Eating dogs and cats–which is an age-old delicacy in China–could soon be against the law.
It’s the nation’s first law against such animal abuse. Currently, dog and cat meat is viewed as promoting bodily warmth. But if the law passes, people who eat either animal could face fines of up to $730 or 15 days in jail. Organizations involved the practice would face fines up to 100-times as much.
“I support this proposal. Whether you judge this as a question of food security or emotions, there is absolutely no necessity in China for people to eat dogs and cats,” said Zeng Li, the founder of the Lucky Cats shelter in Beijing. “Beijing’s dog restaurants get their meat mainly from vagrant and stolen dogs. In the suburbs, dogs are hung and slaughtered in front of buyers.”
The law has been in the draft stage for over a year and will be submitted to higher authorities come April. But draft legislation can take years to approve. Drafters at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences have been consulting for more than a year with Britain’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the US-based International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Raising cats and dogs for meat remains widespread in China. You’ll often see it advertised as “fragrant meat,” a euphemism for dog. Cat meat is more popular in southern China where activists block trucks carrying thousands of cats to meat markets.
Ending the culinary tradition is going to be difficult even it is passed in to law, as it dates back thousands of years. Dog meat was once considered a medicinal tonic.
“We are proposing that all dog and cat eating should be banned because it is causing many social problems,” said Chang Jiwen, a law professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who heads the drafting team.
The economic impact of this law would be small as China’s affluent don’t partake in the delicacy. In fact, such traditions have received much scrutiny from affluent, pet-loving, urban middle class. And online petitions against dog and cat consumption have attracted tens of thousands of signatures.
As a vegetarian, this begs the question of why stop at just cats and dogs? What’s the real difference between eating a cow or eating your dog? I’m just saying.
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Source: Physorg
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Jerry James Stone
Jerry is a web developer, part-time blogger and a full-time environmentalist. His crusade for all things eco started twenty years ago when he ditched his meat-and-potatoes upbringing for something more vegetarian-shaped. He currently works at Care2 and also blogs over at Treehugger. His passions include green tech, eco politics and smart green design. And while he doesn't own a car anymore, he loves to write about those too. Jerry studied at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA. During his time there he was a DJ at the campus station KCPR and he also wrote for the campus paper. Jerry currently resides in San Francisco, CA with his cat Lola. You can stalk him on Twitter @jerryjamesstone.
79 Responses to China to Ban Eating Cats and Dogs
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This also takes into consideration our rights as living organisms. We may be omnivorous, but there are many nutrients that we gain from eating animals that cannot be replaced by a vegetable diet. Also, if we are to be considered a species numbered among animals, what makes us any different from a leopard eating a gazelle, or a bobcat eating a rabbit, or a shark eating a seal? They have every right to eat what they are able to eat and naturally driven to eat. Eating cats is something which is an integral part of China’s ancient culture which we would be destroying to push such a law. There is no sense of cultural tolerance in this proposition and can be considered to be on the same level as banning a ball game in the US simply because you don’t think the ballgame is moral by your standards.
What’s the difference between eating dogs and cats and eating any other animal?
It would be interesting to hear what’s wrong with eating dogs and cats (if one feels comfortable with eating animals at all) – the ‘social problems’ for example mentioned in the article.
For example, cats can be menaces to native bird populations. Stray animals are local meat, raised on scraps, I image causing less environmental problems than factory-farmed meat.
they are indeed atrocities, ESPECIALLY when you consider the purposely sadistic manner in which these poor creatures are killed in order to release adrenaline in the blood to make the people consuming the meat more ‘virile’. they are slowly hung, beat, and have their limbs torn out of their sockets in order to prolong their suffering. death is a sweet release for these hapless animals. this practice has no place in any society, but considering the way china treats it’s human citizens, i am not entirely surprised. that does not diminish my horror and disgust.
The anti animal cruelty law is an “expert advisory draft” from China Academy of Social Science and Law, and must be reviewed by the legislative body. How much of it will become legislative proposal remains to be seen.
