It can happen in seconds but they are gone forever

Playing in the garden
with Mei li and her brother
the ball is kicked over the fence
and the dog goes to retrieve
just at that moment
a truck stops
then off they go
with the little afghan hound
who screamed yes she
screamed so

that hook clasping her throat
has already torn into her skin
now caged and rumbling off
down the dusty road they go
the children looking for their ball
and of course their dog is gone
a second or so ago

it had been playing
but now it
was going off to hell
on earth, with its neck
already split
flies already buzzing
the taste of blood will draw
every fly in Thailand
knocking at the door

and this scenario is now
repeated up and down
the streets and everywhere
around the busy town
these gangs are paid on piece work
its savage and its cruel, it has to be
but its just cash for the trappers
money for illicit sex or booze
that’s all they see

Dog meat traders and exporters
they are filthy rich
dealing in this live dog trade
its all about the pitch
some dogs die, and no one cares
its fresh meat that’s the draw
and Vietnam pays handsomely for pet dogs
and whatsmore

they reckon it is healthy, fragrant and the rest
they pay a lot of money
for they thinks it tastes the best
and so the markets growing
and really we must STOP
the way to do it Don’t go
there on holiday
the CHOP
will come, hotels if empty, will
pressurize the trade
we have to apply pressure
now or memories will fade
too quickly when it comes
to killing innocent dogs
so we
must keep the pressure up
and let them really begin to see
we mean business
and this trade has got to stop
for sure
“GOU ROU” we must never see
on any restaurant door

Gou rou is pinyin for dog meat in Mandarin