The Leather on Those Golf Gloves Might Come From a Stolen Pet in Thailand

[Jonathan Fairfield]

The Leather on Those Golf Gloves Might Come From a Stolen Pet in Thailand

Bloomberg Business Week

Bruce Einhorn

Photo: STR/Corbis

Police in northeastern Thailand made a grisly discovery last week. Abandoned in a forest near the border with Laos were hundreds of dog skins alongside a pile of dog bones.They were probably left by smugglers who wanted to take them through Laos and then on to Vietnam or China. In those countries, demand for dog parts for consumption in restaurants is strong.

Not just the dog meat is prized. Factories use leather from dog skin for use in everything from drums to guitars, says John Dalley, co-founder and vice-president of the Soi Dog Foundation, a nongovernmental organization in Thailand devoted to canine welfare. Manufacturers of golf gloves also prize dog leather, Dalley adds, especially from the skin of the testicles of male dogs “because that skin is particularly soft.” (Alibaba.com, the business-to-business website owned by Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba, has lots of listings for gloves made from dogs.)

Dalley, an Englishman who retired to the Thai island of Phuket a decade ago, is optimistic that governments in Southeast Asia are finally taking effective action to crack down on the widespread illegal business. Last year, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to stop the trade in live dogs for use in the dog-meat industry in Vietnam. And in February, the Vietnamese government pledged to inspect border crossings more closely to stop traders from taking dogs into the country. The measures are having an impact. While some half-a-million dogs a year were probably transported in 2011, he says, now “the numbers are well down.”

Still, as the March 25 discovery of abandoned dog skins shows, a lot of work remains to be done. Dog smugglers might be trying to outsmart the authorities by switching away from live dogs and focusing on frozen dog meat, says Dalley, who founded Soi Dog Foundation with his wife, Gill, after moving to Phuket in 2003.

And while the Vietnamese government may be trying harder to prevent smugglers from crossing the border between Vietnam and Laos. Traders have plenty of resources to bribe officials. “The smugglers are paying huge amounts of money to authorities to turn the other way,” says Dalley.

Thailand has a large population of stray dogs wandering the streets of major towns and cities, but most of those captured for meat or pelts are stolen from pet owners or temples. “Stray dogs are extremely difficult to catch,” explains Dalley. “It’s far easier to catch pet dogs or unwanted service dogs.” The illegal trade is based on “extreme cruelty from start to finish,” he adds. “We see over 100 dogs stuffed into cages in the back of pickup trucks. Lots of dogs are skinned alive. It’s a horrendous industry with absolutely no regulation.”

Read the full story here

[Jonathan Fairfield]

In the ruff? How pets are being stolen in Thailand to fuel growing demand for leather golf gloves made from dog testicles

By Sara Malm

Daily Mail

Pet owners in Thailand are being told to keep a close eye on their four-legged friends after hundreds of dog remains were found near the border of Laos.

It is thought the dog remains, made up of hundreds of skins and bones which had been abandoned in a forest in Sakon Nakhon, northeastern Thailand, were destined for Vietnam and China.

There, dog meat is considered a delicacy, but is also used to make leather products – in particular golf gloves made from canine testicles.

‘The skins would be bleached - some are then sent (by smugglers) to other countries to be made into gloves for playing golf,’ Lamai Sakolpitak, from a special police unit to suppress smuggling and the trade in animal parts, told AFP.

'Experts say that dog skins are also used for instruments such as drums.’

Mr Lamai said the find is linked to the March raids on two makeshift factories in the area where smugglers would strip skin from dogs and preserve the meat.

Dog skin is highly sought after by manufacturers of golf gloves, predominantly the skin from the testicles as it is particularly soft, John Dalley, co-founder and vice-president of Thai dog welfare organisation Soi Dog Foundation

Although there are thousands of stray dogs in Thailand’s many large cities, smugglers prefer domestic pets as they are easier to catch, Mr Dalley says.

‘Stray dogs are extremely difficult to catch. It’s far easier to catch pet dogs or unwanted service dogs,’ he says, adding that the illegal dog trade is extremely cruel.

Mr Dalley, who has lived in Thailand for over a decade, says dogs are often packed into cages before being dragged out and skinned alive.

Local campaign group Watchdog Thailand confirmed that dog skin is used for golf gloves, hats and wallets and that smugglers will offer to pay around $10 for a live dog, including pets and strays.

Source: Daily Mail

[tomyummer]

This is why I only use synthetic gloves. God forbid I have my dog's balls in my hand while teeing off!

[JeremyBowskill]

will it improve my game?

[Artisi]

Well at least they might have found a use for all the diseased and useless soi dogs found everywhere throughout Thailand and with half the world starving and what must be a massive demand for golf gloves - seems they are onto a winning solution.

Next they should start on eradicating the breeders who flood the market with "cute" little puppies and the owners who buy them only to be released onto the streets when no longer "cute and cuddly".

Dog lovers and do-gooders - no response necessary.

[Pib]

A couple of very inhumane responses above.

[Soupdragon]

So when my mate said "These gloves are the dogs pods" he wasn't joking.

[HeavyDrinker]

This is why my missus won't let Graham out of her sight for a minute. He's out in the garden at the moment pottering about, burying a turd (I think) and she's in and out every two minutes checking on him, but I'd like to see anyone hop over our fence and risk a 7 inch spike in the sac or through the gut....

If anyone comes to try and nab him we'd know about it. He barks like mad at anyone, even the neighbours and he knows them.