Also, it does not ban dog/cat meat consumption, only regulation for humane treatment and sanitation. The academy did consider regional culture and tradition when drafting this proposal.
BTW, if some Hindus think cows are God, should we not eat beef? Dog and cat are considered food animal in many culture around the world. Rabbit is pet in our society, yet we eat rabbits. If intelligence is the criteria pigs are smarter than cat, but pork chops are okay?
dy phan? atrocities? yes, and we have them here too. and we are trying to stop them here, like the horrible conditions in factory farming etc. it’s the old reverse arguement, “oh they think it’s okay to eat other things but not their precious pets.” i would have less of a problem with it if there weren’t widespread reports of intense and extreme abuse of the animals beforehand, like piling them up, and torturing them, in the IGNORANT and BACKWARD mindset that the meat will be more tender if they are terrified. charming traditions you have there. really enlightened. this is a good thing. there should not be one negative comment on this development, unless you are a twisted, abuse-loving person.
[...] now I won’t be that afraid to eat in China 28 01 2010 Click here. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Let’s hit ‘em while they’re downLoss [...]
[...] China to Ban Eating Cats and Dogs [...]
I am a dog owner and lover and would never eat one unless I was culturally bound to do so; however, I believe that anyone should be able to any other animal that tradition allows (and to those that would point out that people are animals too, I will preempt you in pointing out that eating people is no traditionally allowed).
While we see the tradition of eating dogs and cats as horrific on the basis that they are simply our common pets, yet as a culture, we consume the cow on a massive scale, which as many know, the Hindus view as sacred.
We in the western world, should only be concerned with the humanity of the slaughter. As much criticism as factory farms receive, the death of the animal as quick as possible. Not for the morality of it but for the profit of it as there is no money to be made in the suffering of them. We should take note of this and thus if the cats and dogs are slaughtered in the most painless manner; then this is a non-story (IMHO).
I TOTALLY AGREE IBEH YOUR ALL SO STUPID
It’s not the eating of animals that bothers me but I must know that they have not been cruelly treated before their death. I have not eaten meat since I was nine. I think this ban is a good thing.
I am so glad to see this. To know that any animal is hung up and slaughtered in front of diners is the most horrific thought. How is it that anyone could condone this? Now on to dog and cat furs and scalping in the streets. Torture of ANY being is not to be tolerated and just breaks my heart.
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IBEH – it’s sophist thinking that a dog or a cat is equivalent to a cockroach, millipede or spider that you can extend if you want to equate a human being as being no different than a dog or a cat. It’s exactly the same reasoning, and it’s your reasoning.
You can also use that same reasoning to view a plague of locusts over-running a countryside destroying resources in the same way as the human species which has had exponential growth rates since 1800. In the case of locusts, what would be the intelligent entirely unemotional solution to the problem?
But if a dog or a cat is no different than a spider or a cockroach, and that is prevalent thinking, what will be done?
just an FYI. most animals are incredibly tasty, but this is the fallacy of your undoing. It’s all fine and dandy until you see dogs roaming your neighborhood tearing through your garbage and attacking bystanders. what do you think happens to pets that are put down?
They are thrown away to rot. yep, animals indeed rot when they die, whether they are flat on the highway or dead from malnutrition, They rot.
I say, waste not, want not and eat the fuzzy bastards.
[...] dogs? What
I agree that eating a cow is like eating a dog. Hence I treat them fairly. I eat them both.
You animal EATING folks in the Easternized world are even MORE ridiculous …
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Bart, I think you hit everything (nails, points, etc.) on the head with that one (if we eat other animals, why not dogs/cats).
P.E.T.A.
People Eating Tasty Animals
A cow is more delicious than a dog. Besides, I don’t name or play fetch with my hamburgers.
[...] http://planetsave.com/blog/2010/01/27/china-to-ban-eating-cats-and-dogs/ [...]
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[...] China quer banir os cães e gatos do prato Planet Save. [...]
