog doctor.