[Jimi007]

I guess a good reason to get your dog neutered. But they also steal them for meat to sell up north, Laos, Vietnam. My dog looks a lot like many those dogs. She kills cobras and most anything else. Very protective! She's micro chipped and currently in the USA along with me and my wife. People here have bumper stickers that read: "I love my dog and I vote!" Quite a different mindset to our neighborhood in Rawai, Phuket… Back in June.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Jimi007

[worgeordie]

Yes,I think golfers have a lot to answer for.

regards Worgeordie

[Lammbock]

You know what they are saying: Who plays Golf does not have Sex anymore. ^^

[Jimi007]

You know what they are saying: Who plays Golf does not have Sex anymore. ^^

LOL! I started playing golf at about 8, now fifty-eight, and a lot of sex in between!

[jpeg]

A couple of very inhumane responses above.

But typical of at least half the posters on this forum. What MEN they are.

[Thai at Heart]

I thought this was an old wives tale. Seems not.

[JeremyBowskill]

A couple of very inhumane responses above.

With all the real suffering in the world, you really expect most people to care all that much? If you feel so strongly about it go protest! Personally I fail to see the difference between gloves from other leather sources or dog, in fact if the meat were in the supermarket all nicely wrapped and cut up I for 1 would eat it. Different countries eat different things, Thais for example would be horrified to see rabbit in a butchers in the UK.

Jpeg, have a word with yourself not every post is serious.

Edited April 4, 2014 by JeremyBowskill

[MMarlow]

Well at least they might have found a use for all the diseased and useless soi dogs found everywhere throughout Thailand and with half the world starving and what must be a massive demand for golf gloves - seems they are onto a winning solution.

Next they should start on eradicating the breeders who flood the market with "cute" little puppies and the owners who buy them only to be released onto the streets when no longer "cute and cuddly".

Dog lovers and do-gooders - no response necessary.

They haven't found a use for them at all, that's what the report is all about. They can't catch strays easily.

[Prbkk]

I feel sick..

[MMarlow]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

You know what they are saying: Who plays Golf does not have Sex anymore. ^^

You know what they are saying: Who plays Golf does not have Sex anymore. ^^

LOL! I started playing golf at about 8, now fifty-eight, and a lot of sex in between!

The only sex golfers have is banging 7 bells out of a green.

[mrtoad]

Yes,I think golfers have a lot to answer for.

regards Worgeordie

Do Golfers lick their balls as well?

[Why ask]

This really is a bit off, when taken seriously. It's awful barbaric practice, and nothing to be laughed at.

[Kalbo]

This really is a bit off, when taken seriously. It's awful barbaric practice, and nothing to be laughed at.

In all honesty, is there a difference between skinning dogs for their hides, or skinning cows or pigs or snakes or even crocodiles for their respective hides ?

Why is one barbaric and not the other ?

[Nickymaster]

A couple of very inhumane responses above.

Yes. A lot of sickos around.

[EBlair48]

Thailand also has a cat fur industry, especially white long- haired cats. It's used in toys and apparel.

I have stopped eating meat, the ethics of the cruelty involved for one, and the environmental impact raising a kilo of beef has. People are starving and we are giving cows corn so already overweight people can enjoy a steak.

[doremifasol]

I am at loss for words.

[Why ask]

This really is a bit off, when taken seriously. It's awful barbaric practice, and nothing to be laughed at.

In all honesty, is there a difference between skinning dogs for their hides, or skinning cows or pigs or snakes or even crocodiles for their respective hides ?

Why is one barbaric and not the other ?

Maybe you might take a look at the way it's done?

[EBlair48]

This really is a bit off, when taken seriously. It's awful barbaric practice, and nothing to be laughed at.

In all honesty, is there a difference between skinning dogs for their hides, or skinning cows or pigs or snakes or even crocodiles for their respective hides ?

Why is one barbaric and not the other ?

(Adding to my above post - I no longer buy leather, either.)

Skinning a dog alive so the meat is tenderer ( allegedly) is a quite bit crueler than an animal executed with a bolt gun before slaughter.

The fashion industry also contributes to use of leather - women's purses are extra large these days for a reason, and the trendy bootie shoes-even summer sandals have lots of leather up the ankle all about creating a greater demand for leather.

Edited April 4, 2014 by EBlair48

[Bakseeda]

This is why my missus won't let Graham out of her sight for a minute. He's out in the garden at the moment pottering about, burying a turd (I think) and she's in and out every two minutes checking on him, but I'd like to see anyone hop over our fence and risk a 7 inch spike in the sac or through the gut....

If anyone comes to try and nab him we'd know about it. He barks like mad at anyone, even the neighbours and he knows them.

Bleedin "Graham" is this a dog you are talking about or your wifes lover.... get a life... and take those socks off his front paws..!

[Thailand]

will it improve my game?

Perhaps on a dog leg left?

[BuddhaChile]

This is why my missus won't let Graham out of her sight for a minute. He's out in the garden at the moment pottering about, burying a turd (I think) and she's in and out every two minutes checking on him, but I'd like to see anyone hop over our fence and risk a 7 inch spike in the sac or through the gut....

If anyone comes to try and nab him we'd know about it. He barks like mad at anyone, even the neighbours and he knows them.

< He's out in the garden at the moment pottering about, burying a turd (I think)

Your dog buries his turds? Wow, there's a keeper!

[BigRick]

One less future barking golf glove in my neighborhood the better. Take the whole lot. The lady next door has abandoned multiple dogs to the streets after they are no longer puppies. They bark late night and kill our neighbors chickens.