LOL, LIke a little Ban is going to stop anyone. LOL
RT
http://www.online-privacy.int.tc
I think this is great start and excellent for China’s image.
For many years I have seen horrifying photos of dogs and cats crammed into small cages in open-air markets where they are slaughtered not only in front of the public, but in front of each other as well. There is not one animal protection law or animal cruelty law in China, so there is no regulation as to how the dogs and cats are slaughtered.
Dogs, cats, and rabbits are also commonly slaughtered for their fur in China. Cat fur is indistinguishable from rabbit fur, especially when dyed for fur trim, and is commonly sold as rabbit fur here in the USA.
http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/What-is-that-they-re-wearing_FurBooklet.pdf
Any fur item worth less that $150.00 being imported into the US does not have to be labeled as to the animal it originated from, and if Americans won’t buy/ or it is illegal to sell something that says “Cat” fur, then the Chinese are all to happy to label it as “rabbit”. It is only a different word in English to them. And in no way is all the fur trim imported from China DNA tested to assure it is not dog or cat.
Which begs the question: Now that the USA has begun to import meat from China, which we used to not do, how do we know that small parts of chicken imported from China is actually chicken, and not rabbit or cat? Do I think this is happening? I think the possibility is strong.
The cruelty and brutality toward animals slaughtered in the United States for fur or food is equally cruel.
I could say that the fur farms in China are worse because I have seen footage of a China Raccoon Dog being skinned completely alive, (they just chop off it’s feet and peel it), and thrown on the dead pile blinking it’s eyes. The only fur left on it’s body is it’s eyelashes.
However, The Washington Post had an article, “They Die Piece by Piece”, documenting live cattle, skinned, hooves cut off with clippers, hanging in the slaughterhouse suspended by one chained leg, and their eyes rolling around watching everything, so I cannot say China is worse.
As for the vegetarian question, For me, my vegetarianism is a boycott. Money is power, and a way of channeling your energy. I work hard to make my money, so why spend it on practices that I don’t support? I became vegetarian in 1986 and never regretted it. I will be 50 this year. You should see how young my skin looks. ^__^
Okay, I’m a vegan, and I find the consumption of any animal (and especially the ones I have personal relationships with) a sad thing.
But let’s look at this rationally and without our Western-Affluence goggles on for a moment.
The affluent and middle class in China looks down on the consumption of dogs and cats. So we’re talking about the poor people here. In China, the poor aren’t like American poor. They live in bone-grinding poverty.
The government is telling them it’s illegal to eat dogs and cats. So my question is…what are they supposed to eat instead? This isn’t like telling Americans, who never have anything even close to a “need” for animal protein not to eat meat. This is like walking up to a hut full of starving people and saying, “Yeah, you know this food that you’ve been using to stay alive? Eat it again and we’ll throw you in a hard labor prison.”
I’m just saying…THINK with a larger scope when evaluating these “victories.”
I think it would be AWESOME if Asian nations all stopped consuming canine and feline flesh. But my first concern is that this is an obvious attempt to starve out the poorest people who live under an oppressive communist regime.
Dog meat is expensive in china, they have lots of other meat to eat. I don't agree with this law but just wantedt o point out the "But what else can they eat?" reasoning is not sound. Chinese poor eat more vegetables and simple meats like cow and chicken.
D. – dogs are clearly not on the same level as us on the food chain as evinced by the fact that we eat them (in china and other countries, at least).
The real difference is that dogs and cats are typically kept as pets, but cows are not. Dogs and cats happen to be cuter and furrier, essentially.
A friend of mine’s mother in the countryside hat pet cows? Should we therefore not eat those?
The only two answers are:
a) eat everything except humans, we are the top of the food chain and every other animal is fair game.
b) become a vegetarian as you disapprove of eating animals at any level.
Any other distinctions drawn are arbitrary distinctions based on whether my mum once had one as a pet etc.
I have no problem with anybody eating any particular meat and I don’t see eating cats and dogs as any different than eating cows and pigs here in the US.
