Dogs Used as Shark Bait on French Island
Live and dead dogs and cats are being used as shark bait by amateur fishers on the French-controlled island of Réunion, according to animal-welfare organizations and local authorities.
The small volcanic island off Africa’s east coast is bursting with stray dogs‚Äö√Ñ√Æupward of 150,000, says Reha Hutin, president of the Paris-based Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis (the Thirty Million Friends Foundation).
Hutin sent a film crew to R‚àö¬©union this summer to obtain proof that live animals were being used as shark bait. The goal was to expose the practice on the animal rights group’s weekly television show.