China bans eating of cats, dogs

The southern Chinese city of Shenzhen has banned the production and consumption of dog and cat meat, becoming the first mainland Chinese city to do so in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

"Cats and dogs as pets have established a closer relationship with humans than other animals, and banning the consumption of dogs and cats and other pets is a common practice in many developed countries, Hong Kong and Taiwan," a representative of the city government said in a post Wednesday.

"Such a ban reflects today's demands and spirit of human civilization," the representative said.

The new food safety regulation will come into effect on May 1 as part of a wider effort to prevent future outbreaks of viruses.

The central government banned all "illegal" trade and eating of non-aquatic wild animals in late February after the virus was traced to a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan that also traded in wild animals, including bats and snakes.

The national ban, in addition to the already outlawed practice of trading certain wild animals, imposes heavier penalties on offenders.

But Shenzhen is the first Chinese mainland city to establish a permanent ban that extends to cat and dog meat, a local specialty, with heavy fines beginning at 100,000 yuan ($14,000) and increasing substantially depending on the value of the animals seized.

Source: Agencies


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