The actual problem I have with China’s practice of eating these animals – and with all animal care in China – is the complete lack of humane treatment. China has NO animal welfare laws. These animals are treated worse than anything I’ve ever read/seen/expereinced. The way they are slaughtered is nothing like the way animals are slaughter in other countries. Even in the US – where our ‘food animals’ are still treated below par – the animals are at least killed prior to being skinned, or throw into boiling oil, or having limbs hacked off… This is not the case in China. Live animals are treated with the same concern as an orange or apple with regards to just cutting right into it. It’s disturbing to say the absolute least on the matter.
If China would take as much initiative toward becoming a ‘force’ in humane animal treatment as they have in commercial/political endevours I believe the world at large would look upon anything they choose to eat in a much better light and this whole situation of trying to force them to avoid eating animals they have sustained their people on for thousands of years would not be an issue at all.
Chinese proverb: The government wants a law-thats fine.The people will do what they want. I wish the government luck. The cops won’t enforce it (except for show)
Dog is ok, but a little bland. I’ve heard cat is disgusting. I’ll try it one day to find out. Panda is probably delicious, but difficult to obtain. I don’t want to eat babies or live monkeys brains. Each to his own taste,said the dog licking his balls.
There is no difference between eating a cow and a dog. Both are perfectly legitimate food sources.
In a world where industrial food production has reduced the world to getting over 80% of its food production comes from 4 animal species and 12 crops it is clearly time to keep food diversity front and forward and not get caught up in animal protest industry hate memes.
It’s a big world with a lot of cultures.
We need ecology not emotion.
Some of the comments here and at the original source surely must have been posted for shock value. Alternatively, they are an accurate reflection of why we still do not treat other humans with dignity and respect – we haven’t evolved enough as a species, and until we attain that there is little hope of not killing other animals because “we like steak”.
Good ! Now let us ban eating cows and pigs.
Give a good wine and cook fifi right with rice and corn and I’m chowing baby!
I agree, what IS the difference if you eat a cat vs. a cow? I say, eat whichever you like. I’m a lover of both cats and dogs but its not my place to get in the way of over 1000 years of cultural practice. Maybe it tastes good?
When will you simpering veggies learn that if you succeeded in banning the eating of meat you would single-handedly be responsible for the genocide of a number of species. Do you think people would devote huge areas of expensive land to raising pigs because they are cute?
Animals eat other animals. It is healthy, necessary and tasty. It can also be done in a manner such that the animals have a happy and healthy life – one which, as stated above, they would be void of should you have your way.
I do very much agree with the very final statement that there isn’t much difference between eating cats and dog compared to eating cows… It’s just that we’re not used to thinking of cats and dogs as anything other than pets. I personally couldn’t eat them, but forgive me for being ignorant if I’m wrong here but isn’t the cow supposed to be sacred in India and therefore not eaten there, too?
It’s certainly something that, I feel, only those accepting of other ways of life would be able to accept, but due to the alleged poor handling of cats and dogs for the meat market (such as stealing them etc) is obviously something that anyone would object to…
If reared specifically for meat and treated properly like cows are in the UK I would have no problem with it (even being a cat lover myself)
Like someone else noted, why is killing lambs, dires, goats, cows, pigs, rabbits and all other “traditionally accepted” as food animals different?
I believe if any everage person would visit a regular meat factory aka slaughterhouse, where they “immobilize” animals for meat and take their skin off would have the same protesting feeling.
Everyone like to eat meat, but not everyone wants to know details on how it’s made avaialble.
I suspect 95% of people would not kill any animal for food, if they had other food available.
I have heard rumors that certain percentage of people turns vegetarians after visiting meat factory.
I eat meat, but I feel bad about it. I try to choose something else when there is choice. I think people in general should find other solution for food.
That would be evolution.
These are not the times when we need to kill to survive, not for 99% of us who reads this.
In China in fact it might be the case, so I put zero blame on them.
It's not the case. China is, food wise, as industrialized as the west.
