35 of the 135 dogs rescued from a Yulin slaughterhouse, arrive at HSI’s partner shelter in North China. Yulin 2018.
The city of Zhuhai in Guangdong province has become the second city in mainland China to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat. Wildlife consumption is also banned, in what campaigners at animal charity Humane Society International (HSI) hope will be the start of a domino effect of progressive legislation across China to end these brutal trades that see an estimated 10 million dogs and four million cats killed every year, mostly stolen pets and strays.
Zhuhai’s ban comes after the city of Shenzhen banned dog and cat meat earlier this month, and just days after China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs publicly stated that dogs are companion animals and not ‘livestock’. Other cities in mainland China are believed to be considering bans.
Dr Peter Li, HSI’s China policy specialist, welcomed the Zhuhai ban, saying: ‘Zhuhai’s ban on dog and cat meat eating is thrilling news for all those in China and around the world who have campaigned for so long to end this brutal trade.
‘Coming so soon after Shenzhen’s ban and the government’s historic statement classifying dogs as companions, we hope this will be the start of a domino effect of progressive legislation across China with other cities following suit.
‘With so many millions of dogs and cats falling victim to the meat trade, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that most people in China don’t eat dogs and cats, and that for years there has been enormous public support there for an end to the cruelty. So now it would seem that in the absence of a national ban, cities are taking matters into their own hands and reflecting the mood of the people.’
‘This isn’t just good news for animal protection, it’s very good news for public health because the dog meat trade poses a significant human health risk, linked to the spread of trichinellosis, cholera and rabies.’
Facts about China’s dog meat trade:
– Most people in China don’t eat dogs; in fact, dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20% of the Chinese population. A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog-meat traders to promote it.
– Nationwide across China, a 2016 survey conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz, found that most Chinese citizens (64%) want to see an end to the Yulin festival, more than half (51.7%) think the dog-meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat.
Image: Supplied
