Eurovision Howler: a small houndish plea to boycott Eurovision!

15 May 09

It has been reported widely in the Press that dog-catchers (ahem! euphemism alert!) are on a mission to ‘remove’ (errr.. by poisoning and other methods) over 30,000 stray dogs in Moscow, in preparation for tomorrow night’s Eurovision finals.

The plan to execute thousands of stray dogs is part of a plan to ‘clean-up’ Moscow before it hosts the 54th Eurovision Song Contest tomorrow night.

Animal activists are barking mad about it. When challenged, Eurovision organisers have said they were not involved in the plan. A spokesperson for the Moscow mayor’s office has said that dog-catchers had been ordered to be more ‘active’ in preparation for the arrival of so many international visitors to the city.

It is expected that 5,000 foreigners will descend on Moscow for the event. A number which is absolutely dwarfed by the more than 20,000 police officers being mobilised for the show. The Inteior Minister has confirmed that Russia’s security forces, including former KGB, are on full alert during the singing fiasco.

Seems the plan has backfired, and drawn attention to the lamentable plight of Moscow’s estimated 30,000 stray dogs. That’s a lot of houndishness! Numbers such as that of abandoned dogs should shame the pride of any city worth its salt!!

City officials have also denied that humans that are homeless have been removed from the city before the event (as the Soviety authorities had done during the 1980 Olympics).

Protesters have hit the streets, with signs and placards that read: ‘Murder in the Name of Eurovision’, ‘A city without Dogs is Music Without Notes’ and ‘Eurovision - Defend Animals from Cruelty!’

Local animal rights campaigner Yelena Nadyozhkina claimed dogs were being beaten to death or choked with poison. Neither of which is a good end for the four-pawed.

Ecology for Human Rights, an animal activist group in Moscow, claims to have received more than 50 letters of complaint.

In response to the outcry, senior dog-catcher Mikhail Dolbnya denied inhumane methods and insisted his team saved people from being bitten by wild dogs. (Surely there’s a difference between a ‘wild’ dog and a ’stray’ - read: abandoned - dog?)

So come on. Do your little bit. Bark about it. And boycott the show.

Gggrrwooof! Archie