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Shenzhen Becomes First Chinese City to Ban Eating Cats and Dogs

Source: GreenQueen.com.hk

From 1 May the Chinese city of Shenzhen will outlaw the eating of cats and dogs as part of a wider clampdown on the wildlife trade since the emergence of the novel coronavirus.

Shenzhen Bans Eating Cats and Dogs

The Chinese city of Shenzhen announced last Thursday that it is banning the eating of dogs and cats in the wake of the coronavirus, which is believed to have stemmed from the wildlife trade. The new ordinance will start on 1 May, and makes Shenzhen the first city in China to ban the consumption of animals raised as pets. The ban builds on a 1 February decree by the country’s government that made it illegal to eat or trade in wild animals.

Shenzhen will prohibit the consumption of state-protected wild animals and other terrestrial wild animals taken from the wild, as well as captive-bred and farmed terrestrial wild species. In addition, the consumption of animals raised as pets, such as cats and dogs will also be banned.
Chinese animal rights activists stage a protest calling for people to refrain from eating cats and dogs. Shenzhen will prohibit the consumption of state-protected wild animals and other terrestrial wild animals taken from the wild, as well as captive-bred and farmed terrestrial wild species. In addition, the consumption of animals raised as pets, such as cats and dogs will also be banned. Source: AFP/Getty/CNN

Ban “responds to the demand and spirit of human civilisation”

"Dogs and cats as pets have established a much closer relationship with humans than all other animals, and banning the consumption of dogs and cats and other pets is a common practice in developed countries and in Hong Kong and Taiwan," a spokesperson for the Shenzhen government said, as reported by Newsweek"This ban also responds to the demand and spirit of human civilisation."

In addition to banning the sale of cats and dogs for food, the new rule, known as the ‘Shenzhen Special Economic Region Regulation on a Comprehensive Ban on the Consumption of Wild Animals,’ permanently bans the consumption, breeding and sale of wildlife — such as snakes, lizards and other wild animals — for people to eat in the city, according to the Newsweek article.

The rule says that animals that can be eaten include pigs, cattle, sheep, donkeys, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons and quails, among others.

"If convicted, they will be subjected to a fine of 30 times the wild animal’s value, if the animal is above the value of 10,000CNY [$1400 USD]," announced authorities, as per CNN.

Liu Jianping, an official with the Shenzhen Center for Disease Prevention and Control, told the state-owned media Shenzhen Daily that the poultry, livestock and seafood available to consumers was sufficient.

"There is no evidence showing that wildlife is more nutritious than poultry and livestock," Liu said.

According to the Humane Society International, 30 million dogs are killed each year across Asia for meat. 

That said, eating dog meat in China is actually not that common. The vast majority of people there say they have never tried it and don’t wish to, as reported by the BBC.

The Humane Society International praised the move and said it may be an auspicious harbinger for the future protection of dogs, cats and wildlife.

Source: EcoWatch 

Animal rights activists try to save dogs at a free market ahead of the Yulin Dog Eating Festival in Yulin city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on June 21, 2014.
Most people in China don’t eat dog or cat meat, and there is considerable opposition to the trade. Animal rights activists try to save dogs at a free market ahead of the Yulin Dog Eating Festival in Yulin city, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on June 21, 2014. Source: Jie Zhao/Corbis/Getty Images

Most people in China don’t eat dog or cat meat, and there is considerable opposition to the trade

"With Shenzhen taking the historic decision to become mainland China’s first city to ban dog and cat meat consumption, this really could be a watershed moment in efforts to end this brutal trade that kills an estimated 10 million dogs and four million cats in China every year," said Dr. Peter Li, China policy specialist for the Humane Society International. 

"The majority of these companion animals are stolen from people’s back yards or snatched from the streets, and are spirited away on the backs of trucks to be beaten to death in slaughterhouses and restaurants across China."

"Shenzhen is China’s fifth-largest city so although the dog meat trade is fairly small there compared with the rest of the province, its true significance is that it could inspire a domino effect with other cities following suit. Most people in China don’t eat dog or cat meat, and there is considerable opposition to the trade particularly among younger Chinese," he added.

While authorities are trying to bring the lucrative wildlife trade under control after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cultural roots of China’s use of wild animals are deeply ingrained. Wild animals are not only used for food, but also for traditional medicine, clothing, ornaments and even pets, according to CNN.

"Shenzhlmen is the first city in the world to take the lessons learned from this pandemic seriously and make the changes needed to avoid another pandemic," Teresa M. Telecky, the vice president of the wildlife department for Humane Society International, told Reuters.

"Shenzhen’s bold steps to stop this trade and wildlife consumption is a model for governments around the world to emulate."

Source: EcoWatch 

With Shenzhen taking the historic decision to become mainland China's first city to ban dog and cat meat consumption, this could be a watershed moment in efforts to end this brutal trade that kills an estimated 10 million dogs and four million cats in China every year.
Animal rights groups have welcomed a ban on eating cats and dogs in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen but say more should be done to enforce laws and close loopholes. With Shenzhen taking the historic decision to become mainland China’s first city to ban dog and cat meat consumption, this could be a watershed moment in efforts to end this brutal trade that kills an estimated 10 million dogs and four million cats in China every year. Source: AFP/SouthChinaMorningPost
China orders complete ban on trade in wildlife for food to combat coronavirus epidemic China has ordered a complete ban on trade and consumption of wild animals as the nation struggles to control the spread of the coronavirus behind the Covid-19 epidemic. The wild animal trade is a multibillion-dollar industry in China, and employs millions of people. Source: YouTube/SouthChinaMorningPost
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