The last paragraph “As a vegetarian, this begs the question of why stop at just cats and dogs? What’s the real difference between eating a cow or eating your dog? I’m just saying.” brings an interesting question. Though I would consider it from the other perspective.
Why stop at just eating cows when other meats are apparently equally healthy for you?
I understand their is a social norm against it. But otherwise is there a reason not to eat cats and dogs in a culture where it is the norm to eat such meats as dogs and cats?
have you ever seen, how they cook cats alive or how they skin them alive?
have you ever seen, how they prepare dogs for food?
please watch some videos! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_8Ko-9uKRs
the problem isn't that they eat dogs & cats,
the problem is that they bait the animals.
this is a shame for this country and it's worse animal abuse.
Looking at this from the standpoint of we already eat cows/sheep/etc., I can’t why is it unacceptable to eat dogs and cats? Because we domesticate them? It’s possible for pigs to be domesticated; and yet we still eat those.
In fact, I almost dare anybody to find an argument against eating cats and dogs besides vegetarianism and sentimental bull* on humanities behalf. Note that I’m neither vegetarian, nor do I presently eat felines or canines (living in Australia, it’s kind of illegal), however, I can’t see any reasonable, logical reason why we don’t.
Atrocities? You animal folks in the westernized world are ridiculous.
I THINK IT’S A GOOD BEGINNING AND THE LAW SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO COCKROACHES, SPIDERS, MILLIPEDES AND SO ON.
THIS WILL MAKE THE WORLD (CHINA)A LESS IRRITATING PLACE.
If you can eat a cow, I see no reason why you can’t eat a dog or a cat. They are all just 4 legged animals that our body can convert to energy. It should be all or nothing…either eating ANY animal is a sin OR eating EVERY animal should be OK.
Here kitty kitty.
While I respect your opinion and right to eat what you see fit, I have a problem with someone telling me or others what they can and cannot eat on a broad scale.
I respect animals on the level that I do not condone undue cruelty, and thus have avoided certain establishments due to exposed practices of their suppliers, however, I’m an omnivore both by nature and choice.
This is mostly in response to the closing comments that you threw in as a final shot. To respond to the question I imagine you didn’t really want answered, there is no difference aside from emotional attachment.
This begs another question however. If those animals aren’t to be used for the food they were raised to be, who’s going to care for them?
"I have a problem with someone telling me or others what they can and cannot eat on a broad scale."
When your eating habits are supporting an industry that is destroying the environment we all live in it's no longer just your problem. If you are eating naturally raised Organic animals and not the chemically induced factory farm animals I'd agree but if you eat out or eat meat from a regular supermarket you are killing other people. I know no one wants to hear it but it's true. And yes I know the arguement that vegetables are also grown badly and animals die for the production of the vegetables but if you do the math and the research the meat industry is MUCH more harmful than the vegetable, in my opinion it's about doing as little damage as you can while still living in our world.
"If those animals aren't to be used for the food they were raised to be, who's going to care for them?"
There's a big difference between raising a cow properly and the way we do it.
[...] aiming to end the practice of serving cat and dog meat http://planetsave.com/blog/2010/01/2…cats-and-dogs/ Age old delicacies, selling cat and dog meat will soon be illegal. __________________ [...]
Some people even eat baby lambs or goats, piglets and calves that are still suckling from their mothers…. perhaps there will be fines for these atrocities one day.
What? You murder vegetables? For shame!
http://www.etaglive.com/eTags/PETV_is_People_for_Ethical_Treatment_of_Vegetables_LoC10179.htm
The difference between dogs and cows is that dogs are on a parallel place on the food chain as us (as we both have canines and have the body chemistry to eat meat). The food chain has the meat eaters eating the plant eaters. That is the difference. Don’t fight nature.
Right… because omnivores are totally unnatural… meat eaters eat meat all the time. Don't fight nature.
It’s not much, but it is a start. Maybe this will finally start ensuring humane treatment to man and animal alike in the world.