Shenzen Could Become First Chinese City To Ban Dog and Cat Meat
Monumental move could have a “domino effect with other cities following”.
Shenzen will be the first city in China to ban the eating of dog and cat, if a new food safety legislative proposal is approved.
The proposal focuses on banning the consumption of wildlife, with the eating of species such snakes, turtles, and bats set to become prohibited, as part of an effort to increase regulation and safety for food standards in Shenzen. The ban is part of a rapid response to the Covid-19 outbreak, which has been linked to a wildlife market in Wuhan.
But the new proposal also includes a separate specification prohibiting the consumption of dog and cat meat. Dogs and cats, rather than posing a risk of spreading Covid-19, have been singled out as “companions who must be protected”.
Peter Li, China policy expert for Humane Society International (HSI), has welcomed Shenzen’s draft proposal, and its reference to dogs and cats as companions, saying “[its] a sentiment that could have huge ramifications for the millions of dogs and cats who are stolen across China for human consumption.”
HSI estimates that 10 million dogs are killed for their meat in China every year.
Shenzen’s new proposal reflects the changing attitudes towards dog and cat meat consumption across China. A recent poll found that 69.5% of Chinese citizens have never eaten dog meat, and more than half think that the dog meat trade should be completely banned.
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