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In 2011 it is expected that around 58,000 German people will travel to the Philippines for their holidays, so Network for Animals saw the ITB conference as a key opportunity to raise awareness about the dog meat trade in the Philippines and show how the tourism industry can play an influential role in encouraging the Philippines government to enforce their laws against the dog meat trade. 

Our group of 12 activists set up a small demonstration with a “victim of the dog meat trade” – in this case a volunteer dressed as a dog with the typical can tied around its mouth and front legs bound behind its back – lying on the ground outside the main entrance of the building.  We hoped that this scene would create a strong visual image of how dogs are treated during their journey to slaughter.  The rest of the group wore T-shirts and held balloons reading; “Dogs are our friends, not our food!”  They also had placards featuring the terrible images we have captured of mistreated dogs with the slogan: “Say no to holidays in the Philippines until the dog meat trade comes to an end”.

Overall our demonstration had a positive impact.  Curious passers by stopped to ask what we were demonstrating about and a number of media outlets ranging from national newspapers to tourism industry press snapped pictures of our activists and expressed an interest in our work.  The response to our demonstration, both from people who stopped to ask questions and those following us on social networks, was ultimately an uplifting one.  We hope that by doing this event and similar demonstrations in the future we will continue to gain international support for this important cause and ultimately pressure the Philippines into eradicating the dog meat trade for good.