Dogs Slaughtered In Ukraine For Euro 2012

For Immediate Release:
30 November 2011

Contact:
Elisa Allen +44 (0) 207 357 9229, ext 227; [email protected]

London – A team of investigators from PETA Germany has just returned from Ukraine with shocking images of the country’s attempts to rid the city streets of dogs and cats in preparation for hosting the Euro 2012 Football Championship.

“In an apparent effort to present the world with a glamorous image of its country during the June tournament, thousands of animals are being slaughtered by order of Ukrainian authorities”, says PETA Manager Mimi Bekhechi. “These mass killings are directly related to Ukraine’s hosting the Euro 2012.”

Homeless animals are caught, shot, poisoned and even burned alive. Municipal garbage collectors and so-called “street-cleaning squads” are killing animals on the spot or trapping them cruelly.

According to Ukrainian animal rights activists, the country uses a curare-like poison named ditilin in its mass killings. Ditilin leads to irreversible paralysis of the muscles, preventing the animals from escaping and causing them a prolonged and agonising death.

In the town of Donetsk – where a new football stadium has been built at the cost of millions of euros – PETA Germany discovered mass dog graves. The government is paying dog catchers nearly 40 euros for each “disposed” dog – dead or alive – so dog-killing in Ukraine is now a profitable business.

It is estimated that during the past year some 15,000 to 20,000 animals have been killed in Kiev alone.