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September 15, 2007

Eating Pets in Socialist Utopia

PETA fanatics may want to rethink their leftist inclinations, in light of the latest news from the socialist paradise in Zimbabwe:

Pets are being slaughtered for meat in shortage-stricken Zimbabwe and record numbers of animals have been surrendered to shelters or abandoned by owners no longer able to feed them, animal welfare activists say.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [SPCA] said it could not feed surrendered animals or find them new homes and was being forced to kill them and destroy the corpses.

Animals, like people, are being hard hit by Zimbabwe's economic meltdown, with official inflation of more than 7,600 percent, the highest in the world. Independent estimates put real inflation closer to 25,000 percent and the International Monetary Fund has forecast it will reach 100,000 percent by the end of the year.

Vets have run out of drugs to put dogs down with. But a lot of people are killing their own dogs — and then eating them. Mystery meat sold on the black market in plastic bags of 22 pounds or more contains bone, fat, and offal, but no indication of where the meat came from. Hopefully it's from dogs and not people.

The SPCA has launched an awareness campaign on "the ethical and moral issues regarding the killing and consumption of trusted companion animals." A worldwide campaign to inform people of the horrors of socialism would be more constructive. In Zimbabwe, speaking out even on behalf of dogs can get you in trouble:

Animal activists say they have been threatened with arrest for speaking out and SPCA offices were raided by secret police agents of the Central Intelligence Organization on Thursday. SPCA inspectors said they were ordered not to release details of surrendered, abandoned, slain or eaten pets.

A government that disregards property rights isn't likely to worry about the rights of dogs:

Mugabe's critics say corruption and his stewardship of the economy have led to the crisis. They point to the often-violent, government seizures of thousands of white-owned commercial farms that began in 2000 and disrupted the agriculture-based economy in what was once a regional breadbasket.

At least Mugabe stuck it good to Whitey. If they ever manage to drive him out of Zimbabwe, he'll be a shoo-in for Mayor of Detroit.

On a tip from Mike.

Posted by Van Helsing at September 15, 2007 10:00 AM

Comments

Posted by: Corona at September 15, 2007 5:56 PM